How to use Clean Energy Charging Mode on iPhone

Apple introduced the Clean Energy Charging Mode for iPhones with iOS 16.1, with the aim of bringing about an ecological revolution. You can enable this setting on your smartphone to reduce your carbon footprint.

Clean Energy Charging doesn’t work throughout the day; it’s only activated when lower carbon-emission electricity is available in the region’s energy grid. For those who want to support Apple’s noble mission, the article’s next section explains the advantages of clean energy-based charging on iPhones and how it can be used.

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What is Clean Energy Charging Mode, and how can you use it on an iPhone?

According to Apple, upon activating the Clean Energy Charging Mode and connecting your iPhone to a charger, the smartphone receives estimates regarding carbon emissions in your regional energy grid. Using the forecasts it receives, your iPhone selectively charges when there’s a cleaner energy source available.

Note that this charging mode is activated by default and can be disabled. Open the Settings app on your iPhone, and go to Battery > Battery Health & Charging. Here, use the toggle to enable/disable the Clean Energy Charging mode.

Furthermore, you’ll need to enable Location Services, System Customizations, and Significant Locations on your iPhone. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app and go to Privacy & Security > Location Services. Enable Location Services if not already.
2. In the Settings app, go to Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services. Enable System Customization.
3. In the Settings app, go to Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services > Significant Locations. Turn on Significant Locations.

The seemingly harmless environment-conscious charging mode was released last year. According to Apple, it only works during selective hours (especially at night when phones are usually put on charge for extended periods).

The feature is also trained to track people’s behavior (times when they use their phone, charging periods, etc.) and determine the best time to use clean energy for charging based on the data.

Unfortunately, multiple users recently realized the quirks of the feature, fueling a major stir in the community. Moreover, the fact that it is activated by default led to people not being aware of its presence.

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How to override the Clean Energy Charging Mode

If you see a notification on the Lock Screen stating when your iPhone will be fully charged and need the device to be on full battery sooner, touch and hold the notification and tap on Charge Now. This will override the Clean Energy Charging Mode and charge your phone normally.

A part of the community recently began suspecting that Apple introduced the unconventional charging mode with an underlying motive to reduce charging speeds and efficiency for the company’s benefit. Well, it is a misconception: the Clean Energy Charging Mode has no intention of deliberately reducing charging efficiency.

However, sometimes, you may notice that your device isn’t fully charged even after being plugged in for a long time; the feature may suspend charging activities on your smartphone. In this case, you can either disable the feature or override the mode by choosing “Charge Now.”