Thoughts, tips, or help regarding battery life for new iPad Air M2

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Thoughts, tips, or help regarding battery life for new iPad Air M2

Hello!

Hoping to get some clarification and more insight if someone has a better understanding regarding battery life with techy things.

I’ve reviewed the information that apple provides online about how to best support battery life for iPads but I still feel stumped. And am wondering whether or not I should just bring my iPad in to get checked out.

I recently received a new apple iPad Air 13 M2 in October, 2025.

Previous to that I was using an iPad Air from 2012. For many years until its gb storage could no longer handle the usage of new updates (has a 32gb storage capacity).

Compared to my older iPad vs this new one, the new iPad battery does not hold a charge any where CLOSE to the older version.

My 2012 iPad can hold a full charge (and slowly dwindle) for longer than a week. A week and a half at best. Albeit, if it is not in use. With use at least 5 days, including multiple tabs and other apps opened too. It is, however, on the oldest iOS update also.

My current and - should be- brand new iPad can hold a full charge for only one whole day. And the battery itself drops to half well before the day ends when it has been in use.

This is with the newest and most updated iOS version as well.

Is this accurate to how other newer iPads versions are behaving regarding battery life? I double checked also with the settings on the battery health section and everything looks solid. But as you can see in the pick, I am already at 55% at 1715 in the evening. From this point - I have used this iPad all of 3 -4 times today, to check email, review recipes online, and deal with some work related calls. I would say I’ve used it for all of a solid 4 hours today.

Am I missing anything?

Thoughts?

Thanks for reading my ramblings. Appreciate any advice or help/tips!

Posted on Dec 8, 2025 5:41 PM

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Answer 1

Dec 9, 2025 2:27 AM in response to Melon_12

Your iPad being "unused" does not, necessarily, imply that background processes are not still running - or may have stalled and are unexpectedly draining your iPad's battery.

The battery performance that you describe suggests that something is perhaps awry. If your iPad is not operating as expected, try a forced-restart - as this will often clear an isolated software issue:

Force restart iPad (models with Face ID or with Touch ID in the top button)

If your iPad doesn’t have the Home button, do the following:

Press and quickly release the volume button nearest to the top button.
Press and quickly release the volume button farthest from the top button.
Press and hold the top button.
When the Apple logo appears, release the top button.

If the problem persists after performing the restart, it may be necessary to reset your iPad settings. While this reset will not cause any loss of data, as a precaution, it is always wise to ensure that you have a current iCloud or iTunes backup before performing the reset:

How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

When you are happy to proceed, you can perform the reset from iPad settings:

Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset > Reset All Settings

If the problem still doesn’t clear, the next step is to reset the iPad to factory settings:

Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings - Apple Support

Otherwise, you would be best advised to seek assistance directly from Apple Support. You can contact the Support Team using the Support link at top-right or bottom-left of this page. Alternatively you can initiate and manage your support cases using the excellent Apple Support App. If not already installed on your iPad, the App can be downloaded from the App Store:

https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-support/id1130498044

You might also visit the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) - where the technicians will be able to test and assess your iPad - and you can explore your available options:

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple

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