Why is My iPhone Battery Icon Yellow?
- by Joe Weber - updated on 1/12/2024
It's a simple question with an easy yet somewhat technical answer. Still, many of us unfamiliar with iPhones, their software design or are just not great with technology will have this question, Why is my battery icon yellow?
What Does a Yellow Battery Icon Mean?
First things first, don't panic. Noticing this for the first time may trigger some unwanted fears of something being wrong, but that is not the case. A yellow battery icon is just the way your iPhone (or iPad) lets you know that Low Power Mode is on to preserve battery life.
What is Low Power Mode?
Low power mode is an optional feature on iOS and iPadOS to help prolong battery life until you can get to a charger. It does this by reducing the number of tasks and "things" running in the background thus reducing battery consumption. Learn more about the tasks and features that are disabled below.
What Does Low Power Mode Do?
When Low Power Mode is on, your iPhone or iPad will last a bit longer between charges. However, certain features will take longer to complete or not work at all.
- 5G service on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models is disabled with a few exceptions like video streaming and large downloads
- Auto-Lock defaults to 30 seconds
- Display brightness is reduced
- Display refresh rate limited up to 60 Hz on iPhone and iPad models with ProMotion displays
- Certain visual effects are reduced
- iCloud Photos syncing is temporarily paused
- Automatic downloads are paused
- Email fetch is slower
- Background app refresh is turned off
How Do I Turn Low Power Mode On or Off?
iPhones and iPads will alert you when your battery level reaches 20% and ask if you want to turn on lower power mode. You can also be proactive and turn Low Power Mode on at any time if you'd like by navigating to Settings > Battery and switching on Low Power Mode.
You can also add Low Power Mode to your control center (swipe down from the top right of the screen) for easy access to this feature. To add it to your control center navigate to Settings > Control Center and tap the + by Low Power Mode.
Can I Have Low Power Mode Turn On Automatically?
With a little work, you can set up your iPhone or iPad to turn on Low Power Mode automatically when your battery level reaches a set percentage thanks to the Apple Shortcuts app and setting up a new automation.
Step 1: Download and Open the Shortcuts App
Shortcuts is preinstalled on iPhones and iPads but if you've deleted it, redownload it from the App Store. Open the app by tapping on the icon.
Step 2: Access the Automation Settings
At the very bottom of the screen, you will see a three-button menu, tap on Automation then New Automation, or the + if you already have an automation set up.
Step 3: Select a Trigger
To set a trigger of a certain battery level to activate Low Power Mode you first need to add battery level as a trigger. You can search at the very top or you can scroll down and tap on Battery Level.
Step 4: Choose the Battery Percentage to Activate
Next, you can use the slider at the top of the screen to set your desired battery percentage or you can select from a few default options.
On this screen, you can also set whether you want to have the resulting action run immediately or after confirming with you, the user. Set to ‘Run Immediately' if you wish to have Low Power Mode activate automatically without any additional action from you.
Tap Next
Step 5: Add the Resulting Action
Search 'Low Power Mode' in the search bar at the top of the screen. Tap on Set Low Power Mode.
Tap Done.
Pretty easy, right? Now you don't have to worry about turning Low Power Mode on, it will do it automatically when the battery falls to a certain level, giving you those extra precious minutes or hours before you can reach a charger.
Cell Phone Battery Replacement at Batteries Plus
Even with automation and the best charging practices, your iPhone battery can and will eventually reach a point where you may need to have the battery replaced. If you suspect that your iPhone's battery is on its way out and might require replacement, stop by your local Batteries Plus for a free diagnostic test to see how things are faring.
Take a look at one of our recent articles to see all that we have to offer for your cell phone repair needs, no matter what kind of phone you have.