Apple’s iOS 26 introduces a new Adaptive Power Mode aimed at extending iPhone battery life without the blunt trade-offs of Low Power Mode. Instead of waiting for your battery to hit 20%, this setting kicks in when your usage is heavier than usual. It quietly lowers screen brightness and lets some tasks take a bit longer to conserve energy, helping your phone last longer between charges.
This feature isn’t just a rebrand of Low Power Mode. It uses on-device AI to make real-time adjustments based on how you’re using your phone. That means less aggressive throttling and more subtle power savings. You’ll still find the setting in the same place, under Battery > Power Mode in the Settings app, but Adaptive Power needs to be turned on manually.
Because Adaptive Power relies on Apple Intelligence, it’s only available on iPhones that support the AI system. That includes the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, plus iPhone 16 models: 16e, 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max. If you have an older device like the iPhone 14 Pro or anything earlier, the option won’t appear even if you’re running iOS 26.
Apple is likely rolling this out with future hardware in mind. The rumored iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ultra-thin with a much smaller battery, possibly just 2,800mAh. That’s well below what competitors like Samsung are offering. Adaptive Power could be a key part of making that design feasible, especially with reports that Apple plans to use a new silicon-carbon battery to boost density by around 15%.
This isn’t Apple’s first step into smart power management. Android users have had similar features for years, like Adaptive Battery, which learns which apps you use the least and limits their background activity. Apple’s implementation, however, feels more integrated. It builds on ideas introduced in features like Gaming Mode, which reallocates resources to the frontmost app for better performance.
Adaptive Power is available in the current iOS 26 developer beta and will likely be refined ahead of the public release later this year. If you’re using a supported device, you can turn it on now and start seeing the effects. While it won’t be active all the time, it could make a noticeable difference during power-hungry tasks like video editing, gaming, or long photo sessions.
