Microsoft Authenticator High Background Usage iOS

Question

Microsoft Authenticator High Background Usage iOS

Scott 196

The background app usage in the iOS Battery Report is equivalent to the number of hours in a day. The app is always running, every moment of everyday, and having a small but negative impact on battery life. The app is deployed via Intune. Uninstalling and reinstalling has no noticeable effect. The Microsoft Defender app for iOS exhibited the same behaviour and was shortly deleted, however, Authenticator is a required app so I am unable to just delete it to resolve the issue.

james bengel 35 Reputation points

2023-04-19T21:54:08.3766667+00:00

I have the same problem, but it's more recent. Over the last 24 hours, Authenticator accounted for 58% of all battery usage. over the lats 10 days, it accounted for 30% -- compared to 23% for Mail and 20% for Safari. For what this app does, there's no conceivable way it should use this much battery power. The is an iPhone SE 3rd Gen that I've only had since November, and that has a 100% battery health rating. Even FindMy doesn't burn this much battery.
Zach Dryman 15 Reputation points

2023-04-21T14:01:42.02+00:00

Same here. iPhone gets hot and battery drains very quickly while Authenticator is open or running in background. PLEASE FIX!
Bharath Gopal 0 Reputation points

2023-04-26T03:30:08.7333333+00:00

I see the same behaviour as the others here, with my iphone too. While the authenticator app is open, especially when it opens the camera to scan a QR code, the iphone becomes very hot and it drains battery pretty quickly after that. More specifically, this is on an iphone 14 pro, hoping that this helps with the analysis of this problem.
Chris Lanham 0 Reputation points

2023-04-26T10:24:38.14+00:00

Same here - 18% battery usage in last 24 hours and the biggest consumer of battery despite barely being open/ used. This is compared to things like Teams and Outlook which are more heavily used but are well below this app battery wise.
Harri Suhonen 0 Reputation points

2023-04-28T07:31:26.77+00:00

Same issue here, the iPhone gets very hot very quickly if you leave the app open. Drains the battery fast if you're not careful. I wouldn't use this app but would definitely change to a different one if using it was required by the employer.
Steve 0 Reputation points

2023-05-02T06:19:13.11+00:00
had this issue for the last few iOS updates.

As soon as MS authenticator is the active app, battery drain and phone gets hot. (must be a CPU thing)

As soon as force close app or the MS app is not left active on the screen, heat dissipates.

looks like its not going away anytime soon. Hopefully MS or Apple work out whats going on...

i don't have this issue with any other authenticator app.
Clif Mayfield 5 Reputation points

2023-05-03T03:51:04.66+00:00

I am having the same issue on an iPhone 13 Pro. Unfortunately, I am forced to use this due to work requirements.
Nafeez Ahamed 0 Reputation points

2023-05-06T07:42:31.69+00:00

I have the same issue. mobile get so hot and battery drains so quickly. please fix
John Hunley 5 Reputation points

2023-05-08T21:32:26.9233333+00:00

iPhone 14 pro user here, I opened authenticator for 2 minutes to log into my work applications at 8 AM and promptly navigated away from the app (backgrounded). By 10:30 AM, my battery had drained a whole 25% with "Authenticator" reporting the #1 power usage. Something is seriously wrong with this application, with how it stresses the device like you're running an intensive 3D graphics program. I shouldn't have to remember to kill the process every time I'm done logging into anything.
Andre Uys 0 Reputation points

2023-05-09T02:07:14.0333333+00:00

Same here. Today app was open for 1:03 and used 64% of my battery!

I usually close the app each time but today was just one of those days where I use 2FA constantly

Reported this several times but no improvement.
David Barrows 0 Reputation points

2023-05-10T15:09:25.8966667+00:00

I have an iPhone 13 mini - same problem. If the Authenticator app is running and the iPhone is not at the lock screen, the iPhone overheats tremendously and battery is drained heavily
Bipul Debnath 0 Reputation points

2023-05-10T17:16:38.7733333+00:00

getting to hot
BalaShankar D 0 Reputation points

2023-05-11T05:14:58.4366667+00:00

I am having the same issue on my iPhone14. Its really hot while using MS authenticator app. Please share a fix ASAP.
RH @ IGT 0 Reputation points

2023-05-15T18:50:45.9733333+00:00

Same issue, rapid battery drain, from 100% to below 50% in an hour if the app isn't closed after use. Fix this so it stops cooking my battery! (iPhone 13 iOS v.16.4.1(a))
Glenn Mafodda 5 Reputation points

2023-05-19T07:11:09.38+00:00

As per all others here, if Microsoft Authenticator app has focus, it will drain the battery rapidly and heat the phone up considerably. Perhaps Microsoft will compensate us for the damage this is causing to our iPhone batteries? There has been numerous app updates but no fix to this issue.
Joe 0 Reputation points

2023-06-08T18:11:59.52+00:00

Same here. App consumes CPU usage and drains the battery if active.
Dave 0 Reputation points

2023-06-08T23:38:51.62+00:00

Same issue!
dsmit 0 Reputation points

2023-06-19T16:09:19.04+00:00

MS Authenticator is making my phone too hot to hold! Nearly 50% of my battery drained in 2 hours while my phone was locked and not being used.

This is dangerous, Microsoft!
Justin Short 5 Reputation points

2023-06-22T10:32:37.7066667+00:00

I've just discovered the same problem. On the one hand it's good to know it's an issue that's specific to the app and not a problem with the phone I've just bought...but on the other hand it's pretty alarming given that I need to use this app quite regularly.

2 answers

Your answer

james bengel 35 Reputation points

2023-04-19T21:54:08.3766667+00:00

I have the same problem, but it's more recent. Over the last 24 hours, Authenticator accounted for 58% of all battery usage. over the lats 10 days, it accounted for 30% -- compared to 23% for Mail and 20% for Safari. For what this app does, there's no conceivable way it should use this much battery power. The is an iPhone SE 3rd Gen that I've only had since November, and that has a 100% battery health rating. Even FindMy doesn't burn this much battery.
Zach Dryman 15 Reputation points

2023-04-21T14:01:42.02+00:00

Same here. iPhone gets hot and battery drains very quickly while Authenticator is open or running in background. PLEASE FIX!
Bharath Gopal 0 Reputation points

2023-04-26T03:30:08.7333333+00:00

I see the same behaviour as the others here, with my iphone too. While the authenticator app is open, especially when it opens the camera to scan a QR code, the iphone becomes very hot and it drains battery pretty quickly after that. More specifically, this is on an iphone 14 pro, hoping that this helps with the analysis of this problem.
Chris Lanham 0 Reputation points

2023-04-26T10:24:38.14+00:00

Same here - 18% battery usage in last 24 hours and the biggest consumer of battery despite barely being open/ used. This is compared to things like Teams and Outlook which are more heavily used but are well below this app battery wise.
Harri Suhonen 0 Reputation points

2023-04-28T07:31:26.77+00:00

Same issue here, the iPhone gets very hot very quickly if you leave the app open. Drains the battery fast if you're not careful. I wouldn't use this app but would definitely change to a different one if using it was required by the employer.
Steve 0 Reputation points

2023-05-02T06:19:13.11+00:00

had this issue for the last few iOS updates.

As soon as MS authenticator is the active app, battery drain and phone gets hot. (must be a CPU thing)

As soon as force close app or the MS app is not left active on the screen, heat dissipates.

looks like its not going away anytime soon. Hopefully MS or Apple work out whats going on...

i don't have this issue with any other authenticator app.
Clif Mayfield 5 Reputation points

2023-05-03T03:51:04.66+00:00

I am having the same issue on an iPhone 13 Pro. Unfortunately, I am forced to use this due to work requirements.
Nafeez Ahamed 0 Reputation points

2023-05-06T07:42:31.69+00:00

I have the same issue. mobile get so hot and battery drains so quickly. please fix
John Hunley 5 Reputation points

2023-05-08T21:32:26.9233333+00:00

iPhone 14 pro user here, I opened authenticator for 2 minutes to log into my work applications at 8 AM and promptly navigated away from the app (backgrounded). By 10:30 AM, my battery had drained a whole 25% with "Authenticator" reporting the #1 power usage. Something is seriously wrong with this application, with how it stresses the device like you're running an intensive 3D graphics program. I shouldn't have to remember to kill the process every time I'm done logging into anything.
Andre Uys 0 Reputation points

2023-05-09T02:07:14.0333333+00:00

Same here. Today app was open for 1:03 and used 64% of my battery!

I usually close the app each time but today was just one of those days where I use 2FA constantly

Reported this several times but no improvement.
David Barrows 0 Reputation points

2023-05-10T15:09:25.8966667+00:00

I have an iPhone 13 mini - same problem. If the Authenticator app is running and the iPhone is not at the lock screen, the iPhone overheats tremendously and battery is drained heavily
Bipul Debnath 0 Reputation points

2023-05-10T17:16:38.7733333+00:00

getting to hot
BalaShankar D 0 Reputation points

2023-05-11T05:14:58.4366667+00:00

I am having the same issue on my iPhone14. Its really hot while using MS authenticator app. Please share a fix ASAP.
RH @ IGT 0 Reputation points

2023-05-15T18:50:45.9733333+00:00

Same issue, rapid battery drain, from 100% to below 50% in an hour if the app isn't closed after use. Fix this so it stops cooking my battery! (iPhone 13 iOS v.16.4.1(a))
Glenn Mafodda 5 Reputation points

2023-05-19T07:11:09.38+00:00

As per all others here, if Microsoft Authenticator app has focus, it will drain the battery rapidly and heat the phone up considerably. Perhaps Microsoft will compensate us for the damage this is causing to our iPhone batteries? There has been numerous app updates but no fix to this issue.
Joe 0 Reputation points

2023-06-08T18:11:59.52+00:00

Same here. App consumes CPU usage and drains the battery if active.
Dave 0 Reputation points

2023-06-08T23:38:51.62+00:00

Same issue!
dsmit 0 Reputation points

2023-06-19T16:09:19.04+00:00

MS Authenticator is making my phone too hot to hold! Nearly 50% of my battery drained in 2 hours while my phone was locked and not being used.

This is dangerous, Microsoft!
Justin Short 5 Reputation points

2023-06-22T10:32:37.7066667+00:00

I've just discovered the same problem. On the one hand it's good to know it's an issue that's specific to the app and not a problem with the phone I've just bought...but on the other hand it's pretty alarming given that I need to use this app quite regularly.

Answer 1

Syrion 0

Same here, Microsoft Authenticator is reportedly draining the battery though it is set to not execute in background!! What is this hack ??

John Hunley 5 Reputation points

2023-05-08T21:34:20.88+00:00

I believe this was meant to be a comment, not an answer?
Glenn Mafodda 5 Reputation points

2023-07-11T05:44:12.9633333+00:00

Hi all, this issue seems to be resolved with the latest update to the app which is version 6.7.12

Answer 2

Glenn Mafodda 5

Hi all, this issue seems to be resolved with the latest update to the app which is version 6.7.12

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Microsoft Authenticator High Background Usage iOS

2 answers

Your answer