What Does Low Power Mode Really Do on Your iPhone?

You’ve probably noticed a notification pop up on your iPhone along with the red battery icon in the corner of the screen. The invitation to turn on low-power mode might make you realize it’s time to hunt for the charger, but what does it actually do, and how does it work? 

If you’re wondering whether to accept that invite and when it’s best to do so, it’s crucial to understand how using your iPhone might change.

Key Takeaways

• Low Power Mode kicks in automatically at 20% and 10% battery, and turns off once you hit 80%.

• It pauses background refresh, dims the screen, drops the refresh rate to 60Hz, and can cut CPU performance by up to 40%.

• Expect roughly 30-40% more battery life, at the cost of slower app updates and a less smooth scroll.

• Save it for when you actually need it: a dead charger, a long shift, or an emergency.

What Is Low Power Mode on iPhone?

As the name suggests, Low Power Mode is an iPhone feature that reduces the quantity of power that your iPhone uses. This is a great feature if you want to extend the life of your battery when you hit that dreaded 20% red battery mark. 

Low Power Mode extends the life of your iPhone’s battery by adjusting many different features on the device; some features are reduced while others are turned off temporarily. 

Although this might make your iPhone more inconvenient to use, it’s a vital feature that keeps your iPhone running for longer, which is essential in a variety of different circumstances.

If you choose to reject the prompt, you might have noticed that it invites you to use the Low Power Mode again once it hits 10%. If you accept, you’ll know it’s worked because your battery icon will go from red to yellow. 

While most people will only use Low Power Mode when invited to, you can manually keep Low Power Mode on all the time should you wish. Some people might opt to do this if they want to tackle the risks of too much screen time, while others want to conserve the performance of their battery for as long as possible. 

What Low Power Mode Actually Turns Off or Reduces

Background App Refresh

When your iPhone is in its normal mode, apps running in the background will refresh: updating content, collecting new data, or downloading updates. With Low Power Mode, this feature is turned off. For example, automatic downloads will stop, and new emails aren’t “pushed” through. 

Instead, you have to manually enter the app and refresh to “fetch” any new emails. Likewise, the use of iCloud Photos also turns off because syncing and uploading photos to the Cloud is paused under the Low Power Mode.

Displays and Brightness

In terms of aesthetics, in Low Power Mode, you’ll notice that your screen’s brightness is significantly dimmed. After all, a brighter screen requires more power, so with the screen dimmed, more power can be saved. For the same reason, this is why there is a quicker automatic lock on the screen; should you forget to lock your screen quickly, then your iPhone will do it for you, usually within 30 seconds. 

Likewise, the display is reduced to 60Hz instead of the iPhone’s usual 120Hz ProMotion, which means that the iPhone reduces the number of times the screen updates per second. Another reduction also comes through animations. 

Low Power Mode will limit certain parallax effects on wallpapers, which are the 3D illusions that make backgrounds seem more exciting and interactive. This is because these effects (amongst others) consume more GPU power (the power consumed by graphics) than when in Low Power Mode. 

CPU Performance

CPU performance is how quickly your iPhone's processor can carry out tasks, shaped by things like clock speed, core count, and cache size. Low Power Mode throttles clock speed and limits how many cores kick in at once, so the chip runs cooler and uses less energy. That trade-off can cut overall CPU performance by up to 40%.

5G

One of the most important considerations to think about when choosing Low Power Mode is that it will reduce or disable your ability to use 5G. This differentiation will depend on what iPhone model you have. For example, the iPhone 12 disables it completely, while the iPhone 14 reduces it. 

Does Low Power Mode Slow Down Your iPhone?

In short, to reduce power usage, your iPhone needs to reduce the speed at which it can do certain tasks. For example, automatic downloads and updates are paused, so when you enter these apps, they might feel like they need to catch up and cause slight delays. 

Equally, with the displays moving from 120Hz to 60Hz, there could be a slight lag resulting in less smooth scrolling and animation features.

How Much Battery Does Low Power Mode Actually Save?

With the general CPU performance reduced by approximately 40%, the battery life saved is also between 30–40%. Of course, the amount of extra time you can use your iPhone depends on how long you use Low Battery Mode. If you only use Low Battery Mode for a handful of minutes, you won’t feel the effect.

While you might wonder if your iPhone will charge quicker on LPM or charge faster when off, it’s better to use this setting only when necessary, due to the reduction in performance. 

When Should You Use Low Power Mode?

1. Away From a Charger: Sometimes life happens, and you forget your charger, or maybe you go camping and forget to take a battery pack. If you’re away from a charger, accepting the invite for Low Power Mode is a great solution to prolonging your iPhone’s life. 

2. Poor Battery Health: Checking your iPhone battery health is important; if your iPhone has poor battery health, using Low Power Mode can significantly help manage the battery life so you aren’t losing battery too quickly. 

3. During Important Tasks: If you’re in an important call or meeting, Low Power Mode can prevent you from losing battery before you’ve completed your tasks. 

4. In an Emergency: Power outages are becoming more frequent and can be extremely dangerous. Should you find yourself in one or another emergency, moving your iPhone into Low Power Mode could help you preserve battery life in vital moments.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Turn Low Power Mode On or Off?

When your iPhone reaches 20%, you'll get an invite to turn on Low Power Mode, and then again at 10%. Simply accept the invite, and the mode is activated. You can also manually turn on or off Low Power Mode in your settings. Low Power Mode will turn itself back off once your iPhone reaches 80% or more.

What Are the Cons of Low Power Mode?

Low Power Mode saves battery life, but the cost of this is slightly altered performance and a slower functioning iPhone. Your iPhone won’t automatically update in the same way, and some features will be reduced or disabled, which some users will find affects their experience of using their device.

Is It Safe to Keep Low Power Mode On All the Time?

Choosing to manually keep Low Power Mode (LPM) on all the time will affect your iPhone’s performance and general usage; however, it isn’t going to damage your iPhone. It’s considered best to only use Low Power Mode when needed.

Final Thoughts

Low Power Mode is an incredibly useful tool when you need to extend your battery life. While it isn't advisable to use Low Power Mode all the time, as it alters your iPhone's performance, there's no harm in using it when you need it. 

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