iPhone 4S 5.0.1 Update Improves Battery w/ Settings Reset

After installing the update make sure you reset all setttings. I have done a few updates now and have had much better sucess after settings reset all. Standby drain has been virtually eliminated from 2-4% hr before update. It is located in settings/reset//reset all settings. You loose some wifi and desktop settings, but data, apps, etc remain intact.

Posted on Nov 11, 2011 5:33 PM

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1,080 replies

Jan 22, 2012 4:11 AM in response to davidch

Hey davidch, Sorry for writing such an essay.. Thanks in advance if you manage to make it to the end :)


Been reading forums and looking for fixes for my awful battery life ever since I updated to the new ios5, which was the the day after it became available. Thinking now this may have been one of my biggest mistakes ever. I fear my iPod is on its last legs and so all these factory restores and such kinda terrify me, but I've done all the routine suggestions such as adjust settings for backlight, network, close running apps, even re-sync mail accounts.. I think my issue goes a lot further than this though. I probably should mention I'm actually using a 4g iPod touch, but I hope this can still be helped in the same way.. Because it still set me back 400euro less than a year ago :(

I've been reading all over the Internet about people's dissatisfaction with the battery life since the update, but this is my first post.. Because I can't seem to find anything that matches anywhere near to the battery life I suffer from. With hopes you can help me, I'm going to be as specific as I can :)

I can go to school with a fully charged iPod, listen to music on my journey for MAX 30minutes, and about 10minutes on my way home. Then I will check my email, use Facebook and twitter, and within less than two hours of use, my iPod will shut off, dead. Dont even get me started on when i attempt to use youtube while its not plugged in! The battery level indicator will have fluctuated insanely for the two hours, jumping from green to red and back, etc. the one super weird thing I have noticed is that prior to the update, if my iPod was dead and I tried to turn it back on, it never would. But now, it will turn back on for me immediately and I can get about 10 minutes more use before it will die again. I had regular battery life until I updated, and I love it dearly and don't go anywhere without it.


Please help my iPod :(

Jan 22, 2012 8:46 AM in response to Caro16

caro16... i recommend you try my process below with your iPod touch 4th generation. you mention upgrading to iOS 5. if you have not updated to 5.0.1, be sure to do that first. then follow my process step by step and in order.


1. Reset all settings (settings app-> general-> reset)


2 a. Go through initial setup steps (lang, wifi, siri, enable location, etc) and choose setup as new phone (don't worry your apps, data, contacts, mail will still be there). Do NOT restore from iCloud or iTunes (It can copy back corrupt settings)


2 b. If you do not get the complete new setup screen with language setup and setup as new phone or restore from iTune/iCloud backup, be sure to go back to #1 and reset all settings again (it should happen the second time)


3. Turn off system location services timezone and iAd (settings -> location services -> system services)


4. Fully discharge battery (until you get the spinning wheel and it shuts off)


5. Fully recharge battery (overnight if possible)


In my experience this improves the Standby battery drain issue significantly in most cases. It reduces drain from 2-4% or more per hr to 0.5% or less. It has worked for many, many users now. If it does not work after a few try's you may have a real battery or hardware issue and should contact Apple. Good Luck!

Jan 23, 2012 5:15 AM in response to davidch

Hey guys... So I'm finally posting after reading through all of the threads regarding this problem.


Ever since I upgraded my iPhone 4 to iOS 5 i had the Problem of massive standby drain and massive drain with normal usage.


After upgrading to ios 5.0.1 it eqven got worse and my ipad 2 also started to drain faster. (before i really had 10 hous of usage)


I tried to use davidch solution on my iphone several times and it didnt work.

On my ipad 2 it seemed to work ...


Now im thinking about that there might be a problem with my iphone 4. Problem is: my warranty has run out and i cant afford buying a new phone right now.

Do you think it makes sense to go to apple and hope that they offer me some deal for exchange of the phone? Even if im out of warranty?


prblem is: i think its a software thing.


Tried deleting email accounts, disabling push, disabling wifi....

I can WATCH the battery percentage go down.


Right now i have 66% left with 2:40 usage (some music, imessage, wifi on, bluetooth off, push on (just got 2 mails)) and 5 hours of standby.


I remember when i first got my iphone 4 i woke up, went to work and 4 hours later i still had 90% left.


Please help me analyze or troubleshoot that....


Regards from germany

Jan 23, 2012 5:16 PM in response to ddranade

ddranade,


according to spec and assuming 3G and wifi were even on data usage, your 4 stats would be:


1) 100 - (2.8/200 + 1.1/7.5)x100 = 84%, so @76%, your under spec by 8%


2) 100 - (4.1/200 + 1.72/7.5)x100 = 75%, so @64%, your under spec by 9%


3) 100 - (4.93/200 + 2/7.5)x100 = 70%, so @59%, your under spec by 11%


4) 100 - (8.67/200 + 3.03/7.5)x100 = 55%, so @39%, your under spec by 16%


it seems your battery performance is under spec about 10% or so. you may want to try my method one more time. as far as the apple rep comments, the battery typ does seem to hold a better charge after few weeks and several cycles, but after that the charge pretty much holds the same.

Jan 23, 2012 7:29 PM in response to mkloeren

I suspect your iPhone is fine as far as hardware. You said this all started with iOS 5 which is very common with 3G, 4 and of course 4s. Some of the older apps are not playing nicely with iOS 5. You can try a restore and set up as new, then sync contacts and such with iTunes. Back it up first, Then see how it performs If its ok then you know it was an app. You can then install an app or two at a time. Also iOS 5.1 should be out soon and hopefully further addresses remaining battery issues. It would be a good time to remove apps you never use anyway and clean up things. Of course if you do that and it does not help, certainly restoring your backup wont make it any worse. I would guess a fresh firmware load will solve it for you,

mkloeren wrote:


Hey guys... So I'm finally posting after reading through all of the threads regarding this problem.


Ever since I upgraded my iPhone 4 to iOS 5 i had the Problem of massive standby drain and massive drain with normal usage.


After upgrading to ios 5.0.1 it eqven got worse and my ipad 2 also started to drain faster. (before i really had 10 hous of usage)


I tried to use davidch solution on my iphone several times and it didnt work.

On my ipad 2 it seemed to work ...


Now im thinking about that there might be a problem with my iphone 4. Problem is: my warranty has run out and i cant afford buying a new phone right now.

Do you think it makes sense to go to apple and hope that they offer me some deal for exchange of the phone? Even if im out of warranty?


prblem is: i think its a software thing.


Tried deleting email accounts, disabling push, disabling wifi....

I can WATCH the battery percentage go down.


Right now i have 66% left with 2:40 usage (some music, imessage, wifi on, bluetooth off, push on (just got 2 mails)) and 5 hours of standby.


I remember when i first got my iphone 4 i woke up, went to work and 4 hours later i still had 90% left.


Please help me analyze or troubleshoot that....


Regards from germany

Jan 26, 2012 7:37 AM in response to Community User

5.1 Beta 1 was released on Nov 28th, and Beta 2 went out Dec 12th and Beta 3 was released Jan 9th and is the current version being tested. There never was a 5.0.2 . That seems to have been a rumor and Apple never made any mention of it. So really not quite been 2 months and with the holidays in the mix as well. While no one knows when it will release to general population or how many more beta revisions there will be, speculation is that it should be within a few weeks if not sooner. Again only Apple knows the schedule.

franky932 wrote:


what about the update that send to developpers last year 5.0.2 (5.1)......did not ear nothing?

Jan 26, 2012 8:25 AM in response to sbailey4

they are working on the ip5.anyway ..........no way a update will give us 25%more juice.


1650mah is not enought with that processor and IOs5 with all features

Jan 26, 2012 12:26 PM in response to Community User

Well not so sure, most users are not having any issues with battery. I can go 2 days easy with various usage like email,txt, phone calls, few apps here and there, use calendar photos. Basic stuff most people do. Even played with netflix and cable TV shows some. So the phone certainly is capable to last through a day. I happen to be on Verizon (CDMA) and it would appear that most folks with issues are on GSM networks. Maybe thats the difference, I dont know but everyone I personally know who has the iPhone does not have any issue with static or call quality or battery. (also Verizon users) So who knows.


But bottom line is if the phone dont suit your particular needs you have the right to return it and get something else. I mean if you really feel that its a design flaw. Certainly I would not keep it for what it costs if I were unhappy with it and was sure it would never be any better than it currently is. And I suspect you are correct in stating that no software patch or update will give 25% more juice. It may make it run 25% longer due to being more efficient though. Thats certainly possible.

franky932 wrote:


they are working on the ip5.anyway ..........no way a update will give us 25%more juice.


1650mah is not enought with that processor and IOs5 with all features

Jan 26, 2012 10:32 PM in response to Oleb44

Hi everyone,

apple gave me a new 4s. They concluded there was a hardware problem with the other one (would not tell exactly what). Phantom usage seems to be gone and sim programs are now working 🙂

Have not really tested battery yet but am still at 100 % after 1hour 40 min in standby.

I checked production date of the phone, it`s from december while the "bad" one was produced in october.

Might be some bad phones from early production?

Oleb44 wrote:


Hi,

just wanted to update on my own post. I took my phone (iphone 4s) back to the store. They will perform some tests on it to determine if there is anything wrong with the hardware.

I did this after talking to my carrier about high battery drainage and the "phantom usage" which was consistently about half of standby time even if I didn`t touch the phone. They asked me to check if the sim programs are working and they were not. They told me this was a known hardware issue with some iphone 4s. Apparently the connection between sim card and sim card reader is not working as it should and this could lead to both phantom usage and battery drain.

Well just wanted to let you know, this might be a problem for others as well. If interested I can update when I get the results.

(In the meantime I am using an old iphone 3gs and it gives me at least double the standby time 🙂 )

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iPhone 4S 5.0.1 Update Improves Battery w/ Settings Reset

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