iOS 26 Brings AI-Powered Adaptive Power Feature to Extend iPhone Battery Life
Apple’s next iPhone launch is just around the corner, and with it comes the official release of iOS 26. While features like Liquid Glass took center stage at this year’s WWDC, iOS 26 includes several lesser-known enhancements worth exploring. One standout is Adaptive Power, an AI-powered feature designed to intelligently extend your iPhone’s battery life during demanding tasks.
Until now, iPhone users looking to save battery had to rely on manual options like reducing screen brightness, disabling the Always-On Display, or activating Low Power Mode. But Adaptive Power takes a smarter approach.
Instead of running all the time, Adaptive Power activates automatically when the system detects high battery drain—such as during video recording, photo editing, or intensive gaming. When triggered, it makes subtle performance adjustments to help your battery last longer.
Apple describes the feature this way:
“When your battery usage is higher than usual, iPhone can make small performance adjustments to extend your battery life, including slightly lowering the display brightness or allowing some activities to take a little longer. Low Power Mode may turn on at 20%.”
How to Enable Adaptive Power in iOS 26
Adaptive Power is not turned on by default. To enable it, follow these steps:
- Make sure you’re running the iOS 26 Developer or Public Beta.
- Go to Settings > Battery > Power Mode.
- Look for a new Adaptive Power option above Low Power Mode.
- Toggle it on to activate intelligent battery optimization.
Device Compatibility: Which iPhones Support Adaptive Power?
Although Apple hasn’t officially labeled Adaptive Power as part of its “Apple Intelligence” suite, user reports suggest that the feature is only available on devices that support Apple Intelligence. In other words, older iPhones don’t have access to it.
Currently, Adaptive Power appears to be limited to the following models:
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 17 series
If you’re using an older model, you likely won’t see the Adaptive Power option under Battery settings.
