Many users notice their iPhone battery draining faster than usual after installing iOS 26. This can be frustrating — especially when you expect better performance, not worse.
Don’t worry, though. Right after a major update, your phone runs a lot of background tasks, and that can temporarily kill battery life. Here are the best ways to fix it and get your iPhone running efficiently again.
1. Wait 24–48 Hours After Updating to iOS 26
Hint: Battery drain right after a major update is normal.
When you install a big iOS update, your iPhone needs time to re-index files, update apps, and sync content in the background. This hidden activity can drain battery fast.
Let your phone settle for 1–2 days. Most users see battery life return to normal afterward.
2. Check Battery Usage by Apps
Hint: One buggy app can kill your battery.
Go to Settings → Battery and check which apps are using the most power. If an app shows abnormally high usage, try updating it from the App Store or delete and reinstall it. This often fixes background drain caused by app glitches.
3. Turn Off Background App Refresh
Go to Settings → General → Background App Refresh and turn it off or set it to Wi-Fi only.
This stops apps from constantly updating in the background and saves a lot of battery during the day.
4. Disable Location Services for Unnecessary Apps
Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services.
Turn off location access for apps that don’t really need it running all the time.
This can prevent constant GPS use, which heavily drains the battery.
5. Reduce Visual Effects
The new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26 looks great but uses extra GPU power.
Go to Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size.
Turn on Reduce Transparency and Reduce Motion.
This lowers system animations and can improve battery life on older models.
6. Enable Low Power Mode
Go to Settings → Battery → Low Power Mode or toggle it from Control Center.
This temporarily limits background tasks, auto downloads, and animations — helping you stretch every percent.
7. Adjust Screen Brightness and Auto-Lock
Lower your screen brightness using Control Center.
Then go to Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock and set it to 30 seconds or 1 minute.
This reduces the amount of time your screen stays on, which is one of the biggest battery drains.
8. Turn Off Always-On Display (if supported)
If you have a newer iPhone model with Always-On Display:
Go to Settings → Display & Brightness → Always On Display and toggle it off.
This alone can add hours to your battery life.
9. Reset All Settings
Hint: This clears system settings without deleting your data.
Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset All Settings.
It can fix hidden software glitches that started after updating to iOS 26.
10. Reinstall iOS 26 via Finder or iTunes
Hint: This is a last-resort fix if nothing else helps.
Use Finder on your Mac or iTunes on your Windows PC to reinstall iOS 26.
This ensures there are no corrupted system files causing background drain.
The Bottom Line
A major update like iOS 26 can cause short-term battery drain while your iPhone finishes background tasks.
If it’s still draining fast after a couple of days, try the steps above to cut down background activity, disable visual effects, and refresh your settings.
These fixes will usually get your battery life back to normal without waiting for the next update.
