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5S iOS 10 Messages Background Activity causes battery to drain

Hi,

After I updated to iOS 10.0.1 on my iPhone 5S I noticed that more than 45% of the battery usage is for "Messages Background Activity". Is this some kind of a bug? Is there a temporary solution for this? [image attached]

User uploaded file

Thanks.

iPhone 5s, iOS 10, Battery Usage

Posted on Sep 14, 2016 7:47 AM

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30 replies

Jul 23, 2017 12:01 PM in response to Operatique

I'm having the same issues as everyone above. The Apple Store swapped my iPhone 7 with a cracked screen with a new phone five days ago. The battery starting draining excessively and getting hot on Friday night. Lots of strange issues, such as the battery not charging even though it was plugged in. Message crashing when opening.


I went back to the Apple Store and they did a new iPhone restore, after numerous hardware tests that showed my new phone was in perfect order. The tech felt that the issue was related to messages and now I come across this thread.


I've tried all of the fixes mentioned after restoring a backup again, but the issue persists. I think the only permanent solution will be for me to do another new phone restore and leave my backup off, keeping iCloud info (contacts, photos) but losing years of Messages. I would also need to download all of my Apps again, though Messages is a much higher priority.


Any new ideas out there to avoid a new install?

Sep 14, 2016 7:59 PM in response to isurusam

Hello isurusam,
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

I understand from your post that your Messages are using up 44% of your battery usage time after updating to iOS 10.0.1. I recommend maximizing your battery life by following the tips in the article linked below:

Maximizing Battery Life and Lifespan

Background Activity. This indicates that the battery was used by the app while it was in the background — that is, while you were using another app.

To improve battery life, you can turn off the feature that allows apps to refresh in the background. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and set the switch to Off.

Best Regards

Sep 15, 2016 2:41 AM in response to CarlAVII

Hello Allen A and thanks for the reply. I experience the same problem as isurusam, in less than 4 hours, messages has drained 35% of the battery life of my iPhone (6s) in background activity. Messages is developed by Apple, why is it subobtimal in term of battery life consumption and why do we have to shut its background activity?

Sep 15, 2016 10:38 AM in response to isurusam

User uploaded fileI Have noticed this issue too. I saw that my battery started draining very quickly after upgrading to iOS 10 and looked at the battery useage. My apple messaging app is showing over 40% battery useage which seems odd. I have only sent a handful of messages today. Turning off background refresh is not acceptable. The whole point of having a messaging app is that people can, well, message you.

Sep 15, 2016 11:48 AM in response to isurusam

Am experiencing the same problems with my iphone 6S running 10.0.1. On power saver mode and plugged in the battery is still draining if I'm using Messages.


Seems like it is the animated messages that are killing my battery. If I do a hard reset (power button + home button) it seems to resolve until I get another animated message and then the energy bleed happens again.


Just a theory at this point, but I thought I'd put it out there for others to test.

5S iOS 10 Messages Background Activity causes battery to drain

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