YOUR iPhone has a brainy new trick that unlocks bonus battery life when you need it most.
It’s a new iPhone feature that’s only been out for just over a week.
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The trick is called Adaptive Power, and it was added with last Monday, September 14’s iOS 26 update.
And it’s also available on the new lot of iPhone 17 smartphone models that Apple released in stores on Friday, September 19.
Once it’s turned on, Adaptive Power will analyse how you’re using device.
And it’ll then make predictions based on whether you’ll need more battery life that day.
“With Adaptive Power, your iPhone can automatically extend battery life on days when you’re using more power than usual,” Apple explained.
“Adaptive Power can predict when you’ll need extra battery, and then make performance adjustments to help your battery last longer.”
Apple says that the feature will even turn Low Power Mode on automatically when your battery drops to 20%.
Low Power Mode is an iOS feature that was already available on iPhone models that reduces or disables certain settings or features.
That includes “Mail fetch, Hey Siri, Background App Refresh, and some visual effects”, according to Apple.
There is a big catch: this feature is only available on certain iPhone models.
And for most of them, you’ll have to turn it on manually.
It’s already on by default on the following new gadgets:
But if you have one of the following devices, you’ll need to turn it on yourself:
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
If you have an even older iPhone, you won’t be able to access this feature, even if you’ve upgraded to iOS 26.
It’s also worth noting that Adaptive Power needs at least seven days to learn your charging habits.
So the feature won’t kick in until after that initial period.
HOW DOES ADAPTIVE POWER MODE WORK?
Here’s the official explanation from Apple…
“Adaptive Power helps extend your iPhone’s battery life when you use it more,” Apple explained.
“It works automatically in the background, so you don’t have to manage it.
“Adaptive Power uses on-device intelligence to predict when you’ll need extra battery life based on your recent usage patterns and then adjusts as needed to help your battery last longer that day.
“Adaptive Power doesn’t manage performance while you use features that require maximum performance, such as when using camera or playing games with Game Mode.”
To turn Adaptive Power on, just go into Settings > Battery > Power Mode.
Then simply toggle the Adaptive Power feature on.
You can also choose to get notifications when Adaptive Power has turned on during the day.
To get them, go into Settings > Battery > Power Mode and then activate Adaptive Power Notifications.
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If you find the notifications annoying, you can turn them off without switching Adaptive Power mode off entirely.
BAD BATTERY LIFE?
If you’ve recently bought a new phone or updated your mobile and your battery life is a bit rubbish, that’s no surprise.
When you buy a new iPhone, it spends a few days downloading and restoring content, and indexing all of your files.
And it’s a similar story after an iOS update – your iPhone is reorganising itself.
You’ll also find that you’re updating more apps than usual (with a battery life toll) as developers upgrade their software for the new system.
“If you notice that your battery life has decreased after updating your device, wait a few days and then check again,” Apple explains.
“Even though you can use your device immediately after an update, certain tasks related to the update continue in the background and might affect battery life and thermal performance.”
So it should sort itself out after a few days – don’t panic.
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