Some Samsung Galaxy S24 and S25 owners say their battery life has fallen sharply since installing One UI 9, the Android 17-based update Samsung began rolling out to older Galaxy flagships in October 2026. The complaints range from faster overnight drain to phones needing several charges a day, but Samsung has not confirmed a widespread defect, and many owners report no change at all.

What owners report

The most widely cited case involves a Galaxy S24 Ultra owner who reported losing 95 per cent of the battery in about five hours and 20 minutes, with three hours and 15 minutes of screen-on time. Other owners describe similar patterns: a Galaxy S25 owner said the phone now needs charging three or four times a day, and Samsung Community posts describe abnormal drain even when the phone is idle. TechRepublic reports that Samsung contacted the S24 Ultra owner to arrange a service appointment, the only company response on record so far.

How widespread is it

It has not been established whether the reports share a common cause. An Android Authority reader poll of more than 1,500 people found about 54 per cent had no bugs at all after One UI 9, while about 31 per cent reported some kind of issue. The picture is uneven: some owners see steep losses, others see no difference, which points to a case-by-case problem rather than a fault hitting every phone.

What to check first

Samsung's own guidance notes that app and service optimisation after a major update can temporarily raise power use, so early drain may settle on its own. Owners with persistent drain can check battery usage in Settings, run the battery-health check in Samsung Members, and submit an error report there if it continues. No dedicated fix has been announced.