Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

BlockEight88

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 20, 2013
217
32
My iPhone 5 is running iOS 6.1.4, and the battery is draining quite fast. The phone was received brand new a few months back. Any idea how to make it better. I refuse to install iOS 8 on it. Was there anything big that could be turned off in 6.1.4 that was causing the battery drain?
 
My iPhone 5 is running iOS 6.1.4, and the battery is draining quite fast. The phone was received brand new a few months back. Any idea how to make it better. I refuse to install iOS 8 on it. Was there anything big that could be turned off in 6.1.4 that was causing the battery drain?
Not to my memory. Take it in and have Apple look at it. There's a battery replacement program IIRC for defective batteries. That could be the problem.
 
Turning off Location Services should help extend the battery. Turning off Bluetooth when not in use would also help. Aside from the iOS, I would suspect the hardware may be starting to show it's age.

I would recommend having Apple test the battery for you.
 
Well if the battery is bad, would they replace just the battery? I don't want them to give me a new (refurbished) iphone 5 with iOS 7 or 8 on it.
 
They might, but more than likely it'd be a full replacement.

I understand your circumstance. This time last year the battery on my launch day iPhone 5 was bulging. I was jailbroken on iOS 6.1 and they replaced my phone with an iPhone 5 running 7.1.2. I was not happy. But it was either the battery continuing to push up on my screen and ultimately cause the phone to malfunction or a new phone with 7.1.2.

Only you can decide what is more important in your circumstance. However, Apple won't charge you anything to check your phone and they won't do anything at all (repair or replacement) unless you authorize them to do so.

So, simply getting the phone checked out won't cost you anything and won't result in you losing iOS 6. And at the very least you will know if it's a hardware issue or not and then you can decide where you go from there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: iMi
Install the iOS 9 Beta, it has a power saving mode which will allow for better battery. Nobody likes someone who is stuck in 2012.
Well, I like OP. And I hate the Fisher Price/Playskool primary color inspired iOS 7 and 8. Unicorn, multicolor puke!

If I had the ability to get iOS 6 back on my iPhone 5 I'd jump on it in nothing flat!
 
Well, I like OP. And I hate the Fisher Price/Playskool primary color inspired iOS 7 and 8. Unicorn, multicolor puke!

If I had the ability to get iOS 6 back on my iPhone 5 I'd jump on it in nothing flat!

I couldn't agree more. I do however commend the 12 year old who designed the thing. I'm sure the other kids in school love it.
 
Perhaps an erase and restore from backup? That can sometimes solve battery issues.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but you should be able to erase back to clean iOS 6 installation in settings, then restore from an iTunes backup?

While I love the iOS 7/8/9 look, I can understand why you don't and I wish Apple would let people install the version of iOS they want.
 
I couldn't agree more. I do however commend the 12 year old who designed the thing. I'm sure the other kids in school love it.
I read recently where Jony Ive has young kids.

I have a thought that Ive showed up to pick up his kids from preschool or day care one day and what he found was the inspiration for iOS 7.
 
  • Like
Reactions: iMi
Perhaps an erase and restore from backup? That can sometimes solve battery issues.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but you should be able to erase back to clean iOS 6 installation in settings, then restore from an iTunes backup?

While I love the iOS 7/8/9 look, I can understand why you don't and I wish Apple would let people install the version of iOS they want.
Nevermind. I believe you are correct on the restore from backup.
 
Nevermind. I believe you are correct on the restore from backup.

I'm just trying to remember if it worked like that in iOS 6?? I'm about to do the same thing for a family member who wishes to keep their iPad 2 on iOS 7 for a bit longer.

However, it may well be hardware based. I believe if you have a mac, you can download coconut battery and then you can connect your iPhone and check its battery condition, and if the condition is poor then you'll know its software.

I've had my iPhone 5 for a year and a half and the battery life has always been terrible, even though its been replaced twice. Same with my Dad's 5. I believe its to do with the fact that we restored from backups of the same 3GS ( He upgraded to a 5 from the 3GS on launch day, then I got the 3GS and used it till I also upgrade to a 5), I know several others who upgraded from the 3GS to the 5 and had similar problems (in addition to the battery hardware issues).
 
So I disabled location services for the data usage app. My battery drainage has decreased. Hopefully this was the problem. I bet this was fixed in the latest version of the app, but I can't get it cuz it needs iOS 7.
 
  • Like
Reactions: iMi
Well, I'm afraid this will limit your ability to fix your current problem, while wasting your precious time for posting on the forums as well.
Stop saying bull-**** dude.
It have been proven multiple times that iOS 6 is the best iOS version in terms of battery life. With its motion, blur and others effects, iOS 7 reduced battery life on every device that were update from iOS 6, even the iPhone 5 so his version is definitely not the issue. OP, I guess it's a hardware issue, as said before your iPhone 5 could be in the battery replacement program made by Apple so you better check out.
 
How does this usage look so far...

2cmp65j.png
 
I've had my iPhone 5 for a year and a half and the battery life has always been terrible, even though its been replaced twice. Same with my Dad's 5. I believe its to do with the fact that we restored from backups of the same 3GS ( He upgraded to a 5 from the 3GS on launch day, then I got the 3GS and used it till I also upgrade to a 5), I know several others who upgraded from the 3GS to the 5 and had similar problems (in addition to the battery hardware issues).
The user data on my iPhone 6+ right now has gone through three iPhones since December 2011. It started on a 3GS and was migrated to my iPhone 5. When I got my 6+ I restored from the backup on my iPhone 5. I've never had battery issues on the 3GS, the 5 or my 6+.

Maybe I've just been lucky all these years.
 
How does this usage look so far...

2cmp65j.png
Looks about right to me. When my iPhone 5 was my primary phone I would get up around 6am and go to bed about 12am with around 25-40% of battery left. That was with normal use (no video watching or music streaming). Those numbers never really changed between iOS 6, 7 or 8 (which my 5 is on now) although they did improve somewhat when my bulging battery was replaced.
 
I did go to Apple today and they could not believe I was running iOS 6.1.4. The guy couldn't understand why I would not upgrade it. He said battery life would be much better on iOS 8.4 and I'd have the new music app. I compared my iPhone 5 to the iphone 6 he had on him and I found the new music app to be very confusing. Having an iOS 6 device and iOS 8 device side by side, I find iOS 6 much easier on the eyes, and a lot easier to read.

Said my battery tested normal. He said most of the iPhone 5's that were affected were early models. This model was one of the last ones made.
 
I did go to Apple today and they could not believe I was running iOS 6.1.4. The guy couldn't understand why I would not upgrade it. He said battery life would be much better on iOS 8.4 and I'd have the new music app. I compared my iPhone 5 to the iphone 6 he had on him and I found the new music app to be very confusing. Having an iOS 6 device and iOS 8 device side by side, I find iOS 6 much easier on the eyes, and a lot easier to read.

Said my battery tested normal. He said most of the iPhone 5's that were affected were early models. This model was one of the last ones made.
I'd love to see them actually prove that the battery would be better, let alone much better, especially on a device like the iPhone 5 with iOS 8 (or 7) compared to 6.
 
OP: First off, do not listen to these ignorant people who will tell you to upgrade. I am glad you are still on iOS 6. That reflects that people are still using it and not upgrading to the crap that iOS 8 is. I bet you anything your iPhone 5 performs better than the iPhone 6/6+ in terms of fluidity. Your iPhone 5 will also get the best battery life on iOS 6.1.4. DO NOT UPGRADE IT. Your battery usage will go drastically down. iOS 8, yet alone 8.4 performs like crap on the iPhone 5. It's laggy and animations stutter almost all the time.

Keep your phone on 6.1.4 for as long as you can. You will gain nothing by upgrading it, except a childish inspired OS full of horrible whites and abysmal icons. It will make your phone worse. Btw, your battery usage looks great.
 
The user data on my iPhone 6+ right now has gone through three iPhones since December 2011. It started on a 3GS and was migrated to my iPhone 5. When I got my 6+ I restored from the backup on my iPhone 5. I've never had battery issues on the 3GS, the 5 or my 6+.

Maybe I've just been lucky all these years.

Perhaps I've been particularly unlucky. I actually went from a 3GS to a 4 then a 5, and the 4 had excellent battery for the year I used it, far better than the 5. My Dad and about 5 other family members I know who have this problem all went straight from a 3GS to a 5 and despite hardware replacements etc, they still have problems, as do I. I'm lucky to get 4 hours of usage, and I'm a light user who turns everything off. Dad is lucky to get 3-4 hours.
 
  • Like
Reactions: eyoungren
OP: First off, do not listen to these ignorant people who will tell you to upgrade. I am glad you are still on iOS 6. That reflects that people are still using it and not upgrading to the crap that iOS 8 is. I bet you anything your iPhone 5 performs better than the iPhone 6/6+ in terms of fluidity. Your iPhone 5 will also get the best battery life on iOS 6.1.4. DO NOT UPGRADE IT. Your battery usage will go drastically down. iOS 8, yet alone 8.4 performs like crap on the iPhone 5. It's laggy and animations stutter almost all the time.

Keep your phone on 6.1.4 for as long as you can. You will gain nothing by upgrading it, except a childish inspired OS full of horrible whites and abysmal icons. It will make your phone worse. Btw, your battery usage looks great.

Geez, going to the point of calling people ignorant because they recommend upgrading? As if it's impossible to have a different opinion than your extremely strong one?

Okay then... I'll just continue chugging along happily on my iPhone 6 with iOS 8.4...
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.