What Low Power Mode actually does on iPhone (and is it safe to leave on?)

How to turn it on

• Go to Settings › Battery and turn on Low Power Mode.
• Or add the Low Power Mode button to Control Center for one-tap access.
• iOS also offers to turn it on when the battery drops to 20%.

What it changes

• Mail fetch: new email is not checked automatically in the background.
• Background App Refresh: apps stop updating their content while you are not using them.
• Automatic downloads and updates: app updates and downloads wait until you turn Low Power Mode off.
• iCloud Photos: uploading and syncing photos is paused.
• Auto-Lock: the screen locks after 30 seconds.
• Display: on models with ProMotion, the refresh rate is limited to 60 Hz, and some animations are reduced.
• 5G: on 5G models, cellular data uses 5G less often, except for tasks such as streaming large videos.
• Performance: the processor may run a little slower during heavy tasks such as games.

When to use it

• When you are far from a charger and need the battery to last.
• On travel days, when you are using maps and your camera heavily.
• When your battery is worn and struggles to get through the day.

If you find yourself using Low Power Mode every day just to get to the evening, the battery may be worn out. It is worth checking its health before blaming the phone.