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iPhone 17 Series Ships With iOS 26's Adaptive Power Mode Enabled by Default

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The iPhone Air, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max have the iOS 26 Adaptive Power option enabled by default, Apple said today in a support document that explains the feature.

iOS-26-Adaptive-Power-Notifications.jpg

Adaptive Power is meant to adjust the iPhone's power draw on days when you are using more battery power than normal. It can adjust power draw, lower screen brightness by three percent, and limit background activity. It's also designed to activate Low Power mode when the iPhone's battery drops to 20 percent.

While Adaptive Power is available for the iPhone 17 models, iPhone 16 models, and the iPhone 15 Pro models, it is only turned on automatically on the iPhone 17 models. It is off by default on iPhone 16 models, the iPhone 15 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or any iPhone 16 model and want to opt in to Adaptive Power, you can do so by opening up the Settings app, tapping on Battery, tapping on Power Mode, and then toggling Adaptive Power on.

iPhone 17 users who want to turn Adaptive Power off can do so using the same steps.

Adaptive Power uses on-device intelligence, which is why it is only available on iPhones that support Apple Intelligence. Apple says that it predicts when you need extra battery life based on recent usage patterns, and it adjusts accordingly. Adaptive Power does not interfere with tasks that require maximum performance, like using the camera or playing games in Game Mode.

All of the iPhone 17 models have extended battery life, but the iPhone Air has the lowest battery life of the bunch. It can last for 27 hours when watching videos, but that can be extended to 40 hours with Apple's $99 MagSafe Battery.

Article Link: iPhone 17 Series Ships With iOS 26's Adaptive Power Mode Enabled by Default
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/09/15/iphone-17-adaptive-power/
  • Angry
Reactions: decypher44 and Radeon85
Seems like it just enables low power mode limitations on demand? It would be the same as if you enable low power mode when you know you’re going to be out longer than expected or have an automation to enable it when the screen is off.
 
Three percent? Haha why not like 5% or 10%? I guess they designed it to be as imperceptible as possible, which I suppose is a good thing for something that is enabled by default...
 
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Reactions: Ntombi
Return Zero said:
Three percent? Haha why not like 5% or 10%? I guess they designed it to be as imperceptible as possible, which I suppose is a good thing for something that is enabled by default...
Click to expand...
Looks like this isn't designed to drastically increase battery life. The system records how you use your phone throughout a typical day and how much battery you use, and if you use more battery than usual at the same time of day and the trajectory looks like the battery dies before you usually charge your phone it does these slight adjustments to get you there.
 
There is always a reason why they choose to develop certain features. This one was clearly necessary for the iPhone Air to have a chance to maybe last through the day.
Activating it on every iPhone is just a way for Apple to hide the fact that it is only necessary for the Air.
 
xxray said:
I hope this isn’t the reason for the battery life supposedly increasing this generation.
Click to expand...

Given what's happened to the Watch, increasing from 18 hours to 24 hours even though its the same battery, I wouldn't hold out too much hope
 
so help me if THIS is how they’re achieving those battery estimates….

Sorry i can not for professional and personal reasons nerf my background processing, brightness or anything else. I need 100% iPhone 100% of the time.
 
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Reactions: decypher44
These features never learn correctly for someone with an irregular schedule. And they really screw over someone who may have an event or activity for which they need a full charge and they have to fight the phone in advance to get one, or forget and leave the house insufficiently charged.
 
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Reactions: JDP1970, decypher44 and dustin_
sandman404 said:
I have had enough of these 'optimizations' and creepy tracking. I can manage my own life and don't need an assistant. Since my phone doesn't support the new AI stuff, guess I am safe that way.
Click to expand...
What on earth are you going on about "creepy tracking" and "AI" this has no tracking and has nothing to do with AI.
 
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