How To Fix Your IPad Mini Battery Draining So Quickly 2024

Are you tired of your iPad mini’s battery draining faster than you expect? You’re not alone. Many iPad mini users have encountered this issue, and it can be frustrating, especially if you’re constantly on the go and rely on your device for work or entertainment.

If you’re not actively using your iPad mini in a way that sucks up battery life, and yet your battery is still draining quickly – then it’s a cause for concern.

See our post on: How long is an iPad supposed to last for?

I noticed my iPad mini draining extremely fast overnight and thought – How is this possible? Because I just bought this iPad….

I ran a survey on our audience and found the following key factors are what caused their iPad mini to begin draining very fast, including overnight and when they weren’t using it:

Additionally, how you use your iPad mini can also play a role in how quickly the battery drains.

In this blog post, we’ll explore why your iPad mini’s battery is draining quickly, and what you can do to fix it.

Why your iPad mini is draining so quickly (and how to fix it!)

The following list I’ve researched and tested on my iPad mini will help you figure out why your iPad mini battery is draining so fast and how you can fix it:

Wi-Fi and cellular data should be turned off
Disable background app refresh which can be draining the battery
Location services can be disabled or limited
You should disable notifications that are unnecessary
Make sure all Bluetooth connections are turned off
Activate low power mode
At night, close all Safari and Chrome tabs
A software issue has occurred on your iPad and an update is required
The brightness of your screen is too high.
Utilize battery optimization apps to manage power consumption
Toggle Dark mode on
Erase the iPad and factory reset
Enable reduce motion
Turn on and use your iPad once every 48 hours to revive the iPad mini battery
Wait for the iPad to adjust to new apps
Disable Auto-lock
Toggle the push to fetch mail app off

If you’re using another type of iPad that isn’t the Mini, then see our post: Why Your iPad Battery is Draining so Fast (and how to fix it)

In the owner’s manual, Apple claims that an iPad battery can last up to 10 hours. However, as a iPad mini owner myself, that number isn’t always accurate.

Even when I wasn’t using or charging my Apple Pencil, the iPad mini battery still drained.

The following will help you navigate through this post easier:

Skip to: All the ways you can stop an iPad mini from draining fast
Skip to: Why does my iPad mini drain so quickly overnight?

Table Of Contents

Why your iPad mini is draining so quickly (and how to fix it!)
How to fix an iPad Mini that keeps draining quickly
Why does an iPad mini battery drain so quickly?
How Long Does an iPad Battery Last?

How to fix an iPad Mini that keeps draining quickly

If your iPad mini is draining quickly, there are a few steps you can take to help conserve battery life and make it stop draining, even when your not using it.

Here’s how to fix an iPad mini that keeps draining quickly:

First, make sure that Wi-Fi and cellular data are turned off when not in use. This will help reduce the amount of power being used by the device.
Additionally, disabling background app refresh and limiting location services can also help save battery life. Notifications should also be disabled or limited if they are unnecessary.
It is important to make sure all Bluetooth connections are turned off when not in use as well.
Low power mode should be activated when possible to conserve energy, and all Safari and Chrome tabs should be closed at night/
Finally, it is important to practice good charging habits such as using a wall outlet instead of a computer USB port for charging. Battery optimization apps can also be used to manage power consumption more efficiently.

The weight and portability of an iPad mini can also affect battery life, as well as the operating system, memory leakage, processor speed, storage capacity, display size, screen resolution and retina display.

And as we all know, there are other factors to keep in mind as well, such as how you use your iPad mini.

1. Wi-Fi and cellular data should be turned off when not in use

When your iPad mini is connected to the internet, whether it be through a Wi-Fi network or cellular data, it can use a significant amount of power.

One of the most effective ways to conserve your iPad mini’s battery life is to turn off your Wi-Fi and cellular data connections when you’re not using them.

This can help to stop processes and features on your device that rely on these connections to run, which can help to save your battery life.

According to experts, It’s recommended that you go through the Settings option on your iPad mini’s menu.

Select Wi-Fi and toggle it off and do the same for cellular data. Alternatively, the control options or Siri can be used.

See our post for Siri Hacks: 13 Secret Tricks Siri can do for you

It’s also important to note that if your cellular data is off, all data services including email, web browsing, and push notifications will use Wi-Fi only, which can also help to conserve your iPad mini’s battery life when you’re not using it.

Also see: Xfinity Throttling: Why your Xfinity internet is so Slow (Fix)

2. Disable background app refresh which can be draining the battery

Background App Refresh is a great feature for keeping your apps up to date, but it can also be a major drain on your iPad mini’s battery.

Fortunately, it’s easy to turn off Background App Refresh and save power. By disabling this feature, you can prevent unnecessary power consumption and extend the life of your iPad mini’s battery.

It’s important to note that turning off Background App Refresh won’t affect how your apps work when you are actively using them—they will still update normally when you open them. But by disabling this feature, you can help ensure that your iPad mini isn’t draining its battery unnecessarily while idle or asleep.

Here’s how you can turn off the background refresh app on an iPad mini to help save battery:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPad mini

2. Select General and scroll down to Background App Refresh

3. Review the list of apps with permission to run in the background

4. Slide the switches to Off for any apps you don’t want running in the background

By taking just a few minutes to turn off Background App Refresh, you can help keep your iPad mini running longer and more efficiently on a single charge.

3. Location services should be disabled or limited

Location Services is an option on iOS devices that is turned on by default. It allows your iPad to determine its location using GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi networks.

This can be used for a variety of purposes, such as finding nearby restaurants or tracking your progress while running. However, it can also be a major drain on your battery if you’re not actively using the feature.

By disabling Location Services or limiting it to only those apps that need it, you can help conserve battery life and keep your iPad running longer on a single charge.

You may also want to consider setting Location Services to “While Using the App” instead of “Always” for those apps that do need access to your location.

By turning off or limiting Location Services for apps that don’t need it, you can help to conserve your iPad’s battery life and ensure that it lasts as long as possible.

Also see: 9 Best Tablets for Traveling Internationally (Air Plane, Car Rides)

4. You should disable notifications that are unnecessary

Disabling notifications on an iPad mini can help to save battery life because it reduces the number of times the screen needs to turn on.

When a notification is received, the iPad mini’s screen will turn on to display the notification (if its a text, sometimes even twice). This can occur even if the device is in sleep mode.

You’ll quickly drain the battery because the screen is one of the most power-hungry components of a device, constantly having it on and off is not a good way to keep your battery lasting when you don’t have a charger.

Another way to save battery life is by disabling the Badge App Icon, this will stop the red notifications bubble from showing up on apps. Another option is to disable the “Show in Notification Center” toggle, this will stop the notifications from showing up in the Notification Center.

It’s important to note that disabling notifications may mean you will miss important information, such as notifications from important apps like email or messaging.

5. Make sure all Bluetooth connections are turned off at night

To turn off Bluetooth on your iPad mini, open the Settings app and tap “Bluetooth”. Then, toggle the switch next to “Bluetooth” to the OFF position. This will disconnect any active Bluetooth connections and prevent your device from searching for new ones.

It is recommended that you turn off both WiFi and Bluetooth at night when you are not using your device in order to save battery life.

Doing so will prevent your device from constantly searching for new connections and draining its battery unnecessarily. Additionally, turning these features off when not in use will help keep your device secure by preventing unwanted connections from being established.

6. Activate low power mode under settings

Activating Low Power Mode on your iPad mini can help to conserve battery life and keep it running longer on a single charge.

Low Power Mode is an iOS feature that temporarily reduces power consumption by disabling certain features, such as background app refresh, automatic downloads, and some visual effects. Here’s how you can turn off low power mode to improve iPad mini battery and make it stop draining so quickly:

To activate Low Power Mode on your iPad mini, open the Settings app and tap “Battery”.
Then, toggle the switch next to “Low Power Mode” to the ON position.
You will see a notification appear at the top of the screen confirming that Low Power Mode has been enabled.

When Low Power Mode is activated, you may notice some changes in how your device operates. For example, animations may be slower or disabled altogether, and background app refresh will be turned off.

Additionally, email fetching and other automatic downloads will be paused until you turn off Low Power Mode or plug in your device for charging.

By activating Low Power Mode on your iPad mini, you can help ensure that it lasts longer on a single charge without sacrificing performance or functionality. This is especially useful if you don’t have access to a charger or are away from home for extended periods of time.

7. At night, close all Safari and Chrome tabs

At night, closing all Safari and Chrome tabs can help to save battery on an iPad mini. This is because when tabs are open in a web browser, they continue to run in the background, even when the device is in sleep mode. This can use a significant amount of power, which can quickly drain the battery.

When tabs are closed, the web pages are no longer running in the background, which means that the device’s processor and memory are not being used, which can help to conserve power.

Additionally, when you close tabs, you’ll also be closing any ads or other background processes that may be running, which can also help to conserve power.

To close all tabs in Safari and save battery life on the iPad mini:

Tap and hold the “All Tabs” button (square button) in the bottom left corner of any safari page.
This will show all open tabs, and you can swipe left on any tab to close it.
To close all tabs at once, select “Close All Tabs”.

Closing all tabs at night, can help to conserve power and improve your iPad mini’s battery life. Additionally, this can also help to improve your device’s performance, as it will have more memory and processing power available to run other apps or processes.

8. Fix a hidden software issue by updating

Software issues can occur on any device, including the iPad mini. These issues may be hidden and you may not even know why your device is draining its battery so quickly. To fix these hidden software issues, it is important to keep your iPad mini up-to-date with the latest version of iOS.

To update your iPad mini, open the Settings app and tap “General”. Then, tap “Software Update” and follow the onscreen instructions to download and install the latest version of iOS.

I personally update as often as I can on my iPad mini. It is recommended that you connect your device to a power source while updating as this process can take some time and will drain your battery if it is not connected to a charger.

Once the update has been installed, restart your device by pressing and holding down the power button until you see the Apple logo appear on screen.

This will ensure that all changes are applied correctly and help prevent any further software issues from occurring.

9. Lower the brightness of your screen

Lowering the brightness of your iPad mini’s screen can help to extend its battery life per charge.

By reducing the amount of light emitted from the display, you can reduce the amount of power used by the device, which will help to conserve battery life.

This is especially useful if your battery is getting low and you need to extend your usage time. For example, maybe you are playing a game on the iPad mini or drawing using the apple pencil on the procreate app.

This is similar to closing all Safari and Chrome tabs at night, as it helps to conserve power and improve battery life. However, lowering the brightness of your screen does not require any additional steps or processes; it simply requires adjusting a setting on your device.

10. Utilize battery optimization apps to manage power consumption

To access Apple’s built-in battery optimization app, open the Settings app and tap “Battery”. Here, you can view a list of all apps that are currently running on your iPad mini and how much power each one is using.

You can also see which apps are draining the most power and adjust their settings accordingly. For example, if an app is using more power than necessary, you can turn off certain features or disable background processes to help conserve battery life.

Additionally, you can also enable Low Power Mode to further reduce power consumption when your device’s battery is low.

11. Toggle Dark mode on

Toggling dark mode on can help to extend battery life on an iPad mini and prevent it from draining quickly. This is because dark mode changes the color scheme of the device’s interface from a light color scheme to a dark color scheme.

When the device’s display is in dark mode, the amount of light emitted from the display is reduced, which can help to conserve power on the iPad mini models (and also the iPad air, Pro, and standard).

You can toggle dark mode on by going to Settings > Display & Brightness and then toggle on the “Dark” option. Some apps also have their own dark mode options, which you can enable within the app settings.

Additionally, the dark color scheme can also help to reduce eye strain, which can be beneficial if you use your iPad mini for extended periods of time.

It’s important to note that the amount of power saved by using dark mode will vary depending on the type of content being displayed and the brightness of the display. However, in general, using dark mode can help to conserve power and improve battery life on an iPad mini. Additionally, using dark mode can also improve the overall device experience by reducing eye strain and providing a more comfortable viewing experience.

12. Erase the iPad and factory reset

First, open the Settings app and tap “General”. Then, tap “Reset” and select “Erase All Content and Settings”. This will erase all of your settings, data, and apps from your iPad mini.

Once you have confirmed that you want to erase everything, your iPad mini will begin the reset process.

This can take a few minutes to complete, so be patient while it is running. Once the reset is finished, your device will be restored to its factory settings and any issues with battery draining should be resolved. This should be a last resort method since it’s the most extreme option besides replacing the iPad mini altogether with a model that has a better battery.

13. Enable reduce motion

Reducing motion can help to conserve power and improve battery life on an iPad mini. By disabling unnecessary animations, the device will be able to run more efficiently and use less power.

Both my iPhone and iPad are set up with Reduce Motion and I have not toggled it back on.

Additionally, reducing motion can also improve the overall device experience by reducing eye strain and providing a more comfortable viewing experience.

The switch next to Reduce Motion can be found under Settings -> Accessibility -> Motion -> Reduce Motion. The switch will be green when Reduce Motion is on.

14. Turn on and use your iPad once every 48 hours to revive the iPad mini battery

Using your iPad mini once every 48 hours can help to revive the battery and prevent it from draining quickly.

This is because when the device is not in use, the battery will slowly discharge over time. By using the device at least once every 48 hours, you can help to keep the lithium ion battery fresh and prevent it from going below 5%, which is known to hurt the battery if it’s not recharged and stays too low, for too long.

Additionally, this also helps to keep the device’s internal components active and running efficiently, which can also help to improve battery life.

15. Wait for the iPad to adjust to new apps

If you’re experiencing fast battery drain on your iPad mini, it may be helpful to wait for the device to adjust to any new apps, games, or content that you’ve recently downloaded. This is because when you download new content or install updates, your iPad mini’s processor and radios will be working harder to index and process the new information.

This can cause a temporary spike in battery consumption.

The first thing you might try to fix this issue is to wait a few days. There are a few different situations where the battery drain might not be permanent, but rather a temporary condition caused by things like restoring the device from a backup, installing an iOS update, or downloading a bunch of content to the device.

For example, when you download a lot of content, the Wi-Fi radio will stay on for a long time and Spotlight, which is the iOS search system, will have to index all the new content, which increases the power consumption.

If after a few days, you still experience fast battery drain, you can try other solutions such as disabling or limiting location services, disabling notifications, or turning off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when not in use.

16. Disable Auto-lock

This is why it’s important to set Auto-Lock to a reasonable amount of time, so that your iPad mini won’t be draining its battery unnecessarily. By setting Auto-Lock, you can help prevent your iPad mini from draining its battery too quickly.

This will help ensure that your iPad display doesn’t stay on for too long and use the battery unnecessarily. Additionally, the brightness level of your iPad can also affect how quickly it drains its battery, so make sure to adjust the brightness accordingly.

The Auto-Lock feature can be turned on under Settings -> Display & Brightness -> Auto-Lock. If you do not want to select Never, choose another option. I have my iPad set to auto-lock after 10 minutes, but many prefer 5, shorter options are available as well.

17. Toggle the push to fetch mail app off

If you do a lot of emailing on your iPad, then it’s important to adjust the Mail settings to help save battery life. By default, the iPad is set to Push, which means that it is constantly pinging your inbox and checking for new emails.

The solution is to switch mail from Push to Fetch. This can be a major drain on the battery life of your device.

Rather than constantly pinging your inbox, your iPad will now only fetch for mail once every few minutes. Turn off the switch next to Push at the top of the screen and select an appropriate time interval for Fetching new data.

By making this simple adjustment in your Mail settings, you can help prevent unnecessary battery drainage and extend the lifespan of your device’s battery.

Additionally, if you find that you are not receiving emails as quickly as you would like, you can always increase the frequency of Fetching new data without having to worry about draining your battery too quickly.

Why does an iPad mini battery drain so quickly?

An iPad mini battery can drain quickly due to a variety of reasons such as running multiple apps or processes at the same time, high screen brightness, background app refresh, location services, push mail and unnecessary notifications.

Another main reasons is that the device has a relatively small battery capacity compared to other devices, meaning it needs to be charged more often.

An iPad mini battery can drain quickly due to a variety of reasons. While Apple claims that an iPad mini battery can last up to 10 hours, actual battery life can vary depending on usage patterns and other factors.

Some of the most common reasons that an iPad mini battery drains quickly include:

Running multiple apps or processes at the same time: When multiple apps or processes are running simultaneously, the iPad mini’s processor and memory are working harder, which can drain the battery quickly.
High screen brightness: A high screen brightness can consume a lot of power, especially when the screen is on for extended periods of time.
Background app refresh: Some apps may continue to run or update in the background, even when they’re not actively being used. This can drain the battery quickly.
Location services: Some apps may use location services to track your device’s location, even when the app is not in use. This can drain the battery quickly.
Push mail: If your mail settings are set to Push, your iPad mini will constantly check for new emails, which can drain the battery quickly.
Unnecessary notifications: Unnecessary notifications can cause your iPad mini’s screen to turn on frequently, which can drain the battery quickly.

Also see: How Long does the battery in a MacBook Pro Last?

How Long Does an iPad Battery Last?

An iPad mini battery can last up to 10 hours, but this can vary depending on how the device is being used. If the iPad is left on without being used, the battery can last far beyond 10 hours, but this is only if the device is brand new out of the box.

Charging an iPad mini battery overnight is not recommended, as it can reduce the lifespan of the battery. Lithium-ion batteries are designed to be charged and discharged in cycles, and when they are overcharged, they can become damaged or even fail.

This means that after a while, the battery life per charge will lessen because it is no longer able to hold as much of a charge as it once did. To avoid this issue, it’s best to only charge your iPad mini battery when necessary and unplug it once it reaches full capacity.

It’s important to pay attention to how your iPad’s battery is draining when you’re not actively using it. For example, if you notice that your battery is draining quickly even when you’re not using it, that could be a sign of a problem.

Battery life vs battery lifespan

When understanding an iPad battery lifespan and how long it can last per charge, it’s important to understand the difference between “battery life” and “battery lifespan.”

Battery life refers to the amount of time your device runs before it needs to be recharged, while battery lifespan refers to the amount of time your battery lasts until it needs to be replaced.

However, if the device is being used frequently for activities such as gaming or streaming videos, the battery can drain much faster in just a couple of hours. if you find that your iPad battery is fully charged and you use it for an hour and it suddenly drains to 40% or less, that’s a sign that something is not right.

What to do when iPad mini won’t turn on?

If your iPad mini won’t turn on, then theres a few things you can try to do to fix it. These include restarting the iPad. If this doesn’t solve the issue and you’re able to get it to work for just a few moments, then you’ll want to perform a software update.

If you can’t get it to turn on at all, then you’ll want to replace the device or try replacing the battery first. Apple repair shops are the way to go in this scenario when everything mentioned doesn’t work.

When it comes to charging an iPad mini battery overnight, the answer is not a simple one. On one hand, it can be beneficial to charge your device overnight if you know that you won’t be using it for a while and want to ensure that it has enough power when you need it.

On the other hand, overcharging your iPad mini battery can reduce its lifespan and cause damage to the battery itself.

Avoid leaving your iPad mini plugged in for extended periods of time as this can also reduce its lifespan and reduce the chances it won’t turn on.

How to Fix your iPad Mini battery Draining so Quickly