iOS 26 is now available for iPhone users to install, and a new webpage from Apple seeks to explain why software updates are important, but also their potential impact on battery life and performance.
iOS 26 might impact your iPhone’s battery and performance, but for most users it will be temporary
Apple has just published a new support document that explains the ins and outs of software updates, including why they’re important. It explains, for example, the difference between “major releases (e.g., 26.0) and minor releases (e.g., 26.1 or 26.1.1).”
But the most interesting tidbits come from a section titled, ‘Performance and battery impact’:
Immediately after completing an update, particularly a major release, you might notice a temporary impact on battery life and thermal performance. This is normal, as your device needs time to complete the setup process in the background, including indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps.
New features are exciting and help you get even more out of your Apple product, though some may require additional resources from the device. Depending on individual usage, some users may notice a small impact on performance and/or battery life. Apple continually works to optimize these features in software updates to ensure great battery life and a smooth user experience.
Apple is basically saying two things here:
- It’s normal for the iPhone’s battery to drain more, and for the device to get warmer, temporarily following a major software update.
- But there can also potentially be a longer-term impact to performance and/or battery if certain new features “require additional resources from the device.”
This shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise to anyone who has lots of experience with iPhone software updates, but it’s noteworthy nonetheless.
The main takeaway? After installing iOS 26, or any other major software update, there will be an initial period of additional background processing that puts a strain on your device. This should be a non-issue after the first couple days.
But yes, there is also a chance of ongoing battery impact if, for example, you pour a lot of use into new features that are particularly resource-intense. This all depends on “individual usage,” as Apple says, but it is a possibility.
Again though, this reality is nothing new in iOS 26. It’s been true for prior major software updates too. But now, Apple has formally explained why.
If you’ve been running iOS 26, how has battery life been for you? Let us know in the comments.
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