How Low Power Mode works in iOS 9

Low Power Mode

One of the more significant new features in iOS 9 Apple mentioned during its keynote today is called “Low Power Mode.” Similar to Power Reserve on the Apple Watch, this feature is designed to extend the battery life of your device.

First it should be noted that because of the under-the-hood improvements in iOS 9, Apple says battery life for the average user will increase by up to one hour. If you need more, Lower Power Mode gives you up to 3 additional hours.

In the first beta, this special mode is activated by opening the Settings app, navigating to the Battery pane, and enabling “Low Power Mode.” You’ll know the setting is active when the Battery icon in the Status Bar changes to a yellow color.

As you can see in the screenshot above, the extra power comes at a price. When Low Power is enabled, Mail must be fetched manually, auto app refreshes and downloads get disabled, and network speed, motion and brightness are reduced.

Stay tuned to iDB for more iOS 9 coverage, as we continue digging through today’s beta. The software is available to developers now, will launch for public beta testers in July, and will make its debut for the general public in the fall.