YouTube iOS App Causing Battery Drain, Overheating Issues for Some Users - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

YouTube iOS App Causing Battery Drain, Overheating Issues for Some Users

by

YouTube has confirmed it is working to resolve a bug in its mobile app that causes significant battery drain on Apple devices, even when the app is running in the background.

First covered by tech blog PiunikaWeb, the issue has been noted by several MacRumors forum members, as well as on Reddit and Twitter, and appears to be mainly affecting devices running iOS 11.1.1.

Screen Shot 5

Image via PiunikaWeb

In addition to battery drain, some iPhone users have reported that the YouTube app is causing their device to run much hotter than usual when watching videos, although the two issues don't seem to occur together in every case.


YouTube says it is aware of the problem and is "actively working" to come up with a fix for the app, although no timeframe was given. In the meantime, affected users are advised to watch YouTube videos in their web browser of choice.

Tag: YouTube

Top Rated Comments

N
Nozuka
115 months ago
And people still says that’s there no reason to close apps in the App Switcher.


People live in an fairy world where all apps are correctly programmed thus they can run in the background.
There is no reason to close apps in the App Switcher unless you have problems.
This is such a case.

And i'm pretty sure this problem didn't occur if you disable updating in the background for the youtube app. At least i did and never had any problems.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
E
emulajavi
115 months ago
And people still says that’s there no reason to close apps in the App Switcher.


People live in an fairy world where all apps are correctly programmed thus they can run in the background.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ayemerica Avatar
Ayemerica
115 months ago
My X gets pretty warm using YouTube. When using Netflix 4K HDR nothing, streaming iTunes films nothing. Just YT.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Telos101 Avatar
Telos101
115 months ago
I stopped using the app when it automatically started opening when l clicked on a link in Safari. I want to control that behavior. If I wanted to use the app, then I would have opened it. When it was embedded in a webpage and I wanted to watch it, then no, don't open the app. It's been years since I've used it for this reason, so maybe it's changed?
Instead of tapping a link in Safari, try a press-and-hold. This should bring up an option to open the video in another Safari tab. It works for me, when I remember to do it!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mac Tyson Avatar
Mac Tyson
115 months ago
All those youtubers that did battery drain tests need to redo them again after this fix.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
A
Apple blogger
115 months ago
Ummm.. to my knowledge, the YouTube app has been draining app since a couple of years.. I've notified google like several times... never fixed...

It's not new.. so it's not some users, it's all users.. since I don't know.. 3-4 years or more... maybe from the time Google shifted to its material design
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
Read Full Article • 151 comments
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
Read Full Article • 111 comments
Apple iCloud Plus expansion hero

iCloud+ Now Includes Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and Curated Apple Music Stations in Over 100 Countries

Tuesday September 15, 2026 1:43 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new subscription initiative that turns paid iCloud+ subscriptions into a broader services bundle in more than 100 countries. In select countries, Apple says every paid iCloud+ plan, including the cheapest 50GB tier, now includes Apple TV and Apple Arcade "at no additional cost," while family sharing extends the storage, TV and Arcade access to up to five people....
Read Full Article • 104 comments