A design that divided critics and a software update that's draining power at a shocking rate — Apple's newest releases are facing a double dose of trouble. As the iPhone 17's controversial look continues to spark debate, users are now reporting a fresh wave of issues.
The latest culprit? The new iOS 26, which is reportedly causing devices to lose battery life in a matter of hours, is leaving owners frustrated and demanding answers.
A Draining Problem: The Battery Backlash
Just last week, Apple fans criticised the tech giant over the 'ugly' look of the new iPhone 17, set to be released in the coming days. Now, a fresh problem has emerged: the new iOS 26 update is being blamed for a functional issue, as it's reportedly draining users' battery life faster.
First announced at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in June, the update was installed by many tech users who quickly noticed that their battery was being drained in a matter of hours.
Just fully charged my phone 58 minutes ago and it’s already down to 79%. iOS 26 is turning my phone into a brick 😩 pic.twitter.com/JQHJYRlVDo
— Migo (@miggoww) September 16, 2025
Frustrated users quickly took to social media to voice their concerns. One unsatisfied customer on X fumed, 'Just fully charged my phone 58 minutes ago and it's already down to 79%. iOS 26 is turning my phone into a brick.'
Dude wtf. My phone's been burning up since the update to iOS 26 and voila my battery health just fell down to 80%. I haven't even changed any charging habits. pic.twitter.com/br39uy3IEz
— saksham (@saqshum) September 16, 2025
Another person exclaimed, 'Dude, wtf. My phone's been burning up since the update to iOS 26 and voila my battery health just fell down to 80%. I haven't even changed any charging habits.'
iOS26 evidently has a battery issue. I used my work phone less than I usually do in the mornings and I’m already down to 50% pic.twitter.com/2VTmAjsLFo
— Ghausia • غوثیہ (@GhausiaSpeaks) September 16, 2025
A third user raged, 'iOS26 evidently has a battery issue. I used my work phone less than I usually do in the mornings and I'm already down to 50%.'
Apple's Explanation: A 'Normal' Hiccup
Meanwhile, Apple is sparing no effort to reassure users, stating in a support document that the initial power drain is a normal issue. In a support page, the company noted that after 'completing an update, particularly a major release, you might notice a temporary impact on battery life and thermal performance.'
'This is normal, as your device needs time to complete the setup process in the background, including indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets and updating apps', Apple explained.
According to Apple, these new features 'require additional resources from the device' and that 'depending on individual usage, some users may notice a small impact on performance and/or battery life.'
Waking Up to a 'Scary' Red Clock
A rapidly draining battery isn't the only issue users are experiencing with the iOS 26 update. They also dislike the new 'evil red clock' feature. The new update allows users to turn their iPhone's lock screen into a clock when the device is placed on its side.
When the phone is placed in this position in a dimly lit room, it supposedly defaults to a 'scary' red clock on a black background.
@bkharthun Who invented this scary clock? #evil #clock #yourphone
♬ original sound - Toon
'Why is that even an option?' one disgruntled user asked in their TikTok video. 'And why is it red? It's the scariest thing ever, especially, it's always at night. It's always when you are going to bed, and it just happens to turn sideways, and then you see the scariest clock of all time.'
Liquid Glass or a Blurry Eyesore?
Many users also disliked the Liquid Glass design. This feature makes app icons, menus and pop-ups appear translucent, creating a blurred effect where background colours are refracted as if through frosted glass.
Liquid Glass Design is the ugliest thing @Apple has ever done! 🥴🫣 pic.twitter.com/4OCzKV9yHC
— Vítek Havliš (@vitekhavlis) June 9, 2025
'Liquid Glass Design is the ugliest thing @Apple has ever done!' lamented one unimpressed Apple fan, while another wrote, 'Steve Jobs would have never approved this.'
Steve Jobs would of never approved this.
— Joey 👟 (@SolanaJoeyy) June 10, 2025
Liquid glass seemed cool when I first saw it, but in reality it's just annoying to my eyes in most cases. pic.twitter.com/u8ksIPwJnm
A third user expressed their frustration, saying, 'Apple's new glassy UI (user interface) design literally hurts my eyes to look at. The notifications are a literal eyesore. It's the definition of form over function. This OS update is going to be the worst thing Apple has done since iOS 7. No joke.'
In a separate post, a user on Reddit claimed that the new background effects, which are the tech company's first interface makeover in over a decade, 'made me dizzy just looking at it.'
