Users continue to experience sluggishness, battery life problems in iOS 11 after multiple ...

Posted:
in iPhone edited October 2017
Problems with battery life and instability proliferate on social media and Apple support forums after the launch of iOS 11, but have persisted through three sub-point updates, don't seem to have a common cause, or are easily rectifiable.




As with just about every iOS update, Apple's first release of a major operating system appears to have induced some problems, where there were previously none. Accounts abound of general sluggishness, crashing, and battery life problems.

However, looking closer at the reports and phone generations impacted, there does not appear to be a common model afflicted by problems induced by the new operating system. Users across nearly all generations of iPhones, including the iPhone 7 family from 2016 are reporting issues stemming from the update. The iPhone 8 is seemingly not impacted by issues in iOS 11.

The sub-point updates fixed some user's complaints -- but not many. Those updates were likely issued to address critical security problems.

One AppleInsider staffer experienced rapid battery drain on an iPhone SE. Initial testing with the beta of iOS 11.1 shows greatly improved battery life with that unit -- but another iPhone SE in the same household purchased at about the same time never experienced any issues, and is still on iOS 11.0.3.

In the same location, a pair of iPad Airs, a pair of iPhone 7 Plus, and an iPhone 6s are seeing no problems with iOS 11.

Another editor is presently seeing a profound impact on battery life on a first-generation iPad Pro, and having problematic notification hand-off between an iPhone SE and Apple Watch as a result of the update. Additionally, on both devices, the AppleInsider editor is seeing general performance problems induced by the operating system.

Working with the same data set that continues to be collated from Genius Bars since 2016's "Touch disease" evaluation, there appears to have been a slight uptick in incidents involving iPhones, but not iPads, after the release of iOS 11, as opposed to the months before. However, the prevalence is about the same as in the shift from iOS 9 to iOS 10 -- and the number of hardware repairs were deemed necessary as in previous years before and after an OS upgrade is essentially static.

This suggests that something in iOS 11 is to blame, and will likely be rectified in future updates to iOS.

It is important to note that while there are seemingly a large number of issues, Apple's iOS user base is larger than it ever has been before, and people that aren't having problems also aren't typically vocal about it.

Given the lack of hardware replacement sagas as a result of the update, and the lack of a notable increase in Genius Bar traffic year-over-year, this year's cycle appears no different than in any previous year. In the meantime, AppleInsider is working on a troubleshooting guide to ease or solve issues associated with iOS 11.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 85
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,014member
    I've had some crashing...Boom Beach did a few times.   iOS 11 still hasn't fixed my random screen dimming issues on my 7+.   The screen will dim like 15-20% for no reason...auto brightness turned off.  I also get sluggishness at times, but that's not all the time.   
  • Reply 2 of 85
    airnerdairnerd Posts: 693member
    ios11 has been causing issues for me, but i'm still on a 6.  I can't make it through a day anymore, where I could just fine a month ago.  I also have a lot of sluggishness just trying to type a text, the letters are about a second behind what I type.  

    I haven't done a restore from new through, and have heard that could solve the issue.  Don't have the time for that right now, so not really complaining too much since I haven't done what's been suggested.  
    retrogustoGeorgeBMacJustaTechominicoffee
  • Reply 3 of 85
    I have had a few small glitches, hanging Apps. But the most frustrating issue is the loss of photo albums on both iPhones and iPads and the nightmare of not being able to re-sync them! iTunes reports issues then albums on the devices do not contain all the photographs!
  • Reply 4 of 85
    I have a 6s, and I've noticed:
    • Occasional quick battery drain (dropping 30-50% in a much shorter time than usual)
    • Auto brightness takes longer to respond or dims/brightens significantly at times even when my location/light does not change
    • In settings -> wifi when I am not already connected to a network, my phone does not list any available networks, and I need to turn wifi off and on again to see available networks.
    I'm not sure if these are due only to the update, but I did not notice them before iOS 11.


    phbian
  • Reply 5 of 85
    AppleZuluAppleZulu Posts: 1,968member
    With a 6s, I've had intermittent battery issues, but they could be operator-caused. 24-hour battery usage indicated Safari as a culprit, and there were indeed a large number of tabs open, so that could've been something. Another time, "Personal Hotspot" was at the top of the list, and I had indeed watched video on a tethered MBP for a while, so was iOS 11 to blame, at least partially? I don't know. 
    edited October 2017
  • Reply 6 of 85
    6S Plus here. Significantly less battery life. Also, I'm experiencing stuttering and app crashing much more frequently than ever before. I've seen battery life improve slightly between 11 and 11.0.3, but it's still not where it was.
  • Reply 7 of 85
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Er … no problems here on a 6s. Battery life isn’t any better or worse for me. 

    Still don’t the like the weird ‘Bluetooth is off, and yet it is also on’ malarkey. 
  • Reply 8 of 85
    I'm on a 6s plus and the battery life isn't much different to before. I've had a few minor issues such as the camera 'glitching' when being switched on, the picture flicks on and off then on again. I use the Clock alarm every morning and when in Snooze, the countdown stops part way. Plus I've got one photo editing app that refuses to see any photos on my phone.

  • Reply 9 of 85
    jd_in_sbjd_in_sb Posts: 1,600member
    iPhone 6+ 64gb - After installing iOS 11 (and all updates since) battery life plunged, drains about 30% faster than iOS 10. Sluggishness not universal but pops up here and there. Siri was never slow before but takes forever now to respond to anything. Pressing button first time in camera app has 5-6 second delay before photo is snapped, was instantaneous in iOS 10. Notepad app lags noticeably. Safari crashes more frequently.

    On the plus side, Touch ID works for more than a week now. Before iOS 11, after a week or so iOS would start struggling to recognize my finger print then soon fail all together. With iOS 11 it’s been weeks and Touch ID is still working fine. 
    edited October 2017
  • Reply 10 of 85
    Feels to me like Apple are losing its way ever since they removed the headphone jack on the i7, and then announced new laptops that you can't plug the new iPhones into by their USB cable. My wife, a huge Apple fan, actually wants to throw her 6 in the garbage since this update, and I absolutely hate my new Macbook. We used to be die hard apple fans. Some days it just feels like the kingdom is crumbling.

  • Reply 11 of 85
    As Rene Ritchie of iMore noted, use the iOS 11 calculator app and quickly enter this calculation:  1 + 2 + 3 

    The iOS 11 animations prevent normal operations because they are so intrusive. The calculator slows down and it interferes to the point of affecting calculations.
    maltzrandominternetperson[Deleted User]airnerdairnerdicoco3
  • Reply 12 of 85
    Haven't really noticed any major issues with iOS 11 other than some typical glitches or bugs. Battery life on a 5s and a 1st gen iPad Pro is not noticeably different.
  • Reply 13 of 85
    As Rene Ritchie of iMore noted, use the iOS 11 calculator app and quickly enter this calculation:  1 + 2 + 3 

    The iOS 11 animations prevent normal operations because they are so intrusive. The calculator slows down and it interferes to the point of affecting calculations.
    Wow! I hadn't put 2 and 2 together (you're welcome), but I've been so frustrated using my calculator the past few weeks; I thought it was operator error and that I've just been mis-typing or not hitting the plus sign correctly when adding several numbers in a row. Now I know why.
    SpamSandwich[Deleted User]icoco3
  • Reply 14 of 85
    ariearie Posts: 27member
    benjer said:
    As Rene Ritchie of iMore noted, use the iOS 11 calculator app and quickly enter this calculation:  1 + 2 + 3 

    The iOS 11 animations prevent normal operations because they are so intrusive. The calculator slows down and it interferes to the point of affecting calculations.
    Wow! I hadn't put 2 and 2 together (you're welcome), but I've been so frustrated using my calculator the past few weeks; I thought it was operator error and that I've just been mis-typing or not hitting the plus sign correctly when adding several numbers in a row. Now I know why.
    Same here I used to love the calculator on my iPhone now it is really bad. That’s what happens when complexity gets in the way...1+2+3=7!! Bring Scott Forstall back...wake up call. 
    GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 15 of 85
    TomETomE Posts: 172member
    The Battery in my 6S Plus 128 GB, Carrier VZ 29.2, continues to show significant battery degradation on a daily basis with iOS 11.0.3 installed.  No problem was noticed prior to upgrading to iOS 11.
    GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 16 of 85
    As Rene Ritchie of iMore noted, use the iOS 11 calculator app and quickly enter this calculation:  1 + 2 + 3 

    The iOS 11 animations prevent normal operations because they are so intrusive. The calculator slows down and it interferes to the point of affecting calculations.
    The iOS 11 animations prevent normal operations because they are so intrusive. - Yet this affects ONLY the OLDER phones, not the latest iPhone 8 series. Any conspiracy to "slow down" the old phones as part of "planned obsolescence"?
  • Reply 17 of 85
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,837administrator
    As Rene Ritchie of iMore noted, use the iOS 11 calculator app and quickly enter this calculation:  1 + 2 + 3 

    The iOS 11 animations prevent normal operations because they are so intrusive. The calculator slows down and it interferes to the point of affecting calculations.
    The iOS 11 animations prevent normal operations because they are so intrusive. - Yet this affects ONLY the OLDER phones, not the latest iPhone 8 series. Any conspiracy to "slow down" the old phones as part of "planned obsolescence"?
    Oh good, this again.
    GeorgeBMactapellamawatto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 85
    6s  Slow typing.  Battery life fluctuates. So this sounds like what a lot of us are experiencing. Have the updates. With that said, through other updates I have had no problems. Even if this is a minor issue with a few, Apple needs to get an update out soon.  Twice I have drained the batter just sitting on my desk. Also on the go a couple of times it has flatlined down to 1 percent.  Took it to Verizon and was told battery was ok and the update was the issue.  It may be spratic, but it its annoying.
    GeorgeBMacrandominternetpersonSpamSandwichfreerange
  • Reply 19 of 85
    Sure iOS 11 is more sluggish and drains the battery more quickly, but at least there are new emojis. Priorities people!  /s
    pentaebaconstang[Deleted User]
  • Reply 20 of 85
    This is crazy! I have had no issues with my 7 Plus with any of the iterations of iOS 11.
    JFC_PAwatto_cobra
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