iOS 26 Introduces Adaptive Power: AI-Driven Battery Optimization for iPhones

Looking for More iPhone Battery Life? Adaptive Power in iOS 26 Should Provide a Boost

People who have installed the latest iOS 26 public beta or developer beta are discovering a simple switch that just might deliver long-term iPhone benefits -- and it's an Apple Intelligence feature of all things. Adaptive Power is an unobtrusive feature tucked a couple of layers deep into the Battery settings that uses AI to extend battery life when usage is higher than normal. See also: Adaptive Power in iOS 26 Could Save the iPhone 17 Air From This Major Pitfall Currently, the iPhone uses as much power as it needs to perform its tasks. You can extend the battery life by doing a number of things, such as decreasing screen brightness and turning off the always-on display. Or, if your battery level is starting to get dire, you can activate Low Power Mode, which reduces background activity like fetching mail and downloading data in addition to those screen adjustments. Low Power Mode also kicks in automatically when the battery level reaches 20%. If Low Power Mode is the hammer that knocks down power consumption, Adaptive Power is the scalpel that intelligently trims energy savings here and there as needed. Based on Apple's description that accompanies the control, the savings will be felt mostly in power-hungry situations such as recording videos, editing photos or perhaps even playing games: "When your battery usage is higher than usual, iPhone can make small performance adjustments to extend your battery life, including slightly lowering the display brightness or allowing some activities to take a little longer. Low Power Mode may turn on at 20%." Adaptive Power is not on by default, and you must opt in to use it. In iOS 26, you'll find the Adaptive Power toggle in Settings > Battery > Power Mode. Since Adaptive Power appears to use AI to decide which settings and processes to adjust, the feature appears to be available only on iPhone models that support Apple Intelligence, which include the iPhone 15 Pro and later. A Reddit thread about Adaptive Power suggests this is the case, with commenters noting it doesn't show up in iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro models with the beta installed. Adaptive Power sounds like an outgrowth of Gaming Mode, introduced in iOS 18, which routes all available processing and graphics power to the frontmost app and pauses other processes in order to deliver the best experience possible -- at the notable expense of battery life. Although we all want as much battery life as possible all the time, judging by the description it sounds as if Adaptive Power's optimizations will not always be active, even if you leave the feature on. "When your battery usage is higher than usual" could include a limited number of situations. Still, considering that according to a CNET survey 61% of people upgrade their phones because of battery life, a feature such as Adaptive Power could extend the longevity of their phones just by updating to iOS 26. I also wonder whether slightly adjusting display brightness could be disruptive. But because the feature is also selectively de-prioritizing processing tasks, it suggests that the outward effects will be minimal. We'll know more about how well Adaptive Power works as the iOS 26 beta program nears the expected release date in September or October -- battery optimizations are often the last tweaks to be made to operating systems in development just before shipping. If you want to start giving iOS 26 a spin, you can download the first public beta now. Just remember that beta software carries risks, especially these first iterations that have recently been set loose from Apple's labs.

Your iPhone battery can last longer with this new iOS 26 feature - 9to5Mac

Battery life is easily one of the iPhone's most important features. Whether you're planning to buy the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, the battery beast iPhone 17 Pro Max, or hold on to your current model, iOS 26 has a new feature coming that can make your iPhone's battery last longer: Adaptive Power. If your iPhone battery is getting low, iOS has long offered Low Power Mode as a helpful tool. While I've heard of some users keeping Low Power Mode on all the time, that's a pretty extreme option to stretch your iPhone's battery life. iOS 26 has a much more moderate solution. Adaptive Power is a brand new battery setting that can ensure your iPhone lasts longer -- particularly on the high-usage days. You can find it inside the Settings app's Battery menu under 'Power Mode.' Unlike Low Power Mode, which deactivates lots of features and noticeably degrades your experience, Adaptive Power is all about making small battery gains with minimal impact on performance. Here's how Apple describes it: When your battery usage is higher than usual, iPhone can make small performance adjustments to extend your battery life, including slightly lowering the display brightness or allowing some activities to take a little longer. Low Power Mode may turn on at 20%. Essentially, on a "normal use" day, your iPhone battery won't necessarily be extended much -- if at all. But when you're using your iPhone more than usual, Adaptive Power will kick in and make minor adjustments to help stretch your battery longer. Note: even though Apple doesn't market Adaptive Power as an AI feature, users running the iOS 26 beta have found that it's only available on Apple Intelligence-supported devices. That means you'll need an iPhone 16-class model or newer, or an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max. Have you been using Adaptive Power in the iOS 26 beta? How's it been working for you? Let us know in the comments.