Apple warns that updating iPhone to iOS 26 will temporarily impact battery life
Apple has released
Apple Says Installing iOS 26 Might Impact Battery Life - MacRumors
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/09/15/ios-26-battery-life-impact/
iOS 26 update may slow iPhones and drain battery temporarily
https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/09/15/apple-has-finally-explained-why-battery-life-can-be-different-after-an-os-update
Apple explains why iOS 26 could affect your iPhone's battery life - 9to5Mac
https://9to5mac.com/2025/09/15/apple-explains-why-ios-26-could-affect-your-iphones-battery-life/
At the same time as the release of iOS 26, Apple published a support page called 'About Apple Software Updates,' which warns that battery life may be affected, especially immediately after a major software update, in the section 'Performance and Battery Impact.'
About Apple software updates - Apple Support
https://support.apple.com/en-us/125039
Regarding the impact of software updates on performance and battery life, Apple explains, 'Apple hardware and software are designed together to deliver great performance and great battery life. As we add new features and updates, the way you use your device may change as you explore and use these new features. Here are some important things to keep in mind: Immediately after an update, especially a major release, you may notice a temporary impact on battery life and heat. This is normal as your device takes time to complete setup processes in the background, including indexing your data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps. New features are exciting ways to get more out of your Apple products, but some may require additional resources from your device. Depending on your individual usage, you may notice a slight impact on performance and battery life. Apple is continually optimizing these features through software updates to deliver great battery life and a smooth user experience.'
Apple has received numerous complaints about battery life every time it releases a major software update, and so a support page published before the release of iOS 26 also explained that battery life would be affected after a software update, but it did not provide as much detail as the support page published this time.
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The new 2025 iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air models will ship with iOS 26 pre-installed, but it has been revealed that these models will have the existing, newly added power mode, 'Adaptive Power Control,' enabled by default.
Use Adaptive Power to extend the battery life of your iPhone - Apple Support
https://support.apple.com/en-us/123707
iPhone 17 Series Ships With iOS 26's Adaptive Power Mode Enabled by Default - MacRumors
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/09/15/iphone-17-adaptive-power/
iPhone 17 and iPhone Air Models Will Have 'Adaptive Power' Enabled Out of the Box – Appleosophy
https://appleosophy.com/2025/09/15/iphone-17-and-iphone-air-models-will-have-adaptive-power-enabled-out-of-the-box/
PSA: iPhone 17 comes with a special new battery mode enabled - 9to5Mac
https://9to5mac.com/2025/09/15/psa-iphone-17-comes-with-a-special-new-battery-mode-enabled/
'Adaptive Power Management' can be enabled by going to 'Battery' → 'Power Mode' in the Settings app, but must be enabled manually on models other than the iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air. 'Adaptive Power Management' automatically adjusts performance when battery usage is higher than normal by reducing the brightness of the iPhone display (by 3%), extending the processing time of certain activities, and enabling Low Power Mode when the battery level reaches 20%.
Note that 'Adaptive Power Control' is only available on iPhone 15 Pro and later models. The feature requires at least seven days to learn the user's charging habits, so it will not activate before that time.
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