Overview
- Users on Apple’s forums, Reddit, and X report noticeably shorter battery life since updating to iOS 26, including on recent iPhone models.
- Apple’s guidance notes that major updates can temporarily affect battery life and heat while indexing, asset downloads, and app updates complete.
- iOS 26 adds Adaptive Power, which makes small, on‑the‑fly adjustments such as slightly lowering brightness or slowing background tasks to extend runtime.
- The feature requires Apple Intelligence–capable hardware, including iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone Air, and the iPhone 17 lineup, according to the coverage.
- Reports say Adaptive Power is enabled by default on Apple’s newest phones and optional on others, it appears under Settings → Battery → Power Mode, and Apple says it may take about a week to learn usage patterns; users also cite short‑term relief from updating apps, power‑cycling, turning off ProMotion, or using Low Power Mode.