iPhone users say Apple's iOS 17.4 update is RUINING their battery life - here's what to do if your device is affected

The latest software update for iPhones brought users more than 100 new emojis, security upgrades, and a range of other changes.

But some users have found an infuriating issue that might put you off downloading iOS 17.4.

Furious Apple fans have taken to social media to warn others that the update has ruined their battery life.

One user claimed that their battery dropped by 40 per cent over two hours of use, while another reported a 13 per cent drop in the time it took to write two posts on X. 

If you've been having battery trouble since updating to iOS 17.4, here's what you can do to help the issue.  

The latest software update for iPhones brought users more than 100 new emojis, security upgrades, and a range of other changes. But some users have found an infuriating issue that might put you off downloading iOS 17.4 

The latest iOS update was released yesterday and brought iPhone users a wide range of changes and bug fixes. 

Most notably, iOS 17.4 includes 118 new emoji including a lime, shaking heads, a phoenix, a mushroom, and a breaking chain.

The update also includes a major security upgrade for iMessage which is intended to protect users' messages against future quantum computing attacks.

However, some users who have already downloaded the update say that it has also negatively impacted their battery life. 

Less than 24 hours after the update was released, Apple users had already taken to X (formerly Twitter), reporting that the update had led to increased battery drain. 

One frustrated user tweeted: 'DO NOT UPDATE TO IOS 17.4. It's a trap you battery gonna be draining quick'

iPhone users took to X, formerly Twitter, to warn others against installing the update. They complained that iOS 17.4 led to increased battery drain

Some iPhone users shared their battery drain issues, saying that the update had led to their phone's charge dropping up to 40 per cent in only two hours

One commenter asked: 'Has anyone else experienced a rapid battery drain after updating to iOS 17.4?' 

Other commenters were far more blunt, writing: 'DO NOT UPDATE TO IOS 17.4. It's a trap you battery gonna be draining quick'.

While another commenter simply wrote: 'Big drain. Don't update'. 

A few social media users also shared the details of their battery drain issue which, if correct, show a significantly shorter battery life.

Other commenters reported that they were struggling to charge their batteries at all after upgrading their phone's software. 

One user wrote: 'Today I tried to charge my iPhone 11 pro which was having 40% remaining battery when I plug into charging.

'It has taken more than 4 hours to charge 94%.' 

If you are experiencing battery drain following the iOS update, then the most important thing to do is to be patient. 

After an update, it is normal to expect some drop in battery life as your iPhone continues to carry out several tasks in the background such as updating apps and rebuilding caches. 

Some users who have already downloaded the update say that it has also negatively impacted their battery life

Other commenters reported that they were struggling to properly charge their phone after installing iOS 17.4 

Since your phone is doing more work than normal it is expected that it will burn through its battery quicker than usual.

This can last anywhere between a few hours and a day depending on the age of your phone and the bandwidth of your connection. 

Rebooting your phone might also help resolve these issues a bit quicker. 

To do this try a force restart by holding down either the side or volume button until the power slider appears then turn the phone off, wait a few seconds and power it back on. 

Additionally, after updating iOS some out of date apps might be causing unexpected issues with the new software that can lead to battery drain.

Increased battery drain after an update is to be expected. The best way to avoid the issue is to update your apps, restart the phone, and check your battery health for any issues

Making sure all your apps are updated might go some way to fixing the issue but for a more detailed analysis, you can use the iPhone's battery tools to find out more.

Open the settings app and navigate to the 'Battery' section, scrolling down should show you how your battery drain is split between different apps.

If there are any apps draining a lot of power, you can either try updating the app, keeping it closed when it's not needed, or just removing the app altogether.

Luckily for iPhone 15 users, iOS 17.4 also includes new battery health information that lets you learn even more about your phone.

Under the 'Battery Health & Charging' settings, users who have updated can find information such as cycle count, manufacture date, and when the battery was first used.

Apple has been contacted for comment.