New iOS 15.4.1 update fixes a big ongoing iPhone problem

Apple
(Image credit: Future)

The latest iPhone software upgrade, iOS 15.4, has been causing some iPhone users to notice that their battery has been draining surprisingly fast - Apple even commented on the issue. But a fix is here.

iOS 15.4.1 has been released for iPhones, and it's mainly just a bug-fixing patch that solves three issues people have been having with iOS 15.4.

The main issue is the battery drain issue which we've previously mentioned, and the other two regard hearing devices not working with certain apps, and braille becoming unresponsive. 

The latter two fixes are important for iPhone accessibility, but it's the first one that'll likely improve the experience for the biggest range of users, since not everyone uses the accessibility extras. 

You can easily download this update by heading to the General section in the Settings app and finding 'Software Update' - if you have been suffering from one or more of the above issues, you should do this straight away.

Even if you haven't been facing an issue, there's no harm in updating anyway, especially since you might actually have been facing the issue without realizing. 


Analysis: so was it a bug or a feature?

The iOS 15.4.1 patch presents the iPhone battery drain issue as a bug - one that needs fixing with a quick software patch.

However when Apple commented on the issue before, it said it was a natural feature of a software update, and that battery drain would naturally even out after several days of use.

So which is it? Is the iPhone iOS 15.4 battery drain situation a bug or a feature? Well, it's starting to seem like the former, even though Apple suggested initially that it was the latter.

Tom Bedford
Contributor

Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.

He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist. He also currently works in film as a screenwriter, director and producer.