What Happens When You Set iPhone to Low Power Mode
Apple’sLow Power Modehas been around for a while, and fast forward toiOS 18, and it’s gotten even smarter at conserving battery life. But is it always worth using, even when your battery is full? In this article, we will dive into how Low Power Mode works, its impact on your iPhone’s performance, and when it makes sense to turn it on or off. Here’s what happens when you enable Low Power Mode on your iPhone.
Table of Contents
What Low Power Mode Does on Your iPhone
You can turn on Low Power Mode fromSettings>Battery>Low Power Modeorfrom Control Center. You’ll see a yellow battery icon when Low Power Mode is turned on.
Here’s what Low Power Mode does when enabled on iPhone:
1. Display
2. Performance
3. Background Activity
4. Other Tweaks
Pro Tip:You may also want to check out other ways toboost your iPhone charging speedfor a more significant difference.
Folks atPhoneBuff ran a battery drain teston an iPhone in Low Power Mode (LPM) versus not in LPM. Based on mixed usage, they found the iPhone in LPM had about 13% battery remaining while the one not in LPM had 1%. That extra 12% at the end is a significant difference.
No, Low Power Mode is not bad for your iPhone. It’s completely safe and designed to conserve battery life by limiting performance, visual effects, background activity, and other connectivity features.
While it doesn’t significantly sacrifice overall performance, you may experience slower app opening times, a slight impact on graphics-intensive games, limited features (such as 5G, background app refresh, and automatic downloads being disabled), choppier animations, and reduced screen legibility under direct sunlight.
Is It Safe to Charge Your iPhone in Low Power Mode
Yes, it is safe to charge your iPhone in Low Power Mode. It reduces active power consumption from background activities and other features, which may slightly increase charging speed and reduce heat generation. Low Power Mode will automatically turn off once your iPhone reaches 80%.
Can/Should You Keep iPhone in Low Power Mode All the Time
Technically, yes. But it’s not advisable because it significantly affects performance. Use it when you need to conserve battery, not as a default setting. However, if you’re traveling or without power and want to extend your battery as long as possible, you’re able to use a shortcut to keep your iPhone in Low Power Mode all the time.
Here’s how you can create a Low Power Mode shortcut:
1.Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone.
2.Tap theAutomationtab at the bottom.
3.Tap theplus (+)icon. Search for and chooseLow Power Modeas the trigger and selectIs Turned Off.
4.TapNextand then selectNew Blank Automation.
5.InSearch Actionsfield, search forSet Low Power Modeand tap on it.
6.Make sure the action is set toTurn On. TapNextand thenDoneto save the automation.
When your iPhone detects that Low Power Mode is off, the shortcut runs automatically to turn the feature back on. So, even when your iPhone automatically disables it after charging above 80%, this shortcut will act as if you turned it on manually, keeping Low Power Mode enabled all the time.
How to Automatically Enable Low Power Mode on Your iPhone
When your iPhone’s battery level drops below 20%, it prompts you to turn on Low Power Mode. Thankfully, you can automate this process using Shortcuts, so your iPhone will automatically turn on Low Power Mode when the battery reaches a specific level (say 20 or 25%).
Here’s how to schedule Low Power Mode based on battery percent:
1.Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone. Tap theAutomationtab at the bottom.
2.Tapplus (+)icon on the top right corner to create a new automation.
3.Search for and addBattery Levelas the trigger.
4.Drag the slider to set the battery level at 20% or 25% (whichever percentage you want Low Power Mode to enable automatically). Ensure you’ve selectedEquals andRun Immediately.
5.Next, chooseSet Low Power Modeas the action. Ensure it’s set toOn.
6.TapDoneto save your automation.
You can alsotrigger Low Power Mode with Focus mode filterson iOS 16 and later.
Extend Your iPhone Battery Life
While Apple doesn’t yet offer “Extreme” or “Ultra Power Saving Mode,” its built-in Low Power Mode significantly extends battery life, potentially by 20-50% based on your usage pattern. Although there are trade-offs in performance and features, the extra hours gained often outweigh the drawbacks, especially when you need that longevity.
Ultimately, Low Power Mode isn’t something you should keep on 24×7. It’s a handy feature when you’re traveling, facing unexpected power outages, or want to stretch your iPhone’s battery a little.
Ritik Singh
With over 7 years of experience in tech, Ritik currently heads content at Techwiser.com. His journey started by sharing knowledge and helping others in online communities. That passion soon turned into a career in tech journalism, backed by a formal education in Electronic Media. He’s held editorial roles at GadgetsToUse and PC-Tablet, and has contributed to popular publications like HowToGeek and TheWindowsClub. With over 2,000 how-tos, reviews, and in-depth guides under his belt, Ritik has helped millions of readers get more out of their tech—from smartphones to smart homes.
