Symptoms
- One app shows far higher battery usage than its screen time suggests
- Phone gets warm specifically when that app is open or recently closed
- Battery drains noticeably faster after installing or updating that app
- Battery usage improves when the app is deleted
Likely causes
- CommonApp using background location tracking constantlyApps set to 'Always' location access can track in the background continuously, draining battery.
- CommonA bug in a recent app update causing excessive CPU usePoorly optimized updates sometimes cause runaway background processes.
- PossibleBackground App Refresh combined with frequent push notificationsApps that refresh content frequently in the background add up over a day.
- PossibleVideo or audio playback continuing in the background unintentionallySome apps keep streaming or processing media after you've left them.
What to do
- Open Settings > Battery and find the app in the usage list.
- Compare its 'Background' time to its 'Screen On' time; a large background number points to the cause.
- Change that app's Location setting to 'While Using' or 'Never' in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
- Turn off Background App Refresh for that specific app.
- Check the App Store for a pending update, since many drain issues are fixed quickly by developers.
- Force-close the app and see if battery usage stabilizes over the next hour.
- Delete and reinstall the app if the issue continues after updating.
- If usage remains abnormally high, avoid the app or contact the developer, since it may have an unresolved bug.
When to call a pro
This is a software issue and doesn't need a repair shop; if no fix works, the developer's support may be the right contact for a persistent app bug.
Safety
Generally low risk
Generally low risk for a careful person. Stop if anything looks different from what this guide describes.