How to turn on low power mode on iPhone

The short answer

Go to Settings > Battery and toggle on Low Power Mode — or ask Siri to turn it on for you.

What low power mode does

Low power mode helps your iPhone last longer when the battery is getting low. It temporarily reduces or turns off things like:

Background app refresh — apps won’t update in the background
Automatic downloads — new updates and content won’t download on their own
Mail fetch — email won’t be pulled automatically
Some visual effects — certain animations are reduced
Auto-Lock — defaults to 30 seconds
5G — limited on supported models

Your iPhone will suggest turning it on when your battery drops to 20%, but you can enable it anytime.

How to turn it on from Settings

Open Settings
Tap Battery
Toggle on Low Power Mode

The battery icon in your status bar will turn yellow to let you know it’s active.

How to turn it on from Control Center

For quicker access, add it to your Control Center:

Open Settings > Control Center
Tap the + next to Low Power Mode

Now you can swipe down from the top-right corner (or swipe up on iPhones with a Home button) and tap the battery icon to toggle it on or off instantly.

How to turn it on with Siri

Just say “Hey Siri, turn on low power mode” and it’s done. This is the fastest method when your hands are busy.

Things to know

Low power mode turns off automatically when your iPhone charges to 80% or higher
It does not affect calls, texts, or internet access — your phone still works normally
You can use it anytime, not just when your battery is low — it’s great for long days away from a charger
It can extend your battery life by one to three hours depending on your usage