Whether your iPhone or iPad is long overdue a battery replacement, or you just want to get more juice out of a single charge, here's a way to keep your device's Low Power Mode on all the time.

ios 16 battery low power mode beta 6
Most ‌iPhone‌ and iPad users will be familiar with the way their device throws up a prompt to turn on Low Power Mode when the battery falls to 20 percent. The special mode conserves what remaining battery life the device has left by limiting some features, but by default the mode automatically turns off when a charging iPhone or iPad reaches 80 percent. If that irks you, don't worry – there is a solution.

Perhaps you're running the latest version of iOS or iPadOS on an older device and you've found that the battery life is inadequate to get you through the day. Or maybe you just want to reduce the amount of times you have to charge your iPhone or iPad. Either way, you can keep Low Power Mode enabled regardless of the battery level with the help of an automation.

iPhone/iPad Features Disabled by Low Power Mode

Before you follow the steps in this article to create the automation, it's worth highlighting which of the features it disables to reduce your device's power consumption. According to Apple, Low Power Mode turns off the following:

  • 5G (except for video streaming) on iPhone 12 models
  • Auto-Lock (defaults to 30 seconds)
  • Display brightness
  • Display refresh rate (limited up to 60 Hz) on iPhone and iPad models with ProMotion display
  • Some visual effects
  • iCloud Photos (temporarily paused)
  • Automatic downloads
  • Email fetch
  • Background app refresh

If you're happy to live without the above features for as long as Low Power Mode is on, follow the steps below to create your automation.

Creating an Always-On Low Power Mode Automation

  1. Launch the Shortcuts app on your iPhone, then tap the Automation tab at the bottom.
  2. Tap the + button in the top right, then select Create Personal Automation.
    shortcuts

  3. Scroll down and choose Low Power Mode.
  4. Deselect the Is Turned On option and select the Is Turned Off option instead, then tap Next.
    shortcuts

  5. Tap Add Action.
  6. Tap inside the search field and search for the Set Low Power Mode script, then select it below.
    shortcuts

  7. Make sure the Turn and On options in blue are selected, then tap Next.
  8. Toggle off the switch next to Ask Before Running, then tap Don't Ask in the prompt to confirm.
    shortcuts

  9. Tap Done to finish.

Low Power Mode can be turned on and off manually at any time by going to Settings -> Battery and toggling on the switch next to Low Power Mode. Just bear in mind that if you want to turn it off, you'll have to disable your automation. You can do this in Shortcuts by selecting the automation and toggling off the switch next to Enable This Automation.

Top Rated Comments

George Dawes Avatar
24 months ago
This should definitely be an option in the actual os without all this farting about
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
24 months ago
Excellent tips! Thank you!!

Question: Is there a way to set Automation feature for the iPhone not to charge pass 80% of the battery life? ??
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Corefile Avatar
24 months ago

Genuine question: given that low power mode restricts a lot of the background functions, what good does this do a majority of users that are frequently pulling out their phone to refresh social media?

How much extra time are you really saving?

Note: I'm an outlier, since I never use Low Power Mode, and my 13 mini goes from 100 to 80 typically throughout a work day before I dock it for the night.
I'm an outlier too in that I keep low power mode on all the time and don't use socialist media.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Corefile Avatar
24 months ago
This might be the greatest tip for iPhones today. Permanent low power mode should be the default.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BrownyQ Avatar
24 months ago
Genuine question: given that low power mode restricts a lot of the background functions, what good does this do a majority of users that are frequently pulling out their phone to refresh social media?

How much extra time are you really saving?

Note: I'm an outlier, since I never use Low Power Mode, and my 13 mini goes from 100 to 80 typically throughout a work day before I dock it for the night.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
24 months ago

Excellent tips! Thank you!!

Question: Is there a way to set Automation feature for the iPhone not to charge pass 80% of the battery life? ??
Just tell Siri to set it up for you :D
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...