Last October, when Apple rolled out iOS 16.1, the company quietly added a new charging feature many iPhone owners are only now discovering. The feature is called Clean Energy Charging, and chances are good that it’s currently enabled on your iPhone. In iOS 16.1, Clean Energy Charging is on by default, and if you always charge your phone sporadically, it might just be impacting your ability to retain a full charge. Thankfully, you can turn it off if you want.
What does Clean Energy Charging do?
As Apple explains on its support site, when Clean Energy Charging is enabled, your iPhone will get “a forecast of the carbon emissions in your local energy grid” and use that forecast to charge your phone during times when cleaner energy is being produced.
In theory, the feature will only engage when you’re charging your phone for an extended period of time. Apple says the feature works in tandem with Optimized Battery Charging to learn and adapt to your daily charging habits. For example, I only ever notice the feature working when I plug my phone in at night as I’m going to sleep.
“The feature doesn’t engage if your charging habits are variable or you’re in a new location, such as when you travel,” Apple says on its support site.
Furthermore, when the feature does engage, you can quickly override it by pressing and holding on the notification that appears and then tapping Charge Now.
How to turn off Clean Energy Charging
If you can’t be bothered waiting for the feature to learn your charging habits, or you just want to know that your iPhone is charging as quickly as possible at all times, then just turn the feature off. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging and tap the toggle next to Clean Energy Charging. Personally, I haven’t had any problems with the feature, so I’m going to let it continue to try and help me reduce my carbon footprint by a smidge.
