Time that battery charge lasts dropped by two thirds after installing iOS ver26.

knutefromyerington wrote:

I'm not talking about iOS 26.4.2, I'm talking about iOS26 which was released a couple of months ago.

You specifically said on 2 occasions that you were using iOS 26.4.2. That version was released just 4 days ago, and Apple has already provided a Support Article stating you should experience increased battery usage immediately following any update. We have seen this take about 4 days.

• My iPhone SE2020 26.4.2
• My battery health is well over 80% and was not affected by downloading ver26 nor was it affected by the subsequent updates that got the phone to ver26.4.2

For further assistance you would need to provide the suggested screenshot of the green battery graph and top 5 apps consuming the battery at Settings > Battery > View All Usage. Do this at the end of a current day to get the full day results and at least 4 days after the update to iOS 26.4.2.

Getting full day battery usage on an original battery showing 86% Battery Health for a 2020 iPhone SE is exceptional. You are doing much better than average, actually that may be the best I have seen.

iOS 26.4.2 was just released 4 days ago, so not sure when your phone actually updated to that version, but you are correct that battery demand will increase for around 4 days while files are continuing to be indexed in the background after setup. Tracking it for the previous 2 weeks would not have accounted for the latest update and the indexing that needs to be performed there.

What is the Battery Health that you are seeing on your phone? If it is below 80%, it needs to be replaced and that is true for any iOS version. It would be nearly impossible for an original battery on that phone to be operating correctly, so if you have had it replaced already then that should have been done at an Authorized Service Provider. If you purchased the device from a third party, its history will be unknown as far as any original component battery replacement.

It is certainly possible that an already weak battery that needed to be replaced or is one from an unauthorized provider, may not be able to handle the extra load placed on it from the indexing, but that is not the fault of the OS version, it is the battery and the same would have happened when doing any other CPU intensive task found in many games or even some websites that will place an increased demand on the battery. Kind of like when you notice that the roof on your house needs replaced after a heavy rain, where the rain did not cause the roof failure but certainly will make it apparent.

knutefromyerington (author)

Perhaps the iPhone may have a marginalized battery since

the gauges could be overly optimistic. (Mine Was, after the

fact.) That nice iPhone SE, showed 92% in the Battery life.

But facts unfolded a new truth, amazing in automation; and

before my and the service tech's eyes. Wished I'd a Video!

..On finding nearest Apple Authorized Service and Reseller..

one Official Apple Store is in my state; inconvenient @ best:

A call was made and they suggested, I take my iPhone into

an independent authorized Apple shop. I did, also took 2nd

iPhone that needed a battery there too. To cover my assets..

Glad I did. The SE inside an armored NUUD 'Life-Proof' Case

held the iPhone tight; very secure. But Battery had Swollen

with no external evidence of that factor, ahead of opening.

I've never seen anything like this iPhone: It-jacked-itself Open

and let its Display and its Back, Puff-out just like an Accordion!

Rather than pay $15 disposal fee, a visit to BestBuy got me

a new case for the XR, at 75% discount; and I dropped my

dead iPhone SE into a Recycle bin for free. Find My was used

to backdoor access. And instructions in Apple Accounts, online

told me how to disable a very dead iPhone. + My Mac helped.

So I asked the authorized independent Apple service - reseller

to order me a New battery for my 2nd iPhone XR. As none were

available in AK. And pre-paid Parts & Labor $165 + 1 wk wait.

At least since last year, this replacement has worked fine; with

another season to spin icy circles on roads. XR's done very good.

Was just given 2 add'l. phones w/ latest iOS; both need batteries.

Three 'Free bargains' from friends

at only 3x 'Lower 48' parts price?

What is your battery health? iPhone SE 2020 was released in of course 2020 and discontinued in 2022. At best, the battery in your phone is 4 years old, but possibly 6 years old. If it's health at Settings > Battery > Battery Health is 80% or less, your battery is failing. iPhone batteries need to replaced when they dip to 80%.

knutefromyerington wrote:

My battery health is well over 80% and was not affected by downloading ver26 nor was it affected by the subsequent updates that got the phone to ver26.4.2. The only thing that changed was how long a full charge lasts and that hasn’t been affected by the newer updates either. Just the update from 18 to 26 affected how long a full charge lasts. I should also mention that I do not use a VPN. I have also not downloaded any new apps since well before the ver26 update.

It's clear you want to blame the update on your battery life. That's an unfortunate conclusion and usually, if not always wrong. If iOS 26.4.2 caused significant decay in battery life, it would do it to everyone who updated to iOS 26.4.2. There are millions upon millions of people who have by now, surely updated and this forum, the most visited forum on the planet for all things iPhone would be flooded with people complaining, but it's not. The tech press would be all over this, but they're not.

There is something else at play. It could and likely is your battery. We don't know the history of your phone, like if you bought it brand new from Apple or an Apple Authorized Seller? Or did you buy it used from someone? If you bought it brand new, either when it was originally released or before it was discontinued, it would be highly unlikely a battery which is anywhere from 4 - 6 years old has a battery health well over 80%.

When you open Settings > Battery - scan down and look at what is using your charge. Each and every app will be listed with the percentage of your battery used. If something is unusually high, it could be something running in the background, which isn't closing even if the app is suspended.

After every iOS update, I Force Restart my iPhone. If you don't, you should do this now --> Force restart iPhone - Apple Support

Surge74 wrote:

Same issue but with 17 Pro Max. And it has been more than 4 days. It’s about half of what it was before installing 26.4.2.

Post a screenshot of the graphs under Daily Usage along with the top 5 apps consuming the battery at Settings > Battery > View All Battery Usage.

If your phone has its original battery, the first thing to check is its status in Settings > Battery > Battery Health and Charging. If you have installed a client-side VPN, that could explain it.

My SE 2020 that went into service on Nov 2021 has now hit the 80% health mark, but has no added security dungware. It showed no change in rate of drain after 26.4.2. When I put it on the charger at bedtime every night, it remains at 65-75% retained charge like it has since new.

The Battery Health percentage does not change between updates, it is a determination when it needs to be replaced. If it is well over 80%, that is a pretty good indication that it is not the original battery, so when and where was it replaced.

As stated iOS 26.4.2 was just released 4 days ago, so it is not clear when your phone updated. If that happened just a couple of days ago, you likely still have a couple of days of indexing yet to be performed.

Do you have Automatic App Updates turned on? You may not have downloaded any new apps, but current apps would have been updated and they certainly would not be the same and can change how they are using your battery. Any of them Meta apps?

Post a screenshot of the green battery graph and the top 5 apps consuming the battery at Settings > Battery > View All Usage.

The goal is all day battery life, so use Optimized Charging and charge your phone all night, every night. Hopefully you have not let your battery drain completely by trying to get 2 to 3 days use out of it, as that will damage your battery.

knutefromyerington wrote:

Mac Jim, thank you for your continued responses but you seem to be missing my point. The drop in battery charge duration happened immediately after changing from ver18 to ver26 and has continued through all subsequent updates to the current ver26.4.2. I’m just now posting it because I wanted to give it plenty of time to normalize and I was busy with life. Prior to updating from 18 to 26, a full charge would last 2-3 days. After updating to 26 it went to less than 24 hours. The phone was at 98% battery life when I purchased it new in 2020 and has dropped to 86% life currently. The phone has had a consistent 2-3 day charge duration since it was new.

Are you suggesting you went 2 - 3 days before you would charge your phone? WHY??? The best way to charge your phone is to plug it in to charge when you go to bed, leaving it on the charger, all night, every night, with optimized battery charging turned on. Even if your battery is at 90%, plug it in when you go to bed.

Read these two links:

Batteries - Maximizing Performance - Apple

When to charge your iPhone or iPad - Apple Community

knutefromyerington wrote:

lobsterghost1- Why? Because the charge would only drop about 20-25% a day and I didn’t see any value in charging it more frequently. After 2 or 3 days, when the charge had dropped to 25-40% I would charge it. As the guy in your second link mentioned, you can charge it whenever and for as long as you want. Since downloading the first update to iOS 26 (from 18) I have to charge it every day. If I use it a lot I sometimes have to charge it twice in one day. I’ve had the phone since it was new in 2020 and I have done several updates over that time frame and none of them impacted how long a full charge lasts as much as 26 has. From what I’m gathering from the responses to my question, getting 2-3 days out of a charge seems to be an anomaly but this phone has done that consistently for 6 years until I downloaded 26.

The advice to charge your phone every night, is what Apple recommends and what you should be doing. You've been asked to show the battery graph on your phone and you still have not done so. I believe your battery is showing a higher health level than it actually has on a phone which is 6 years old. There really doesn't seem there's much more we can offer you. We are not Apple Support. We are your fellow users on this user to user only forum. Since you are concerned, it would be advisable to schedule an appointment at your Apple Store Genius Bar.

Unlikely, but Is this the original battery in the iPhone?

If not, when was the replacement battery installed?

How much above 80% is the current Maximum Capacity?