Recently, the team at Apple rolled out the 26.5.2 stable software update to patch security flaws and fix software bugs, but it looks like the download brought some serious issues for many users. Shortly after installing the iOS 26 update, people started flooding social media platforms to complain about their phones dying way faster than usual. On top of the awful battery life, many reported their devices becoming incredibly hot to the touch.
Background processes and rogue apps are draining your battery
One user on Reddit using an iPhone 16 Pro Max noted that their battery life was reduced right after they installed the update. The user also mentioned the phone was getting extremely warm in a very short amount of time. A fast-draining battery and a hot device usually go hand in hand, and they often signal that something in the background is not working correctly.
Sometimes, a major update triggers a lot of hidden background work like file indexing and system optimization, which forces the processor to work overtime. This process alone can eat up power for a couple of days.
However, third-party applications often take the blame for sudden power drops after a fresh iOS update. Popular social media apps are notorious for pulling too much energy in the background if they are not updated to the new software version. Users should check their battery settings to see which apps are hogging power and turn off background refresh for anything acting suspicious.
While background indexing explains temporary battery drops, the extreme heat points to deeper software issues. If this is a widespread flaw, a small corrective update should drop very soon to cool things down and restore normal battery life.
