Low Power Mode reduces battery drain by limiting background activity

Low Power Mode is a setting that slows down your iPhone's performance to make the battery last longer. When it is on, your phone uses less power by reducing things like app refresh, location services, and automatic downloads. You can turn it off whenever you want — it does not harm your phone or battery to switch it on and off repeatedly.

Most people turn Low Power Mode on when the battery is low and turn it off once they charge the phone. Some people leave it on all the time if they prefer longer battery life over faster performance. The choice is yours, and changing it takes about ten seconds.

Key Takeaways

  • Low Power Mode is found in Settings under Battery, and you toggle it off with a single switch.
  • You can also turn it off from Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner and tapping the battery icon.
  • Turning off Low Power Mode when ready restores your phone to normal speed, though it will drain the battery faster.
  • Low Power Mode does not damage your battery or phone — you can turn it on and off as often as you want.

Turn off Low Power Mode through Settings

Open the Settings app on your home screen. Scroll down and tap Battery (or Battery and Device Management on newer iPhones). You will see a toggle switch next to Low Power Mode — if it is green or highlighted, the mode is on.

Tap the toggle to turn it off. The switch will turn gray, and Low Power Mode is now disabled. Your phone will return to normal performance when ready. You may notice apps load faster and background tasks resume, which will use more battery power.

Turn off Low Power Mode from Control Center

If you use Low Power Mode often, Control Center is faster than Settings. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen (or swipe up from the bottom on older iPhones). Look for the battery icon — it usually shows a lightning bolt inside a battery shape.

Tap the battery icon once to turn off Low Power Mode. The icon will change appearance, showing that the mode is no longer active. This method works the same way as the Settings toggle and takes effect when ready.

What happens when you turn Low Power Mode off

Once Low Power Mode is off, your iPhone returns to full performance. Apps will refresh in the background, location services will work at full accuracy, and automatic downloads will resume. Your phone will feel noticeably faster if you were running in Low Power Mode for a while.

The trade-off is that your battery will drain faster. If your battery was low when you turned off Low Power Mode, you may want to plug in your phone soon. There is no penalty for turning the mode off — your battery health is not affected by switching it on and off.

When Low Power Mode turns off automatically

Your iPhone will turn off Low Power Mode automatically once the battery reaches 80 percent while charging. This happens whether you are using Settings or Control Center to charge — you do not have to do anything. If you want to keep Low Power Mode on even after the battery is charged, you can turn it back on manually.

Some people prefer to leave Low Power Mode on all the time for longer battery life, even when the phone is fully charged. This is a personal choice and does not harm your phone in any way.

Troubleshooting if Low Power Mode will not turn off

If the toggle in Settings does not respond when you tap it, try closing the Settings app completely and opening it again. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or swipe down from the top-right on newer iPhones) to see your open apps, then swipe up on Settings to close it.

If the problem continues, restart your phone. Press and hold the power button and volume down button together until you see the power-off slider. Slide it to turn off the phone, wait ten seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on. After the restart, open Settings and try turning off Low Power Mode again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off Low Power Mode damage my battery?

No. Turning Low Power Mode on and off as often as you want does not harm your battery or phone. Your battery health is determined by charge cycles over time, not by switching performance modes.

Why does my iPhone keep turning Low Power Mode back on?

Your phone automatically turns Low Power Mode back on when the battery drops to 20 percent. If you turned it off and it came back on, your battery likely fell below that threshold. Charge your phone to see if it stays off.

Can I use my phone normally with Low Power Mode off?

Yes, completely. With Low Power Mode off, your phone runs at full speed and all features work normally. The only difference is that your battery will drain faster than when Low Power Mode is on.

What is the difference between Low Power Mode and airplane mode?

Low Power Mode reduces performance to save battery while keeping your phone connected to the network. Airplane Mode turns off all wireless connections (cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) and is used when you cannot use wireless signals, like on an airplane.