iOS 15.4.1 update is out — and it should fix iPhone battery drain issue

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iOS 15.4.1 is ready to download, and while it doesn't introduce an array of new iPhone features like this month's iOS 15.4 update did, it does include one enhancement sure to please a large segment of iPhone users — a fix for rapidly draining batteries.

When iOS 15.4 arrived nearly two weeks ago, it brought with it complaints that the iOS software update was also causing battery problems for some users. In some cases, iPhone owners were reporting that the updated had cut the battery life of their phones in half.

That's not uncommon with initial software updates. Indeed, Apple responded to some users on Twitter, claiming "it's normal for your apps and features to need to adjust up to 48 hours after an update."

Even so, a follow-up release usually looks to address any troubles with the initial update, and that's what appears to be happening here. The release notes of iOS 15.4.1 specifically note that the update addresses complaints about battery life following iOS 15.4's release.

For what it's worth, I've been using iOS 15.4 in beta form for all of February and March, and I never ran into any battery life problems on multiple devices. I was even running the iOS 15.4 beta on my iPhone 11 Pro Max when I took a week-long road trip and forgot my overnight phone charger. I still managed to eke out enough battery life to last the week on a phone running iOS 15.4, which leads me to conclude that not everyone was impacted by iOS 15.4's battery bug.

Still, if you have been feeling as if your battery's been draining at a rapid clip since iOS 15.4 was installed, you'll want to download iOS 15.4.1 right now. Another reason to grab this software update — it also patches a pretty serious security hole with iOS 15.

The original iOS 15.4 update introduced a number of new features to iPhones, including the ability to unlock your phone with Face ID even when you were wearing a face mask. The iOS 15.4 update also supports digital ID cards and drivers licenses in states that support the feature.

To update your iPhone to iOS 15.4.1, simply go to the Settings app and select General. Under Software Update, the iOS 15.4.1 update should be there waiting for you.

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.