iPad Pro Magic Keyboard reportedly draining battery life: What to do

By Henry T. Casey
published

User complaints say that the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro is taking more battery life than it should

iPad Pro Magic Keyboard
(Image credit: Future)

I love the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard, but new reports are giving us something to watch out for: bad battery life for your iPad Pro. 

This report comes from the iPad Insight blog, which saw the issue pop up when the battery life dropped by 25% after two hours of writing. That's a bit harsh when the same site burned 45% of battery life in 5 straight hours of media consumption using the iPad Pro without a keyboard.

Fortunately, things got better. The site got a second iPad Pro Magic Keyboard, and only saw 6% of its battery life drop after an hour of use. Compared to the previous model, that's showing signs that the original Magic Keyboard could have been a faulty model.

Trying to find a baseline for this, the site tracked iPad Pro battery life with the Smart Keyboard Folio, where it lost 9% of battery life in 2 hours. Comparing that to the original and replacement Magic Keyboard, you can see how a flaw in the original is more likely to be the issue. The Magic Keyboard's backlighting could be taking a little extra juice, compared to the non-backlit Smart Keyboard.

So, if you've noticed that your iPad Pro battery life has dipped after getting the Magic Keyboard, you should reach out to Apple to see if it's still under any warranty. The company doesn't list how long the Magic Keyboard's warranty is, so you'll want to check in with them to find out.

Henry T. Casey
Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.