iOS 4 - battery drains much quicker after update

I have EXACTLY the same problem! I updated my 3GS to iOS4, and now I'm charging it sometimes twice a day! Very aggravating!! Does anyone know if there is a fix? I understand that it is possible to downgrade back to the old OS. I may be forced to do it.

Hi all. I have narrowed my iOS4 battery problem to an issue with WiFi, or else at least an issue that cannot occur when WiFi is off. With WiFi on, my battery will reliably drain from 100% to zero in under 12 hours with no usage. With WiFi off but everything else on (3G, GPS, cellular data, multi-tasking apps running) it will last a good 50 hours or so with light usage.

I intend to find out next whether the issue occurs only when actually CONNECTED to a WiFi network or whether it occurs just when WiFi is enabled. It definitely occurs on both my home and office WiFi networks, reducing the possibility of an issue specific to my particular WiFi network.

I've done a complete software restore and that didn't help me - I might try one of the convoluted solutions mentioned here that worked for other users but if those don't work, I'm going to the Genius Bar with my evidence. I can't stomach the idea of losing my Angry Birds scores by doing a total start again on the whole OS environment just yet so a restore from backup is the only option for me.

I have this exact same issue with my iPod Touch 2G (8gb). I've done a full restore about 5 times, still had the issue; while the ipod was not in use the battery was draining excessively for NO reason. However, last night before I went to bed I did something different --- I forgot to connect it to my WiFi network(Wifi was enabled, but I was not connected to any network), and I left it on the table and in the morning - The battery was 100% full! However I also did not install any other apps, which I usually did after the restore, but I'm pretty sure it's the wifi thing.

Something in iOS4 is screwing with the WiFi battery consumption.

Not entirely sure why.

EDIT: Just gotta clarify, this was not an issue pre-IOS4 (v3)

Message was edited by: Billy OzGates

Yes.. I have definitely noticed this and it seems even worse now! I had 100% battery power, got a telephone call that lasted 10 minutes, battery was in the red!!! That's like a 90% drop!

Apple...FIX THIS please.

I had exactly the same problem the last couple of days. Not directly after the iOS, though. I read through this thread and did 3 things yesterday:
+ disabled all push mail (was disabled overall, only individual setting "agenda push" was on on my Exchange account; shouldn't matter, I guess)
+ removed almost all the "open apps" from the multitask bar by holding an icon for 3 seconds and then removing them one by one
+ did a hard reset (hold home and standby for 10 seconds)

Went to bed with a full battery. And this morning it was still nearly full. So one of the three things (or 2 or 3...?) did it for me! Thanks!

don't expect anything great out of IOS 4.1. I installed it today and my battery life is even worse the 4.0.2. I can't believe it's worse. I played Angry Bird for 45 minutes, battery went from 100% to 62%. That's just not right!

Yeah.....since I got this update my battery life drains so fast! This morning the battery was at 100% and without even using it - 10 minutes later it was at 98%! I started using the ipod function and sent a few text messages and within 20 minutes my battery was already at 86%. This is not right and updating to 4.1 made no difference. I shouldn't need to plug the charger in half way through my work day to charge the phone! Apple needs to address this!!!

Agreed. This is effecting all versions of the iPhone (noted in 4G discussion). I charged my phone to 100% last night and used the iPod function for about 50 minutes - it went down to 94%. Without doing anything else at all on my iPhone, it has dropped to 84%. Time to fix this if it is still happening!

Hi guys,

this is my experience on iphone 4

the problem seems to be the GAMECENTER apllication introduced with 4.1, I done the upgrade and after I opened the gamecenter application the battery lose the power very very fast; So after that I reinstalled the previously version 4.0.2, then I reexecute the upgrade to the 4.1 BUT I DIDN'T open the gamecenter application and magically the battery now keep the power for long time.

regards
Luke

My battery struggles to stay at 15% constantly draining and only after updated to 4.1 this week, I assumed battery went bad

Double click on home button and kill all open apps, might help

iphone 3Gs

Indeed .... you need to kill some app by double tapping the home button.

And especially kill the Gamecenter instance. Was having problem, and i removed the game center, and now it is fine ...
Like many others, I am sure i opened it up to see what it looked like, and did not thought that it will still consume battery in the background.

I can definitely say Safari's fraud warning was chewing the juice on mine. Massive difference.

Interesting: I replaced my 3GS with the iPhone4 and did the whole backup and restore and all worked good but three days later, after 8 hours since last full recharge the darn thing went dead! And quickly drains out afterward.. Ooops I want my old reliable phone back. Reading the article about background apps running, I thought, nah.. I shut everything down when done with them.. right?

Double tap home button and yep, there they are.. each and every app I own is running in the background.. and each one needs to be removed from the background.. how is this possible? I never has this issue with the 3GS? So now, when I run an app and shut it down I also have to remove it from the multi-tasking bar as well?

I currently have the phone on recharge and will test it out again once fully charged.. Wondering if this gets sorted out soon..

BTW, how DO you remove that game centre waste of time and space thing they added? I can't seem to make it go away..

Over the past few days my 3GS has been running out of charge. Today I fully charged my phone and left it for 1 hour 20 mins in standby doing absolutely nothing, I check my phone and its at 70%? So I go in search of a cause, I make sure all apps are closed in multi-tasking and that 3g is off ect, then I got into the usage section and notice it says that my phone had been on stanby for 1 hour 22 mins since being fully charged which was correct BUT it also said that the phone had been used for 1 hour 22 mins since last charge. I left the phone on standby for another 10 mins and the both figures increased to 1 hour 33 mins....
Anyone have a fix? Thanks