What to do if your iPad battery drains fast

You're in the middle of streaming your favorite show or working on an important project when suddenly, your iPad® battery plummets to zero. It’s frustrating, but don’t worry, we’re here to help. At Asurion, when tech breaks, we fix it. Here are our tips for what to do when your iPad battery is draining quickly.

Why is my iPad battery draining so fast?

There are several common reasons your iPad battery dies quickly or won't hold a charge:

• An app or Background App Refresh is draining the battery.
• Your iPad needs a software update.
• Your screen is too bright.
• Your iPad has a software issue.

Whether you're dealing with one of these issues or something else, here are some troubleshooting steps to try. If you walk through them all and your battery is still not performing as it should, it may be time for an iPad battery replacement.

Turn on Low Power Mode

While your iPad is charging, try switching to Low Power Mode. This feature uses less juice and will help you charge your battery more quickly. To turn on this setting, open Settings, tap Battery, and tap the switch next to Low Power Mode.

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Check your iPad battery usage

For a breakdown of how much battery power each app is using, go to Settings > Battery. If an app is draining your battery or if you aren't using it, just delete the app.

Check your iPad battery health

Monitoring your iPad’s battery health can give you insights into its overall condition and longevity. Over time, batteries degrade, leading to shorter battery life and reduced performance.

To check your iPad's battery health, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health. This section provides information on your battery's maximum capacity and peak performance capability. As the battery ages and the number of charging cycles increases, this percentage might slightly decrease. If you notice significant degradation, it might be time to consider a battery replacement.

Turn off Background App Refresh

There are some apps, however, that use a lot of power but you don't want to delete. When these apps continually run in the background—think email alerts and other notifications—your battery gets a workout.

Background App Refresh is a feature that automatically updates and runs all your apps, which makes sure the content you love is always fresh. But if you turn it off, your apps will work normally when you're actively using them—and you'll save power.

Here's how to turn off Background App Refresh:

1. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
2. For any app you want to turn off, just tap the switch next to it to turn it off.

Check for software updates

Software updates often contain security fixes, new features, and performance improvements, which will help extend your iPad's battery life. Make sure your iPadOS® is always updated to the latest version. Here's what to do:

1. Plug your device into power and connect to Wi-Fi.
2. Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
3. If there's an update available, tap Download and Install.
4. Turn on Automatic Updates to keep your device updated.

Reduce the brightness of your screen

If you're still wondering, “why does my iPad die so fast?” it could be that your screen is too bright. Here's how to adjust it:

Go to Settings > Display & Brightness, then drag the slider to lower the brightness.

You also may want to try turning on Dark Mode. This feature changes your background from light to dark to make it easier to read on your device at night. It also helps save battery life. Here's how to turn on Dark Mode:

1. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness.
2. Under Appearance, tap Dark.

Turn on Reduce Motion

Another way to preserve battery power on your iPad is to turn on Reduce Motion. This feature cuts down on the animations and pop-ups that appear on-screen.

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Motion > Reduce Motion.
2. Tap the switch next to Reduce Motion to turn it on.

Turn on or adjust Auto-Lock

If your iPad battery is draining quickly, make sure to turn on Auto-Lock, the setting that automatically turns off your iPad's screen after the amount of time you specify. Doing so will save you power.

1. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock.
2. Select a number of minutes (our experts recommend 5).
3. Don't select Never—that will keep your display on constantly and drain your battery.

Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Another way to save power: Try switching off your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections when you're not using your device.

1. Go to Control Center.
2. Tap the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth options to turn them off.

Turn off Location Services

If the battery on your iPad is still draining fast, try turning off Location Services for some of your apps. (You'll want your iPad to know your location for the Weather app, for example, but don't really need it for most others.)

1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services for a list of apps that use Location Services.
2. To turn off location services, tap the app and tap Never.

Restart your iPad

Your iPad's battery may be draining too quickly due to a software problem. If that's the case, a simple restart may solve the issue.

How to restart an iPad without a Home Button:

1. Press and hold the Top button and either Volume button until you see the power off slider.
2. Drag the slider, then wait about 30 seconds for your iPad to turn off.
3. To turn it back on, press and hold the Top button until the Apple® logo appears.

How to restart an iPad with a Home Button:

1. Press and hold the Top button until you see the power off slider.
2. Drag it, then wait about 30 seconds for your iPad to turn off.
3. To turn it back on, press and hold the Top button until the Apple logo appears.

Force restart your iPad

If your battery is still not holding a charge after a simple restart, a force restart of your iPad may be the next step. Here's how it works:

For iPads with a Home button: Press and hold the Top and Home buttons at the same time until the Apple logo appears.

For iPads without a Home button: Press and release the Volume Up button, press and release the Volume Down button, then press and hold the Top button until the Apple logo appears.

Complete a factory reset of your iPad

A factory reset may fix your battery issues, but this should be your last resort. Before you reset your device, make sure to back up your iPad, since everything except the original software and apps will be erased.

See our guide for how to back up, factory reset, and restore information to your iPad.