Rapid battery discharge all devices

Question

Rapid battery discharge all devices

I have an iPhone 12, iWatch 4 and iPad Pro 12.9 inch. All three devices have started having issues with rapid battery discharge over the past 3 days.

My iPhone was fully charged at 6:15 a.m. By noon it was at 30%. I recharged to 80% and 90 minutes later (with virtually zero usage, it is back down to 50% at 4:00 p.m.

My iWatch was fully charged at 6:15 a.m. By 9:00 a.m. it was down to 10%. I gave it an extra charge for 90 minutes and it got to 98% for a high. 2 hours later it was back down to 20%.

iPad was fully charged at 6:15 a.m. today. I used it for 45 minutes and it was 77%. With zero usage since 7:30 a.m. it has dropped from 77% to 43% as of 4:00 p.m.

This is highly unusual for all three devices. They typically all get through the day and get an overnight charge. The iPad I usually charge once per week.

iPhone 12 Pro

Posted on Mar 21, 2023 1:09 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Branta_uk

Level 7

32,892 points

Mar 22, 2023 2:44 PM in response to jonathanfromscotia

The single thing I have found found most likely to cause heavy battery usage is a weak cellular signal. If you spend most of your time around the same location this can be due to something as simple as a failed cellular tower/antenna so your devices ramp up the power trying to maintain contact with more distant cells. Check the observed signal strength (the cellular bars on screen).

Te other good test is to put the device(s) to airplane mode for a few hours and see if heavy battery drain continues. If the problem continues it is something happening within your device (software). If the battery life improves significantly it is more likely to be something linked to cellular data usage (rogue app?) or the performance of the cellular network (signal strengths as above?)

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Answer 2

Mar 22, 2023 12:28 PM in response to jonathanfromscotia

Is your local Wi-Fi network or ISP link flaky, or did some network security apps or tools get added here?

Put differently, if you disable Wi-Fi (temporarily) on each gizmo, is the battery consumption rate closer to your expected normal?

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Answer 3

Mar 23, 2023 12:05 PM in response to jonathanfromscotia

jonathanfromscotia wrote:

Thank you. I reset internet and turned off VPN on iPhone. 1 1/2 days at normal battery draw.

First-few-hops VPN clients apps claim to solve a problem which really hasn’t existed for a decade or so, and are usually only useful for allowing advertisers to consolidate and track your activity, and for causing weird problems.

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Answer 4

Mar 23, 2023 9:06 AM in response to MrHoffman

Thank you. I reset internet and turned off VPN on iPhone. 1 1/2 days at normal battery draw.

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Answer 5

LD150

Level 10

99,697 points

Mar 22, 2023 8:17 AM in response to jonathanfromscotia

Watch uses a LOT of battery

Make sure to turn off background app refresh and check walkie talkie is not accidentally turned on.

Force restart your watch i.e. press and hold both the side button and Digital Crown for at least 10 seconds, then release both buttons when you see the Apple logo.

Then Force Restart the paired iphone Force restart iPhone – Apple Support (UK)

Try it for a couple of days especially if you sync photos to your Watch.

Then if still no better you can check for damaged or self-discharging battery...

How to check your Apple Watch battery fo… - Apple Community

If the battery seems OK then Unpair the watch and then pair it again.

Unpair and erase your Apple Watch – Apple Support (UK)

Set up your Apple Watch – Apple Support (UK)

Apple Watch - Battery - Apple (UK)

Batteries - Maximising Performance - Apple (UK)

If it still discharges after all Watch resets try this user tip

Apple Watch battery drain - the ultimate … - Apple Community

iphone iPad generally