Apple's iOS 26 Rollout Prompts User Complaints of Battery Drain and Overheating

Apple's latest iPhone software, iOS 26, generated immediate user complaints after the wide release, with some owners reporting rapid battery drain and instances of their devices running hot. The update, which includes a major visual overhaul and new features, became broadly available late Tuesday after a June announcement at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference.

Within hours of installing iOS 26, multiple users posted on X that their devices lost large amounts of battery life in short periods. One user wrote that a phone fully charged less than an hour earlier had fallen to 79 percent; another said the handset had begun "burning up" and that measured battery health had dropped to 80 percent. Several other posts described battery levels falling to the 20s or 40s at times when users previously expected around 50 to 70 percent remaining.

Apple acknowledged the reports in guidance issued after the complaints began circulating. The company said that immediately after completing a major update, users "might notice a temporary impact on battery life and thermal performance" because the device performs background setup tasks such as indexing files for search, downloading new assets and updating apps. Apple added that some new features may require additional device resources and that the company "continually works to optimize these features in software updates to ensure great battery life and a smooth user experience."

The iOS 26 release brings a design Apple calls Liquid Glass, which adds translucent, glass-like effects to app icons, the lock screen and home screen, as well as new customization options for icons and widgets. The update also introduces interface changes in Camera, Safari and Phone, message-filtering options, additional group chat features and custom chat backgrounds for Messages, expanded CarPlay capabilities, a consolidated Games app for Apple Arcade, live translation for Phone, FaceTime and Messages, and tighter integration with Apple Intelligence for on-screen understanding and search.

The timing of users' reports, close to the update's broad rollout, matches Apple's explanation that background processes and asset downloads can temporarily increase power and thermal demand. The company said the temporary effects should subside after the device completes those tasks, which typically takes a few days, and that subsequent software updates will further optimize performance.

iOS updates historically have produced short-term battery and performance fluctuations as devices reindex and reconfigure. Apple, which introduced its first iPhone in 2007 and has iteratively expanded software functionality and services since, has recently integrated more advanced on-device intelligence that can increase processing demands. The company introduced Apple Intelligence in 2024 and has continued to add features that rely on more intensive local computation.

Apple did not announce any immediate fixes beyond the general guidance; the company said users who continue to experience issues after several days should check for follow-up updates and consult Apple Support. Analysts and previous rollout patterns suggest that minor patches addressing performance and battery stability are commonly issued in the weeks after a major iOS release.