You’re not alone.
Since the iOS 14.6 update landed last week, I’ve heard from numerous readers who have been experiencing poorer battery life since installing the update. One reader described their iPhone 12 Pro Max as going from “superb battery life to shockingly bad,” while another said that it feels like their iPhone is on charge all the time since the update.
Poor battery life following an update is not uncommon. Your iPhone must carry out several key housekeeping tasks after a new install, so this can temporarily impact battery life for the first few days.
But if it carries on beyond that, you have problems.
Fortunately, with a bit of digging, you may be able to get to the bottom of the problem. For example, over on Apple’s support forum, some users used the Battery screen in iOS (Settings > Battery) to troubleshoot the problem and found that one culprit was the Podcast app. Deleting the app solved the problem.
If you use the app, then I suppose that’s not going to work for you, but at least you know what the problem is, and you might want to consider switching to a third-party app.
I find the Battery screen to be indispensable for diagnosing iPhone battery issues. It gives you an in-depth look at which apps are using your battery, how much power they are using, and even when they’re running (stuff can run while you’re asleep).
I’ve written a guide on how to use it, which you can find here.