Adaptive Power is a new iOS 26 feature designed to quietly extend iPhone battery life on days when you’re using more power than usual. It runs on-device, learns your recent patterns, and makes small, targeted adjustments so your phone lasts longer that day without you having to babysit settings.

What changes when Adaptive Power kicks in

When the system determines you’re trending toward a faster drain, it can apply a handful of gentle tweaks:

  • Make small performance adjustments.
  • Reduce display brightness by 3%.
  • Limit some background activity.
  • Automatically turn on Low Power Mode at 20% battery.

Apple also sets clear boundaries: Adaptive Power won’t manage performance while you’re doing things that demand peak responsiveness, like using the camera or playing games with Game Mode enabled.

Note: Adaptive Power needs at least seven days to learn your charging habits, so it won’t engage before it has a baseline.

Who gets it, and what’s on by default

Adaptive Power is available on iPhone 15 Pro and later. Default behavior varies by model:

  • Enabled by default: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air.
  • Available but off by default: iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 16e, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max.

If you’re on a supported iPhone and don’t see changes immediately, remember the feature’s learning period; it won’t intervene until it has at least a week of typical usage to reference.

How to turn it on (or off) – Adaptive Power

You can control Adaptive Power from the same screen as Low Power Mode:

Settings > Battery > Power Mode

Toggle Adaptive Power on or off as needed. If you’d like to know when the system steps in, enable “Adaptive Power Notifications” on the same screen. Turning notifications off doesn’t disable the feature—it will continue working silently in the background.

Adaptive Power vs. Low Power Mode

Think of Adaptive Power as a scalpel and Low Power Mode as a switch. Adaptive Power applies small, context-aware trims you’re unlikely to notice in the moment; Low Power Mode applies broader restrictions to conserve energy. The two can work together: if you hit 20% battery while Adaptive Power is active, the system will switch on Low Power Mode for you.

When you might want it off

Adaptive Power is intentionally subtle. Still, there are cases where you may prefer to disable it:

  • You always want maximum brightness and performance, regardless of battery impact.
  • You need fully predictable behavior (for example, testing or benchmarking).
  • You’re already managing power manually and don’t want automation.

If any of these sound familiar, leave Adaptive Power off and use Low Power Mode on your own terms.

Why it matters

Daily battery anxiety usually comes from unexpected spikes: long navigation sessions, an all-day photo shoot, a heavy travel day. Adaptive Power targets those outliers. By shaving a little brightness here and easing background activity there—while staying out of the way during high-performance moments—it can buy you meaningful time without the side effects of a constant, heavy-handed power mode.

If you’re on a supported iPhone, start with the default your model ships with, then revisit after a week or two of use. You can always adjust the setting in the Battery menu or fine-tune visibility with notifications. For details and model-by-model defaults, see Apple’s support article.