How to use Low Power Mode on iPhone and iPad

Tired of your phone dying on you when you need it most? Luckily, your iPhone has a nifty feature called Low Power Mode. When your battery gets down to 20%, you'll be prompted to activate this mode. It can give you an extra one to three hours before your iPhone kicks the bucket. 

But here's the best part: You can automatically enable Low Power Mode before you reach that critical point to extend your battery life even further. Curious about how it works? Let's find out.

What does Low Power Mode do?

When your iPhone battery is running low, Apple's innovative Low Power Mode comes to the rescue. This feature optimizes your device's settings to conserve battery life and make the most of your remaining charge.

Let's take a look at  what Low Power Mode does on your iPhone/iPad:

• Disables non-critical features: Low Power Mode scans your iPhone's settings and selectively disables or adjusts certain features and settings that are not immediately needed. 

• Slows down background tasks: To conserve power, iPhone Low Power Mode slows or pauses various background tasks and processes that typically consume power. These include email retrieval, background app refreshes, and automatic downloads.

• Adjusts display settings: Low Power Mode reduces display brightness. It also shortens the amount of time before the display automatically turns off when idle, so the display remains active for shorter periods of time.

• Limits connectivity options: This mode also temporarily disables certain connectivity features. For example, it turns off 5G connectivity (except for video streaming) and may also limit other wireless connections.

• Optimizes performance: To further extend battery life, the battery save mode reduces the overall performance of your iPhone's CPU and GPU. 

Overall, Low Power Mode is essential for iPhone users. It extends battery life and comes to the rescue when traveling or in emergencies. It's especially valuable for older iPhone models, optimizing performance even as the battery ages.

Turn on or off Low Power Mode on iPhone and iPad

As mentioned, you can switch on Low Power Mode whenever you want. Let's say it's gonna be a jam-packed day, and you know you won't have access to a charger for a while.

To get Low Power Mode up and running, follow the steps below:

1. On your iPhone, open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down to Battery and tap on it.
3. Turn on the toggle next to Low Power Mode. 

   

While your iPhone is in Low Power Mode, the battery indicator in the status bar turns yellow.

Note that Low Power Mode will automatically turn off when your device is more than 80 percent charged. However, there are times when you may want to turn it off earlier. To disable Low Power Mode, go to Settings > Battery.

Once here, you will see the Low Power Mode setting right at the top. All you have to do is tap it to turn it off.

You can also easily turn off Low Power Mode by just saying to Siri, "Hey, Siri. Turn off Low Power Mode."

Tip: Working on the go? No matter where you're taking your laptop today, your adventure will be a lot more carefree if you don't have to worry about battery life. Try Batteries to help your Mac and iPhone battery last longer so you can enjoy working on the go, doing time-sensitive tasks, researching online, or just consuming content without having to hunt for a charger. Just connect your iPhone to your Mac and track its battery level from the menu bar or Touch Bar. When your iPhone is low on juice, you'll get a notification on your Mac.

How to add Low Power Mode to the Control Center

Starting with iOS 11, you'll be able to toggle Low Power Mode on and off directly from the Control Center, saving you the hassle of navigating through the Settings app every time. Keep in mind, though, that you'll need to add the Low Power Mode toggle to the Control Center yourself.

Here's how to do it:

1. Go to Settings > Control Center.
2. To add the low battery mode toggle, tap the plus sign to the left of Low Power Mode.
3. The Low Power Mode will now move to the Included Controls section.
4. Once added, you can tap, hold, and drag the toggle to position it anywhere in the Control Center you like. 

   

Where is the Control Center on the iPhone?

Swipe down the screen from the right corner of your phone. The Control Center will now have a Low Power Mode shortcut option. 

Quick access Low Power Mode on Home Screen

In iOS 14 and later, you can also add Low Power Mode to your iPhone's Home Screen for quick access using the Shortcuts app. 

To add the Low Power Mode shortcut to the iPhone Home Screen:

1. Go to Shortcuts and tap the + button in the upper right corner.
2. Tap Add Action.
3. In the search bar at the top, type "low power" and choose Set Low Power Mode.
4. Tap the word "Turn" and choose Toggle from the Action menu.
5. Tap the Settings button and choose Add to Home Screen.
6. Give your shortcut a name like Low Power Mode and choose an icon if you like.
7. Tap Add in the upper right corner and tap Done.
8. That's it. A Low Power Mode icon now appears on your iPhone Home Screen.

To enable or disable Low Power Mode, just tap the shortcut icon from the Home Screen.

Enhance your iPhone experience even further 

At its core, Low Power Mode is a powerful feature that helps optimize your iPhone's battery life. It's a built-in lifesaver, but tracking and preserving your battery life can be even more convenient with the Batteries app. Available on Setapp, Batteries lets you effortlessly monitor the battery life of all your devices from your Mac.

Managing your device's storage also plays a big role in its performance. Simplify this task with the CleanMy®Phone app, also on Setapp, which helps you remove duplicates and unnecessary files to free up valuable space on your iPhone.

Together, these apps make your digital life much more manageable and free you from constant battery life checks and storage hiccups. So why not give Batteries and CleanMy®Phone a try today? They are part of the Setapp platform, which includes 240+ other useful Mac, iOS, and web apps. Better yet, you can try Setapp for free and experience these improvements firsthand.