The best thing about iOS 26 is this new battery drain feature
iOS 26’s new battery alerts pinpoint exactly what’s draining your iPhone so you can fix it fast
Apple’s iOS 26 is packed with changes, but the standout for me isn’t flashy widgets or AI-powered shortcuts – it’s a quietly brilliant tweak to the Battery settings. And if you’ve ever had your iPhone mysteriously guzzle power before lunch, you’re going to appreciate it too.
In previous versions of iOS, the Battery screen in Settings showed you graphs and percentages, but it was up to you to play detective. You’d scroll through a long list of apps, trying to spot which one was quietly draining your battery like a leaky tap. More often than not, it was guesswork.
iOS 26 changes that. Now, when your phone is draining faster than usual, the system flags it for you – clearly and visually. A new graph compares your current battery usage to what’s normal for your device, and anything out of the ordinary is highlighted. Even better, apps or system activities that are chewing up more juice than they should are marked with an orange badge.
The smart bit is that it’s not just about raw battery percentage. The feature considers how much you’ve actually used the app. So if you’ve been glued to Instagram all afternoon, it won’t cry wolf. But if a rarely opened app suddenly starts hogging power in the background, you’ll know instantly.
Alongside the orange warnings, iOS 26 also offers tailored suggestions for resolving the issue, such as force-quitting a rogue app, adjusting background refresh settings, or revising location permissions.
It might sound like a small update, but in practice it’s a game-changer. Instead of finding out your battery’s dying when you’re already at 3-percent on the train home, you can spot and stop excessive drain before it becomes a crisis.
Now, if only Android would follow suit…
Liked this? This is what liquid glass looks like on iOS 26 – and how you can turn it off if you’re not a fan
Spencer Hart
Buying Guide Editor 
