Penny "Psyche" Skinner is a tech user, providing advice to benefit functionality with frugality.

One-Click Low Power Mode

If you need to use your phone for extended periods, or your battery is no longer working at peak efficiency, you can extend the period of time your phone will hold a charge and be able to function. In fact, for most iPhones, the functional life of a charge can be almost doubled by using your phone in low power mode.

How to Turn It on Temporarily

1. Respond to a pop-up option that is provided when your battery holds less than 20% charge.
2. Go to SETTINGS > BATTERY > select the radio button next to LOW POWER MODE.

However, as soon as your phone charge goes over 80%, this mode will be turned off, and this function cannot be manually changed. Therefore it is not possible to be in low power mode permanently using this option.

Manual Low Power Mode

However, you can manually recreate most of the features of low power mode by setting them one at a time.

Many power-hungry functions can be located under the general tab of the settings area. Here are some things to turn off.

Siri

Settings > General > Siri > Toggle off Siri

Honestly, I turn Siri on frequently just by holding the button down too long. Given that I never really use this function, turning it off just removes this annoyance from my life.

Motion Effects

Settings > General > Accessibility > Reduce Motion (toggle on Reduce Motion)

Background App Refresh

Settings > General > Background App Refresh > Toggle off

The switch will go from black to gray.

Further power use reduction options are available in other areas of the settings.

Turn Off Email Fetch

Settings > Passwords and Accounts > Fetch New Data > Toggle off "Push"

For each email account listed on this screen, you need to set the account to "Manually."

Turn Off Automatic Downloads

Settings icon > iTunes & App Store > Toggle off automatic downloads.

Set Auto-Lock to 30 Seconds

Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto Lock > set to 30 seconds

Another Option (I Don't Recommend It)

One-click Low Power mode also includes the following, but it is not recommended to use these options permanently:

Turn Off iCloud

Settings > iCloud > Sign Out

You do need a backup, especially if your phone has a failing battery and may need replacement soon. It is easy to forget to turn on iCloud periodically to ensure that you have a recent backup. For that reason, I would not recommend turning it off unless you have a different backup option available.

Final Tips

• Ensure Low Power Mode is turned off while you make the changes.
• If any of the functions that you have turned off turn out to be critical for your use or enjoyment, you can always re-enable them by reversing the steps shown above.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.