iOS 16.1 draining your iPhone’s battery fast? You’re not alone

Installed the iOS 16.1 update on your iPhone and feeling like your phone is getting hot and your battery is draining faster than normal?

You're not alone.

I've been contacted by a number of readers who say that their battery life has fallen thorough the floor since applying the update a little over a week ago. Social media is awash with complaints, and there's plenty of discussion about this over on Apple's support forums.

Many of those suffering say they are using an iPhone 13 Pro Max, but there are reports of other iPhones being affected, too.

Also: The perfect, portable travel charging kit for Apple fans

It's hard to tell just how widespread it is (some are going against the grain and claiming improved battery life after applying the update), but there's definitely something going on here.

Come here for a fix? Sorry to disappoint, but there doesn't seem to be anything that works reliably. Most people end up turning off a bunch of settings and resetting network settings only to get frustrated when they discover that the problem is still there.

Still, I can offer you some words of advice. Here are a couple of tips to help you get through the day:

• Switch to Low Power Mode: You can turn this on or off by tapping on Settings > Battery, or you can add a shortcut to Control Center by going Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls, and then selecting Low Power Mode. Be aware that Low Power Mode affects a number of features, from screen brightness to background refresh of apps.
• Carry a power bank: You don't need a big one, with something like the Anker PowerCore 5000 or Baseus Magnetic Power Bank offering ample additional power to take you through the day.

Oh, and keep an eye out for iOS 16.1.1 to land with a bug fix for this. We should expect to see this land in the next week or so.

Also: Best power banks

Until then, keep a charger and power bank handy!