Battery Bug in Latest iOS Versions Cause Phones to Power Down at 30%

While Apple is busy contending with iPhone 6S battery degradation and offering replacements to some of their owners; users of the most recent iOS updates on iPhone 6 and 5s models are dealing with battery issues of their own. While there have been some issues with updates affecting battery life in the past, the current bug can disrupt daily functionality. The problem began with iOS 10.1.1 and continues to persist into the recently-released version 10.2.

What does the bug resemble, and what are the issues surrounding it? While using their phone, a user may notice that their battery life indicator suddenly drops to 1% without warning. This often occurs when the battery gauge displays between 30%  -50% charge. How much one uses the device doesn’t seem to have an impact. As soon as the user reaches around 30% battery remaining, the phone frequently shuts off completely. With many users struggling to eke a full day’s worth of usage out of their devices, this battery bug is one of the more problematic power issues to crop up in any recent iOS update.

For now, there are few solutions aside from keeping your charger handy. Some users report that the “Raise to Wake” feature could be having an impact on the life of the battery, and disabling this feature resulted in the restoration of some of their previous battery life. Even so, this temporary fix doesn’t seem to work for all users.  Other users found that downgrading back to iOS 10.1 solved their problems; however, that option is no longer possible. The release of 10.2 saw Apple cease accepting installations of 10.1.1 and 10.1 as valid, thus making it impossible to downgrade.

With user frustrations mounting, Apple has yet to acknowledge the problem despite quietly deploying diagnostic utilities officially. However, some beta users of iOS 10.2.1 indicate that a fix may be forthcoming. Given how many individuals rely on their phones for heavy use throughout the day — and the inconvenience of being tethered to your charger — we can hope that a fix will appear soon.

As of now, only iPhone 6/6s and iPhone 5s models suffer from this battery drain issue; iPhone 7 users remain unaffected.  Remember that if you use an iPhone 6s and have concerns about your battery, Apple has set up a website located here to help. Just type in your serial number on this site to determine if your phone is eligible for a replacement. Continue to check back, as Apple may widen its battery replacement efforts based on what it finds. Meanwhile, if you’re one of the many people suffering from the “30% bug,” keep your eyes open for the next patch.