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iPhone 6s false battery reading? Now Apple probes the bug

Apple says it's investigating the cause of incorrect battery percentage readings in the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
Written by Liam Tung, Contributing Writer
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Many iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users reported incorrect battery percentages after they had manually changed the time.

Image: Apple

Apple is looking into why the battery indicator on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus is giving a false reading.

According to a new support document, owners might notice that the battery percentage "doesn't update" if they manually change the time on the device or if they move between different time zones.

"Apple is aware of this issue and is investigating the cause and a solution," the company said.

Apple's advice to resolve the issue is to restart the iPhone and ensure that 'Date and Time' in Settings is configured to 'Set Automatically'.

Some iPhone 6s owners have been struggling with the issue since the models' launch last September, with some users pinning hopes on an earlier software update to fix the problem. Many users reported that the incorrect battery percentage issue surfaced after they had manually changed the time to win points in time-based games.

While the problem dates from before iOS 9.2's release in December, Apple's acknowledgement of the existence of the issue could mean it will be addressed in iOS 9.2.1 or in the larger 9.3 update, both of which are in beta and expected imminently.

If Apple's manual fix doesn't work, the company is encouraging users to contact Apple support.

For iPhone 6s owners, the battery percentage is likely to be a minor annoyance compared with some of the earlier bugs to affect the iPhone 6s since its release.

These bugs included a frustrating flaw that randomly shutdown some devices and another that incorrectly magnified the interface on some apps.

A recent beta of iOS 9.3 suggests Apple will also attempt to address criticisms of its Wi-Fi Assist feature, which automatically switches devices to cellular data when the Wi-Fi signal is weak, causing some users to inadvertently exceed their monthly data allowance. iOS 9.3 will now display how much cellular data has been used by the feature.

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