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

[MacRumors]

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.

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

 

[segfaultdotorg]

Yet another case of Apple intentionally crippling older iPhones. SAD!

 

[jz0309]

good to know, thanks for posting. Hope to remember to turn it off when I get my 17PM this Friday.
All this battery craze nonsense ...

 

[jz0309]

Yet another case of Apple intentionally crippling older iPhones. SAD!

my 13PM is actually doing quite good without any "help", always charging to 100% ...

 

[jdavid_rp]

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.

 

[Return Zero]

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...

 

[sandman404]

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.

 

[Paddle1]

I wonder if Apple's new battery estimates assume Adaptive Power is enabled? That would explain why some phones like iPhone Air seem to have longer than expected battery life.

 

[CATiNTHESTORE]

this is so ironic 😏

 

[Astuces iOS]

Chicken jockey? You can do this with shortcuts on any iPhone !

 

[scrapesleon]

So they throttling the phone already what has this company become

 

[CATiNTHESTORE]

Look at refresh rate, maybe by default it is a 60 Hz too 🤣

 

[tomtad]

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.

Unfortunately the iPhone Air needs it

 

[xxray]

I hope this isn’t the reason for the battery life supposedly increasing this generation.

 

[Moukee]

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...

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.

 

[East India Company]

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.

 

[Radeon85]

This should never be enabled by default.

 

[tomtad]

I hope this isn’t the reason for the battery life supposedly increasing this generation.

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

 

[tomtad]

This should never be enabled by default.

This is how Apple is achieving the battery life on the iPhone Air and increases on the regular and Pro. If it wasn't enabled by default they wouldn't be able to claim the battery times they are claiming

 

[idahoidahoidaho]

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.

 

[Devnul0]

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.

 

[sziehr]

So this is how they are trying to save the os from the crummy battery hungry Liquid Glass.

 

[dannys1]

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.

What on earth are you going on about "creepy tracking" and "AI" this has no tracking and has nothing to do with AI.

 

[MrGunny94]

Hmmm, is that how they get full day battery life in the Air? Lol

 

[ss2cire]

I wonder how much space this takes up on your phone? How many days does it keep the information for?