Samsung users frustrated with battery drain after One UI 6.1 update

In late March, Samsung released the One UI 6.1 update for the Galaxy S23 series, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Galaxy Z Flip 5 globally, bringing new AI features from the Galaxy S24 series. While the update brought a lot of goodies, it also introduced some problems. Users complained about high battery drain and several other issues. Over a month later, the battery drainage issue still exists, frustrating users.

Galaxy S23 and foldables still have battery drain issues on One UI 6.1

The One UI 6.1 introduced several problems to the Galaxy S23 series and the latest foldables. Most notably, users experienced issues with fingerprint recognition and battery life. Samsung quickly acknowledged the former issue and released a fix in April. However, it has been mum about the battery drain problem. While complaints mount on various online platforms, the company has yet to acknowledge it, let alone roll out a fix.

Major updates sometimes cause a temporary battery drain due to various system optimizations. Things usually get back to normal after a few days. However, it hasn’t been so this time. Galaxy S23 Ultra users are still experiencing high battery drain (there aren’t many reports from users of other S23 models). The same goes for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5. Folks at SamMobile confirmed that issue on two Fold 5 and two Flip 5 units.

It is unclear if Samsung is aware of these reports and working on finding the root cause of the problem. But its silence on the matter is frustrating users. Hopefully, the company will sort it out soon. In the meantime, you can disable power-hungry extra features AOD (always-on display and high screen resolution to extend the battery life of your Galaxy device. We will let you know when we have more information.

Other Galaxy devices don’t have this problem

The Galaxy S23 series, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Galaxy Z Flip 5 were the first three devices to receive the One UI 6.1 update. Samsung has since pushed the new One UI version to over a dozen other models, and none have battery drain issues. The company likely identified the problem early and addressed it before expanding the rollout.

Unfortunately, the first batch of devices to get One UI 6.1 continues to suffer today. Samsung recently released the May security patch for them. The official changelog didn’t mention anything apart from the latest security fixes. Whether the company included fixes for the battery drain issues, we shall find out soon. You can check for new software updates from the Settings app.