Tech Desk 
Aug 01, 2025
With the new changes to the Battery screen in iOS 26, Apple is giving iPhone users additional control over their battery life. The change has included some new smart alerts and visuals that will assist users in understanding why their iPhone battery could be draining faster than normal and what they can do about it.
Until now, the Battery section of Settings only reported charts and lists of apps using power but often left users guessing as to which app was actually causing issues.
With the iOS 26 Battery settings, Apple has provided users with an even easier way to identify an unwanted (and possibly overzealous) power-drain app and stop it.
When an iPhone experiences extensive battery drain, the new Battery screen now displays "unusual activity." Users will be able to see a clear graph that compares battery usage from today to the normal battery usage pattern over a period of days prior. It can also clearly identify apps that are draining more power than is expected with bright orange markers.
Additionally, best of all, this isn't just about the amount of battery that an app uses—it's about context. For example, if the Weather app quietly drained my battery an additional 4% while busy in the background, I would have received an orange alert.
However, if Instagram used 6% while you were scrolling for hours, that would be considered normal usage.
