Wondering why your iPhone battery icon is yellow? Don’t worry, a yellow battery icon is not a problem. Here we explain what this icon means and how you can get the usual icon back.
Why is the icon a yellow battery?
A white battery icon means your iPhone is in "standard" power mode. A red battery indicates a charge level below 20%. But, when your iPhone battery is yellow, it means you've (somehow) enabled the energy saving mode. This mode is designed to preserve your battery as much as possible if you don't have a charger nearby.
More important again, This does not indicate that there is a problem with your battery. The “solution” is not replacing your device’s battery or doing any further troubleshooting. It’s simply an indicator that you’re using Apple’s battery saver mode.
Of course, if you're concerned about your device's battery life, you can always check your iPhone's battery health by going to Settings > Battery > Battery Health > Maximum Capacity… but that's a whole other topic.
What is the power saving mode for?
When you enable Low Power Mode, your iPhone will throttle certain features to reduce battery drain. The auto-lock timeout is reduced to 30 seconds, your screen brightness is reduced, and the refresh rate on models with ProMotion displays is capped at 60Hz.
Additionally, some visual effects are reduced, 5G is disabled on some models, and background processes such as email fetching, background app refresh, iCloud Photos, and automatic downloads of app and iOS updates are paused.
Probably the most noticeable effect is the reduction in the auto-lock timeout. This setting means that the screen will lock after 30 seconds of inactivity. Since the screen has such an impact on battery life, reducing screen time as much as possible goes a long way to improving battery life.
How to Turn Off Low Power Mode on an iPhone
Ready to get rid of your yellow battery icon? There are several solutions available.
First, low power mode turns off automatically when your iPhone battery charge exceeds 80%.
But you can also turn off Power Saving Mode by going to Settings > Battery and turning off “Power Saving Mode.”
For easier access, you can also add a Power Saving Mode shortcut to Control Center by going to Settings > Control Center and tapping the “+” icon next to Power Saving Mode.
Then, simply swipe down from the top right of your screen to access the Control Center.
By the way, this mode also exists on the Apple Watch, on the iPad and on the Mac starting with macOS Monterey.
Use Shortcuts to Automate Low Power Mode
If you like the idea of saving battery life, but don't want to bother with manually turning off or on Power Saving Mode, automate it with the native Shortcuts app.
To do this, launch the Shortcuts app and tap the “Automation” tab. Then, tap the “Create Custom Automation” button that appears on the screen.
Choose “Battery Level” as your trigger, then drag the slider to a battery level at which you want to trigger Low Power Mode. Below that, make sure “Is less than x%” is selected (where x% is the value you chose above). Then click “Next” in the top right.
On the next screen, tap “Add action” and then choose or search for “Set power saving mode”.
Click on it and make sure “Enable” is selected to have the action set to “Enable power saving mode”.
Finally, tap “Next” and then turn off the “Ask before running” option.
Press “Ok” to save your automation.
Following the same logic, you can create an automation that turns off Power Saving Mode when your battery “exceeds X%” by using similar steps and choosing “Disable” instead of “Enable.” But you can also stick to iOS’s default behavior of turning the setting off when the battery reaches 80%.
Other Battery FAQs
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Why is my iPhone battery yellow?
The battery icon you see in the upper-right corner of your iPhone screen indicates the battery charge level. If the battery icon is yellow, it means the battery is low and needs to be recharged soon. It is recommended that you plug your iPhone into a power source to charge it to prevent the battery from completely draining. If the battery icon is red, it means the battery is very low and it is time to recharge it immediately. If you do not charge your iPhone battery when the battery icon is red, the device may turn off completely and you will no longer be able to use it.
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How do I turn off power saving mode?
To turn off Low Power Mode on an iPhone, follow these steps:
1- Open the Settings app by tapping the gear icon located on your iPhone's home screen.
2- In the Settings app, select the Battery option.
3- In the Battery section, you will see the Power Saving Mode option. If it is enabled, you will see a green icon next to this option.
4- To turn off Power Saving Mode, tap the Power Saving Mode option. You should see a pop-up menu open.
5- In the context menu, tap the Disable power saving mode option.
6- You should now see a notification that Power Saving Mode is disabled. You can tap OK to dismiss the notification and return to the Settings app.Power Saving Mode is now disabled on your iPhone. You can continue using your device normally without any performance limitations. If you want to enable Power Saving Mode again, you can follow the same steps by tapping the Turn on Power Saving Mode option in the context menu.
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How to know if your iPhone battery is dead?
There are several ways to tell if your iPhone battery is dead. Here are some signs that may indicate your iPhone battery is bad or at the end of its life:
– The battery icon is red and flashing when the device is turned on.
– The device turns off completely when the battery is low, even if the battery icon is not yet red.
– The device does not charge when plugged into a power source.
– The battery does not hold a charge as long as it used to, and needs to be recharged frequently.
– The device turns off completely when in use, even if the battery was full at the time of use.If you notice any of these signs, your iPhone battery may be dead or at the end of its life. In this case, it is recommended to have the battery replaced by a professional to avoid any damage to the device.
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How to save the battery of your iPhone?
Here are some tips to save your iPhone battery:
– Reduce the screen brightness or use the “Auto Brightness” feature to have the screen automatically adjust based on ambient light.
– Turn off features you don’t use, like cellular data, GPS, Wi-Fi calling, push notifications, and visual effects.
– Update your apps regularly, as updates can sometimes fix bugs that can affect battery life.
– Turn off or put your iPhone to sleep when you’re not using it.
– Use official Apple accessories to charge your iPhone, as they have been designed to prevent overcharging and overdischarging which can damage the battery.
– Avoid storing your iPhone in hot or cold places, as this can affect its performance and battery life.
– If you have an iPhone that is more than two years old, it may be time to replace its battery, as batteries can lose capacity over time. You can contact Apple for help replacing your iPhone battery.
