iPad Air M3 has rapid battery drain and overheats near camera.

Hello all,

I recently bought an iPad Air M3 for school, but recently I’ve noticed that my battery dies super quick and the top of my ipad (near the camera, where the apple pencil charges) gets pretty hot, to the point where it’s uncomfortable to write with my palm and air resting on this area. I only use the iPad for my notes app, Notability, and my school’s Canvas app. When I use the notability app, my iPad’s battery drops nearly 1 percent every 2 minutes and it’s starting to get genuinely concerning. Losing 44 percent over an 80 minute class and 30 percent over a 50 minute class is just absurd, especially when my friends (who have the iPad Air M4s) only drop about 14 and 7 percent in the same class periods as me. I’ve even noticed that my iPad loses over 10 percent overnight while idle, another reason of my concern. Is my iPad thermal throttling itself or something? I suspect something must be wrong with the battery.

I’ve already disabled background app refresh, turned on Notability’s safe mode, and turned off all notifications. If anyone knows what’s going on or has a solution to suggest, please lmk! My iPad still has its limited warranty so if I do need to send it in for a repair or something I’ll gladly send it in. Thanks guys!

Posted on Oct 23, 2026 8:43 PM

1 reply

LotusPilot

Level 10 (334,506 points)

Oct 24, 2026 5:02 AM in response to notchrisn

Your iPad should not be uncomfortably hot to hold. Excessive localised heating with unusually high battery drain suggests a possible software or hardware issue.

Ensure that your iPad has been updated to the most recent version of iPadOS. At the time of writing, iPadOS 26.7.1 and 27.0.1 are current.

If your iPad Air is not operating as expected, try a forced-restart - as this will often clear an isolated or post-update software issue:

Force restart iPad (models with Face ID or with Touch ID in the top button)

If your iPad doesn’t have the Home button, do the following:

Press and quickly release the volume button nearest to the top button.
Press and quickly release the volume button farthest from the top button.
Press and hold the top button.
When the Apple logo appears, release the top button.

If the problem persists after performing the restart, it may be necessary to reset your iPad settings. While this reset will not cause any loss of data, as a precaution, it is always wise to ensure that you have a current iCloud or iTunes backup before performing the reset:

How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - Apple Support

When you are happy to proceed, you can perform the reset from iPad settings:

Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad > Reset > Reset All Settings

If the problem still doesn’t clear, the next step is to reset the iPad to factory settings:

Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings - Apple Support

Otherwise, you would be best advised to seek assistance directly from Apple Support. You can contact the Support Team using the Support link at top-right or bottom-left of this page. Alternatively you can initiate and manage your support cases from Apple devices using the excellent Apple Support App. If not already installed, the App can be downloaded from the App Store:

https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-support/id1130498044

You might also visit the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store or Apple Authorised Service Provider (AASP) - where the technicians will be able to test and assess your iPad - and you can explore your available options:

Genius Bar Reservation and Apple Support Options - Apple