iOS 26.4 dropped on May 11. It brings end-to-end RCS. Dozens of bugs squashed. A clean update on paper.
Except your phone is cooking. Or the battery gauge is freefalling.
Don’t freak out.
Apple expects this. They actually wrote about it. Online. In a support article. The gist is that this heat and drain are normal. And temporary.
Apple clarified the timeline in September 2025. Quick battery drop post-update? Standard procedure.
“This is normal, as your device needs to index data and search files. It’s also downloading new assets and updating apps.”
Major updates are heavy lifts. Background processes scream for resources. You get temporary heat. You get shorter battery life. Immediately. Then it settles.
Your habits matter though. How you use the phone changes the equation.
Apple admitted that new features burn more juice. You use the phone more after an update. Why not? Everything looks shiny. New features demand clicks. Clicks burn energy.
It’s not a bug. It’s physics.
The drain after iOS 26.4 should fade. Wait a few days. If you’re still killing the battery… check your screen time. You might just be addicted to the new UI.
Does that really sound like your day?
Maybe. Probably. We’ll see when the heat death of the universe kicks in. Or when the next patch drops. Whichever comes first. 🔋
