Apple iPhone users furious over new feature prolonging charging time
Topics: Apple, iPhone, Technology
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Wachirawit Iemlerkchai / Arcansel / Alamy Stock Photo
Topics: Apple, iPhone, Technology
Apple iPhone updates are as common as it can get - from the massive iOS updates to smaller bug fixes to make the platform better.
Unfortunately, while these updates are supposed to improve the experience, they can often cause other issues with iPhones.
And a fairly common one is battery issues and charging times, which was certainly prevalent during the launch of iOS 16.
Last year's update brought frustrations to Apple users, with many complaining of a poor battery life since installing the update.
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It even led to some iPhone users refusing to download the newest update, with one person on Twitter warning: "PSA: don’t update your iPhone to iOS 16. The battery life is garbage."
And the latest problem involving battery is actually connected to charging your Apple devices.
With the release of iOS 16.1 last October, Apple introduced Clean Energy Charging, which it claims will reduce your carbon footprint.
Apple says that once this mode has been enabled, your iPhone will charge differently once it is connected to a charger.
The phone gets a report of carbon emissions that is generated by the local energy grid and uses that information to determine when to charge the phone.
Obviously, this does mean that your phone will potentially not be charging when you really need it to do so.
There are certainly occasions when you are back in the house for an hour, and you need to give your phone a quick zap before heading back out.
Explaining the feature, Dr Steve Beaty, chair of computer sciences at Metropolitan State University of Denver, told ABC 7: "Most people think, and I think appropriately, ‘Hey, it’s my iPhone at my house. How much could it matter?’
"But when we start looking at hundreds of millions of devices all over the world, to a certain degree, why not do this? Why not slow things down?
"It won’t slow down charging at what it considers an unusual place.
"So, for example, it might slow down charging in the evening at your home, but it won’t slow down if you’re plugged in to a charger at an airport or hotel."
However, social media users were still suspicious of the new feature.
Software engineer Chief Nerd wrote: "If you noticed your iPhone is charging a little slower recently it may be due to a new setting Apple added in iOS 16.1 — Clean Energy Charging.
"With it turned on, iOS will only recharge the iPhone's battery when the electrical grid uses cleaner energy sources like solar or wind.
"You can disable it under Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging."
Replying to Chief Nerd's tweet, one user said: "No wonder my battery has been trash!"
UNILAD has contacted Apple for comment.