IOS 26 Will Make Battery Life Management Easier
iPhone battery features are getting an update in iOS 26. For years, Android phones have prominently displayed how long a full charge will take. The information is available on the lock screen, and it’s incredibly convenient. Finally, along with the new Adaptive Battery mode, Apple will offer this, too. These are just a few of the iOS 26 features that Apple is borrowing from its competitors , and they’re all part of the newly redesigned Battery section of the Settings app.
iOS 26 is currently available as a developer beta. If you want to test it out, you can download and install it for free , but for the sake of stability, I generally recommend you wait at least until the public beta, which is due out sometime in mid-July.
Time to charge
The first change is the easiest to spot, but only if you pay attention. In iOS 26, when you plug in your iPhone, you’ll see the usual charging indicator. But for a second or two, Apple will flash a number that shows how long it will take to charge your iPhone to 80% or 100% (depending on your maximum charging settings). It’ll be right above the clock, where the day and date are usually located. Unfortunately, it’s a flash, and you’ll miss it because it’ll disappear after just a second or two.
New “Battery” section in settings
In iOS 26, when you go to Settings > Battery , you’ll find a new, redesigned battery screen. At the top, you’ll see a battery bar. If your iPhone is charging, you’ll see how long it will take to charge to 80%, and then to 100%.
Below, you’ll notice that the battery health graphs are now displayed in a simple weekly view, just like the screen time.
The new weekly charts are also quite detailed. Apple will analyze and compare your battery usage over the course of a week, telling you how your current usage compares to a typical day. Some days you may use a lot more battery than usual, and the charts will take that into account. They’ll also tell you which apps are draining your battery the most.
For more detailed information, you can click the “See all battery usage” button to access a detailed interactive chart. From here, click on any day to see a more detailed look at your battery usage and charging history. You can scroll down to see how much juice each of your apps is consuming, and how they compare to the weekly average. You can also select one app to see its battery history for the week. Pretty cool.
Adaptive power supply
Finally, there’s an optional Adaptive Power mode , which can be found under Battery > Power Mode . This is Apple’s new battery-saving feature, which is turned off by default, and it uses all of your battery analysis data to make smart decisions about how to manage your battery. Let’s say you’ve had a tougher day than usual, and the chances of coming home with 10 percent battery left are slim. In this case, your iPhone will start making small changes, like slowing down performance a bit, reducing screen brightness, or spending more time processing some intensive tasks. Additionally, if this feature is enabled, your phone will automatically enter Low Power Mode when the battery reaches 20 percent.