iOS 14 Battery Drain and Lost GPS Data

After the iPhone 12 was released on October 23, 2020, Apple fans were eager to get their hands on the latest offering. As it sometimes happens with a newly released iPhone and an updated iOS operating system that runs on it, users began noticing some problems.

They soon started to report that their new iPhone’s battery life drastically dropped after they upgraded to iOS 14 in October, according to Gizmodo.

Tom’s Guide published photos of users running diagnostic tools on their iPhone 12, showing that an iPhone with a 100% charge would go down to an astonishing low of 40% overnight.

This happened while the phone was not in use, all apps were closed and the option for apps to refresh in the background (while other apps are being used) was also disabled to use the least amount of power. They even turned off the wireless Bluetooth connectivity, which is another major power drain as the iPhone keeps seeking signals to connect with.

Another issue with the new iOS operating system is that users started finding GPS data missing in the Fitness app on their iPhone from GPS workouts handled with their Apple Watch.

Information such as heart rate and activity level also stopped loading to the iPhone. In some cases, incorrect data was sent from the Health app or Fitness app, which means users couldn’t rely on reports about their workouts to keep fit.

The biggest issue could be that the upgrade to iOS 14.00 and to WatchOS 7.0 (the operating system for Apple Watch) is that the iPhone and Apple Watch would both experience severe battery drain.

So far, Apple has provided a solution of sorts, according to Gizmodo, but it might not be what you were hoping for. It involves unpairing your Apple Watch and iPhone. This only works, though, if you have backed up your iPhone, which is prudent for all iPhone owners to do.

Unpairing and Restoring Your iPhone

Unpairing:

On your iPhone, tap the Watch app icon to launch it. Then tap the “My Watch” tab, and then select “All Watches.”

Tap the “Info” button located next to the watch you need to unpair from your iPhone. Then tap “Unpair Apple Watch.”

Restoring:

Turn on your iPhone and select the language and region (such as English and United States).

Tap “Set up Manually,” and then tap “Restore From iCloud Backup.” You’ll be prompted to follow onscreen directions and then type in your Apple ID, so have it handy if you don’t keep that information memorized.

The restored iPhone should work properly with exercise GPS data when you pair it with your Apple Watch again, now.

The current problems of iPhone battery draining and data not pairing properly for exercises between the Apple Watch and the iPhone underscores the importance of upgrading iPhones when Apple comes out with software updates.

It also serves as a reminder for people to make regular backups of their iPhone, so they can easily back it up whenever a problem might arise.