Apple Working on iOS 6.1 MS Exchange Bug Fix

Apple has tracked down a bug in iOS 6.1 that's causing fast battery drain for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad users that rely on Microsoft Exchange for scheduling. The bug can crop up when users respond to an event change for recurring appointments, and Apple says a fix for the problem is in development.

Apple working on iOS 6.1 Exchange Bug FixApple working on iOS 6.1 Exchange Bug Fix

Apple's support article on the bug states,

When you respond to an exception to a recurring calendar event with a Microsoft Exchange account on a device running iOS 6.1, the device may begin to generate excessive communication with Microsoft Exchange Server. You may notice increased network activity or reduced battery life on the iOS device. This extra network activity will be shown in the logs on Exchange Server and it may lead to the server blocking the iOS device. This can occur with iOS 6.1 and Microsoft Exchange 2010 SP1 or later, or Microsoft Exchange Online (Office365).

The temporary fix for the problem until Apple releases a software update is to avoid responding to recurring schedule exceptions, or to disable and then reenable your Exchange account on your iOS device should you experience rapid battery drain. Here's how:

  • Tap Settings on your iOS device
  • Tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars and then select your Exchange account
  • Set Calendars to Off
  • Wait ten seconds, then set Calendars to On

While Apple's temporary solution to the battery drain bug may be a little inconvenient, it's far less dramatic than Microsoft's solution: Block iOS device access to Exchange servers.