Battery Drain Issue After Upgrading to iOS 26.2

December 17, 2025 HowToThing Team

It is common to see a temporary dip in battery life immediately after a major update like iOS 26.2. This is often due to the system re-indexing files (Photos, Spotlight, etc.) and finishing background setup tasks.

However, if your battery drain feels excessive or persists beyond the first 48 hours, here is a guide to identifying the cause and fixing it.

1. Check for “Ongoing Update” Activity

iOS 26.2 includes a specific diagnostic tool to tell you if the drain is temporary.

Go to Settings > Battery.
Look for an “Insight” or a message above the usage graph that says “Ongoing iOS Update” or “Device Setup.”
If you see this, your phone is simply busy processing the new software. Plug it in overnight to let it finish.

2. Adjust the “Liquid Glass” Visuals

The new design language in iOS 26.2 can be resource-heavy, especially on older models like the iPhone 12 or 13.

Reduce Transparency: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size and toggle on Reduce Transparency. This lightens the load on the GPU.
Lock Screen Slider: Long-press your Lock Screen > Customize. If you use the “Liquid Glass” clock, use the new opacity slider to lower the transparency.

3. Use the New “Adaptive Power Mode”

Added in the iOS 26 cycle, this feature is smarter than the standard Low Power Mode.

Go to Settings > Battery > Power Mode.
Select Adaptive Power.
This mode uses AI to predict when you need extra juice and subtly adjusts performance without disabling features like “Hey Siri” or 5G entirely.

4. Manage High-Drain Features

Background App Refresh: iOS 26.2 can sometimes “wake up” apps that were previously restricted. Check Settings > General > Background App Refresh and turn off apps you don’t need updating in the background.
Always-On Display: If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or newer, the “Glass” effects on the Always-On display consume more power. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Always On Display and consider turning it off temporarily.
App Updates: Open the App Store, tap your profile, and select Update All. Developers often release patches specifically for iOS 26.2 within days of its release to fix battery-draining bugs.

5. The “Red Photo” Bug

Some users have reported that the Photos app is consuming high battery in the background due to a rendering glitch (where photos appear with a red tint). If you see “Photos” as a top battery user: