Apple on Monday unveiled the 2026 editions of all its working programs. That’s what the “26” within the title of every OS stands for. iOS 26 is the iPhone OS set to launch in September 2025, however you’ll use it all through most of 2026.
The title change is sensible as a result of iOS 26 brings a significant redesign. Liquid Glass is the largest UI replace the iPhone has seen since iOS 7. Set up the primary iOS 26 beta, and also you’ll discover Liquid Glass in every single place. Translucency is the central aspect right here, with mild interacting otherwise throughout varied digital surfaces.
The Liquid Glass design is well essentially the most important change coming to iPhone with iOS 26, but it surely’s removed from the one new characteristic Apple introduced at WWDC 2025.
Apple walked us via among the principal iOS 26 options on Monday and likewise shared an inventory of latest capabilities it didn’t have time to dive into through the occasion. I beforehand highlighted 19 new iOS 26 options coming to iPhone, although it wasn’t clear after they’d roll out.
Amongst them have been two battery options iPhone customers have been ready for. One will inform you how lengthy it’ll take to totally cost your battery, a long-requested addition. The opposite introduces adaptive energy mode. They’re each stated to be powered by AI, however Apple took specific care to keep away from mentioning that through the keynote.
I wasn’t certain if these options would present up in iOS 26 beta 1, however they did. Under, I’ll stroll you thru all of the modifications within the Battery menu in iOS 26.
Time to cost
The very first thing I did after putting in the iOS 26 beta on my iPhone 14 Professional was examine whether or not the telephone now exhibits how lengthy it takes to recharge.
As you’ll be able to see above, it does. You’ll get an estimate on the Lock Display, although it disappears rapidly.
Head to the Settings app for a greater estimate. As proven beneath, iOS 26 now tells you ways lengthy it’ll take to achieve each 80% and 100% cost.
Unusually, the characteristic doesn’t work the identical manner on the iPad mini 7, however I anticipate that to alter finally.
All of Apple’s iPhone apps bought the Liquid Glass remedy, together with the Settings app. Go to the Battery part and also you’ll discover the updates immediately.
The iPhone now exhibits a 7-day historical past of your battery utilization. Faucet on any day to see how a lot power you used and when the telephone was recharged. The colour coding makes all the things straightforward to know.
Per-app battery use
The Battery menu additionally exhibits how a lot power every app used on a given day. As an alternative of simply percentages, it compares utilization with earlier days.
For instance, I used the Well being app 6% extra on Sunday in comparison with different days.
The Battery menu additionally makes use of coloration to focus on when an app’s battery use will increase in comparison with regular, and it signifies if the power was consumed within the background.
This could provide help to resolve whether or not you must modify your utilization to enhance battery life.
Adaptive Energy
I saved this one for final as a result of it’s the one new iOS 26 battery characteristic I couldn’t strive myself. As I discussed, I put in the beta on my iPhone 14 Professional, which doesn’t assist Apple Intelligence.
The brand new Adaptive Energy mode, which some customers have noticed in iOS 26 beta 1, lets the iPhone preserve power routinely. It’s completely different from the Low Energy Mode we’ve had for years:
When your battery utilization is increased than traditional, iPhone could make small efficiency changes to increase your battery life, together with barely reducing the show brightness or permitting some actions to take a bit longer. Low Energy Mode could activate at 20%.
Does it depend on Apple Intelligence? I think AI performs a task in figuring out when the iPhone ought to save power, no matter Apple chooses to name it.
However the characteristic isn’t accessible on my iPhone 14 Professional. It’s additionally lacking from my iPad mini 7, although the pill has the A17 Professional chip and needs to be able to Apple Intelligence options.
