Battery problems are hard to digest. It can be very frustrating when your device’s Battery level drops drastically. There can be many reasons for this, including a software problem, external factors such as hot temperatures, or hardware issues that can severely drain the battery.

Most of these issues can be fixed with simple troubleshooting methods. If you’re here, we’re going to assume that you’re having issues with your iPad’s battery life. That’s why in this guide, we’ve compiled the top solutions for fixing your iPad’s battery issues. If you’re ready, we can fix the problem quickly.

How to Solve Your iPad’s Battery Drain Problems

Restart Your iPad

Start with the easiest and most effective troubleshooting: restart your iPad. Restarting your iPad clears out temporary data and cached information that may have been causing unnecessary glitches or consuming resources on your iPad. Restarting your iPad will force all running Apps and background processes, some of which may have been consuming power without your knowledge, to stop.

You can simply use the traditional method to restart your iPad. Let’s say you’re using an iPad without a home button. In this case, you can hold down any volume button along with the top button until you see a slider on the screen. If you are using an iPad with a home button, hold down the top button until you see a slider on the screen. Drag the slider, wait about 30 seconds for the iPad to turn off, and press and hold the top button until the Apple logo appears to restart your iPad.

Update Your iPad Software

If you’re experiencing battery drain issues after a software update, or the battery drain is gradually increasing, the problem is likely with the software on your iPad. The recently installed software update on your iPad might include new features that consume more power.

To fix the problem, you can find the features that consume more battery and quickly disable them to extend battery life. Sometimes, the software update may also contain bugs causing battery drain, or a certain version of the software is poorly optimized for the iPad model. In this case, you can downgrade the software update or wait a few days until the manufacturer releases a new update that fixes the problem. If you’re using a beta version, you can also uninstall it and install the stable version on your iPad.

On the other hand, if you are using outdated software, it can also cause battery drain issues on your iPad. The outdated software on your iPad may not work well with the latest iPad hardware, causing the battery to drain faster. It may also contain bugs that cause the battery to drain. In addition, the old software may not have the latest features to save battery life. To fix this, you can update the iPad software to the latest version. To update your iPad, open Settings > General > Software Update. If the update is available, download and install it.

Related Read: 10 Ways to Fix iPad Touchscreen Not Working Issue

How to downgrade software updates on iPad

You’ll need a Mac or Windows PC to downgrade the iPad’s software version. In this guide, we use Mac to downgrade iPad OS.

• Make sure your Mac has the latest macOS or iTunes version installed.
• Connect your iPad to your computer.
• Follow the steps for your device: For iPad without the home button: Press and quickly release the volume buttons, then hold the top button until recovery mode starts. For iPad with a home button, you can press the home button and volume up button until the iPad enters recovery mode.
• In iTunes, click on the Restore option. This will wipe your device and install the latest non-beta version OS on your iPad. If the download takes more than 15 minutes, your iPad will exit recovery mode. Enter your Apple ID and password to disable Activation Lock when prompted.
• After the restore, you can set up your iPad with a previous backup that was not created with the beta version.

Close Unnecessary Apps

Unnecessary apps running in the background could also be the reason for the battery problem on your iPad. These apps continue to retrieve resources and perform activities in the background, such as fetching data, tracking location, or playing music, and thus consume more battery. To fix the problem, you can close these apps and stop them from running in the background to save battery. You can view the battery usage of each app on iPad in the advanced battery management settings and find the apps that consume more battery.

• Tap on the settings of your iPad.
• Scroll down the settings menu and tap Battery.
• In the Battery section, you’ll see a list of apps and the percentage of battery they’ve used in the last 24 hours or 10 days. You can toggle between these two views by tapping the corresponding option.
• If available, you can tap the clock icon next to the battery usage percentage to see more details, such as how long the app was active on the screen and how long it was running in the background.
• If you notice that an app is using more battery than expected, you should check its specific settings. Open the app on your iPad, go to Settings, and adjust the settings according to the app’s power consumption.

Update Apps

Similar to software, it may be that a particular app version is the cause of battery drain on your iPad. To fix this, you can update the apps on your iPad regularly. Also, watch out for the app draining the battery quickly after an update. To update the app on your iPad, open the App Store >, click on your profile picture in the upper right corner of the screen and go to the “Updates” section. Here, you will see the list of apps that are available for updating. You can tap the Update button to update the apps to the latest version.

Remove Power-Hungry Apps

Some apps can consume more battery than other apps. This may be due to power-hungry features or because the app uses a lot of system resources. If possible, you can replace the apps with the web version or other apps that use less power and are optimized for your iPad. If you have no other choice, you can continue to use the app. You can adjust the individual settings within the app to reduce the app’s power consumption.

Uninstall Suspicious Apps

If you find a suspicious app on your iPad, uninstall the app immediately. Suspicious apps on iPads can be harmful and also the reason for battery problems. You can manage the apps in the settings of your iPad.

Reduce Screen Brightness

Increasing the brightness of your device can also affect your iPad’s battery life. Pixels require more power and draw more current from the battery. When brightness is increased, other parts of the device, such as the graphics processor, also have to work harder. This can also contribute to the overall heating of the device. To fix this, you can reduce the brightness of the screen or turn on auto brightness for efficient use. Go to your iPad’s display settings and turn on automatic brightness.

Turn Off the Background App and Refresh

Background App Refresh on iPad allows apps to refresh content in the background when not in use. This feature helps apps automatically refresh and load important content when you switch back to them. Auto Background App Refresh also helps you pick up where you left off. This is a handy feature for staying up to date, but it consumes system resources and power when updating in the background, which drains your battery. To fix this, you can disable the feature for apps that don’t require background updates, like YouTube and media player apps, and turn off games.

• Open the Settings on your device.
• Tap General.
• Then tap Background App Refresh and Turn Off to stop all apps from refreshing in the background.

Turn Off Location Services

Location services on your iPad help it find your location and quickly offer services based on your location. This also results in high battery consumption. When location services are enabled, the device also constantly checks your location via GPS, Wi-Fi, and mobile networks. This constant monitoring consumes power and can drain the battery quickly. To fix the problem, you can turn off location services on your iPad when you don’t need them or disable location permissions for apps you don’t use.

Turn On/Off Location Services for All Apps:

• Open Settings on your iPad and go to Privacy.
• Find Location Services and tap the switch next to Location Services to turn it on or off

Turn off location services for individual apps:

• Open Settings on your iPad, go to Privacy, and tap Location Services. 
• Find the app you want to manage and tap it. Choose the option you want:
  Always: The app can always see your location.
  While Using the App: The app can only see your location when it’s open.
  Never: The app can’t use your location at all.

Limit Push Notifications

Push notifications are messages from apps and services on your device that let you know about updates, news, messages, and other timely information. They can be a convenient way to stay informed and sometimes distract you; however, they can also be the cause of problems with your iPad’s battery drain.

When a notification comes in, the app may be performing some background tasks, such as retrieving new data, that consume some power. Also, these apps stay connected to the Internet and consume additional network resources. Finally, push notifications can light up the screen and use sounds and vibrations, which can also consume power. To fix this, you can turn off push notifications or disable push notifications for individual apps that you don’t need.

• Tap Settings on your iPad’s Home screen.
• Tap Notifications.
• Select the app you want to manage.
• Toggle Allow Notifications to Off.

Manage Widget Usage

Widgets are the latest addition to iPadOS 17, and you can now add widgets to your iPad’s lock screen and home screen. Widgets are updated regularly to provide current information. This constant updating requires power, especially if the updates are frequent or if you have a lot of widgets. Widgets also use the Internet to get the latest version; some widgets even include enhanced graphics for better visibility. All of these factors can affect your iPad’s battery life.

To fix this, you can remove the unwanted widgets from the home screen or use the simple alternative widgets offered by the app to reduce battery consumption. You can long-press on the widgets and click the (-) to remove the widget from the home screen or get alternative widgets for the app from the widgets section.

Turn Off Bluetooth and WiFi When Not in Use

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enable important connectivity, but they can also shorten iPad battery life if not used properly. You can adjust the settings so they use less power and turn them off when not in use.

Turn off Bluetooth :

• Turn off Bluetooth to save battery when you’re not using Bluetooth devices. Go to Settings > Bluetooth and toggle it off. Or, swipe down from the upper-right corner to access the Control Center and tap the Bluetooth icon.
• If you have multiple Bluetooth devices connected to your iPad that you don’t use, you should turn off the devices you don’t need to save more battery. Go to Settings > Bluetooth and tap the “i” next to the device you want to disconnect, then tap Forget this device.

Wifi Tweaks

• When you’re not using Wi-Fi, turn it off to save battery. Go to “Settings” > “Wi-Fi” and toggle it off. You can also use the Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner and tapping the Wi-Fi icon. When you connect to a weak Wi-Fi signal, the iPad has to work harder to maintain the connection, which drains the battery.
• Turn Off Ask to Join Networks: This feature prompts you to join available Wi-Fi networks but can be turned off to save battery. Go to “Settings” > “Wi-Fi” and toggle off “Ask to Join Networks. “
• You can also use Low Data Mode. This mode reduces the amount of data that apps use in the background, which can save battery. Go to “Settings” > “Wi-Fi” > tap the “i” next to your connected network > toggle on “Low Data Mode. “

Turn On Airplane Mode

When you enable airplane mode, it restricts connections on the iPad. It disables cellular connectivity and restricts many apps and services that rely on those connections to update content, sync data, or perform other background activities. You can still connect to the Internet using the Wi-Fi connection. This doesn’t make much of a difference if you’re using an iPad model without a cellular connection. If you’re using an iPad model with cellular connectivity, you can turn on Airplane Mode to improve battery life.

Airplane mode comes with its own limitations. You can’t use the Internet; if you don’t have an alternate Wi-Fi connection, you can’t make calls, and the apps that require a constant Internet connection may not be able to update content. To enable flight mode on your iPad, open the Control Center on the Home screen and tap the Airplane icon to enable flight mode.

Reset All iPad Settings

Settings you’ve changed recently may have affected your iPad’s battery life. To fix this, you can reset all settings on your iPad. When you reset all settings on the iPad, any settings you’ve made in the system settings, such as Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth connections, privacy settings, and brightness levels, will be reset to their default settings. No data will be deleted in the process.

To reset all settings on your iPad, go to Settings and then generally tap on the Transfer and Reset iPad, click Reset and select Reset All Settings. Enter the password when prompted. This will reset all settings on your iPad. Your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings will also be reset to their default values.

Turn On Low Power Mode

You can activate the power-saving mode to limit the battery consumption of your iPad. This is the most practical and working method to extend battery life. When you enable the power saving mode, the system restricts the features and reduces the background usage of the apps. It also adjusts system settings, such as brightness and volume, and more. To enable power saving mode on iPad, open Settings, tap Battery, and turn on power saving mode on iPad.

Check for Optimal Environmental Conditions

Hot summers can cause device batteries to drain faster. If you’re having trouble with battery performance in the summer, it may be due to extremely hot conditions. To conserve your iPad’s battery in the summer, keep it out of direct sunlight and never leave it in a place that’s too hot.

If you’re using it and it feels too warm, take a break and let it cool down. You can also force-stop any apps you’re not using, as they could put more strain on the iPad and make it hotter. When you charge your iPad, you can charge it in a cool place, and you shouldn’t charge it up to 100% when it feels hot. By following these steps, you can reduce the iPad battery drain problem and keep the device cool.

FAQs about Fixing iPad Battery Drain Issues

1. Why does my iPad charge slowly?

The charging speed of an iPad depends on the type of charger you use. Older iPads often come with a 10W or 12W USB power adapter, while newer models may include an 18W or 20W USB-C power adapter. If your iPad’s charging speed is slower, you should try charging your iPad with a fast charger. Keep in mind that not all iPad models support fast charging. Also, there can be several reasons why your iPad is charging slowly. It could be due to a damaged cable or dirt trapped in the charging port. Also, make sure that your iPad doesn’t have battery-optimized features enabled, as these features reduce charging speed to conserve battery life.

2. Is it okay to use my iPad while it’s charging?

It is not recommended to use an iPad while it is charging. If you use the device while it is charging, the temperature of the device may increase, which may cause future problems with the battery. For safety reasons, it is recommended that you do not use an iPad or any other electronic device, including a smartphone, while it is charging.

3. How do I know if my battery is damaged?

Unlike iPhones, it’s a little more complicated to determine the battery level of iPads. However, you can still view your iPad’s battery life by following these steps:

• Open the Settings app on your iPad, tap Privacy & Security, and then Analytics and Improvements.
• Now, Turn on Share iPad Analytics from the settings and enable Share iPad Analytics. You may need to wait a day or two for the data to be recorded.
• After Tap on Open Analytics Data. Tap one of the files at the top of the list with a recent date. It should be named something like Analytics-year-month-day-time. IPS. ca. synced.
• Scroll to the bottom and copy the last block of text. Look for mentions of battery words in the text. You can paste the text on any text editor and search for MaximumCapacityPercent to find your iPad’s current battery capacity percentage.
• Now look for MaximumFCC and NominalChargeCapacity and note them down. Now divide the NominalChargeCapacity number by the MaximumFCC number to get your current maximum battery capacity as a percentage of what it was when new. You can use the calculator app on your iPad to perform the calculation.

4. What are the best practices for charging my iPad to maximize battery lifespan?

You can follow basic charging practices to extend your iPad’s battery life. Use the right charger and avoid draining it completely. Also, avoid overcharging and extreme temperatures that can harm the battery. If possible, charge the device at room temperature. Check the battery’s health: Periodically check the Battery Health section of your iPad’s settings to keep track of the overall health and capacity of the battery.

5. Can I set up automated tasks to manage battery performance?

You can set up automatic tasks, such as switching to power saving mode when the battery percentage reaches a certain level. Automatically activating Airplane mode on nights when iPad is not in use, and more.