Galaxy Users Report Battery Drain and Overheating After Update

Although the July 2026 update was promoted as a fix for battery drain on some Google Pixel phones, it appears to be creating new problems for a number of Samsung Galaxy users. After installing the One UI 8.5-based July OTA, many owners of Galaxy S25 and S24 series devices — particularly the Ultra models — have reported noticeably increased battery consumption and instances of overheating.

Multiple threads across Samsung’s Community forums describe a consistent pattern: devices show higher overall battery usage despite reduced screen-on time, and in some cases the phones become warm to the touch during normal use. Reports are concentrated among the S25 and S24 lineups, with the Ultra variants mentioned most frequently, but a range of Galaxy S models appear in the complaints.

One detailed report from a Galaxy S25 Ultra owner lays out a clear example of what many others are seeing. After applying the July 2026 update, their phone’s battery drain increased substantially even though they were using the device less than before. Through investigation, they discovered that WhatsApp was repeatedly getting stuck while attempting to complete a backup process after the OTA installation, and that recurring backup attempts were keeping the app active in the background and draining the battery.

While the WhatsApp backup loop is a recurring theme in a number of posts, it is not confirmed as the sole cause for every affected device. Several users experiencing battery issues have pointed to WhatsApp behavior as a likely culprit, but other reports describe high system or radio usage without mentioning WhatsApp at all. Overheating has been reported alongside the battery drain in many of the same threads, suggesting a background process or system service is staying active and consuming power for prolonged periods.

At this stage Samsung has not officially acknowledged a wider issue tied to the July update. That said, the timing in multiple independent reports strongly suggests a correlation between the One UI 8.5 July OTA and the observed problems. Given the number of users describing similar symptoms, it is reasonable to expect Samsung to investigate and potentially include a fix in an upcoming maintenance update.

For affected users, a few practical steps can help mitigate the issue while awaiting an official patch: check app settings for stuck background processes, temporarily disable automatic backups in apps like WhatsApp, review battery usage statistics to identify misbehaving apps, and reboot the device. Those who prefer a more thorough approach can try clearing an app’s cache or reinstalling problematic apps. If issues persist, contacting Samsung support and submitting diagnostic logs through the official channels will help escalate the problem.

It’s important to note that not all devices running the July 2026 update are affected, and the severity of symptoms varies between users. Some report only modest increases in background activity, while others experience rapid battery depletion and significant thermal increases. This variation could result from differences in installed apps, personalization settings, regional update builds, or device-specific factors.

Until Samsung confirms the root cause and issues a targeted fix, closely monitoring forum threads and official support channels is the best course of action for owners who believe their device is impacted. If a particular app — such as WhatsApp in some reports — is consistently implicated, removing or disabling the app temporarily may offer immediate relief. For users who rely on their device for critical tasks, performing regular backups to an external source and maintaining up-to-date system and app versions can reduce the risk of data loss while troubleshooting continues.

In summary, the July 2026 One UI 8.5 OTA appears to be associated with increased battery drain and occasional overheating on a subset of Samsung Galaxy S24 and S25 devices, particularly Ultra models. Community reports point to background processes — sometimes linked to apps like WhatsApp — that may be looping or failing after the update. Samsung has not yet issued an official statement, but affected users should take basic troubleshooting steps, report problems through official support, and watch for a follow-up update that could resolve the issue.

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