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When your iPhone’s battery hits zero, it might seem like the end of the road. But what if we told you that your device still has a few tricks up its sleeve? Thanks to a little-known power reserve mode, your iPhone can remain functional for up to five hours after it shuts down due to low battery. This feature, which leverages NFC and UWB technology, unlocks a surprising range of capabilities—even when your phone appears to be wholly dead.
Contactless Payments on the Go
One of the most practical uses of this power reserve mode is the ability to make contactless payments—but with a catch. While you can’t use your iPhone to pay at stores, you can still tap to pay for mass transit.To enable this feature,you’ll need to set up an Express Transit Card in your Apple Wallet.By doing so, you agree to bypass Face ID or Touch ID authentication for transit payments. This means your iPhone can still function as your ticket, even when it’s powered off.
Access Cards and Keys at Your Fingertips
If you’ve stored access cards for work, school, or even your car, front door, or hotel room in your Apple Wallet, you’re in luck. These cards can still be used in power reserve mode, provided they’re set to express mode. When your iPhone runs out of battery, simply press the side button to view which cards are available for use. This feature ensures you’re never locked out, even when your device is out of juice.
Find Your iPhone—Even When It’s off
For iPhone 11 and later models equipped with a UWB chip, the power reserve mode offers another game-changing feature: the ability to locate your device even after it’s turned off. Thanks to the active UWB chip, your iPhone can continue to send its location data via the Apple Find My network for up to 24 hours after the battery dies.
To test this feature, you can let your iPhone discharge completely or manually turn it off. If the shutdown screen displays a message stating that your iPhone can still be found, you’re good to go. Alternatively, pressing the power button on a discharged iPhone will show a message confirming its findability.
Bonus: Check the Time Without Power
If you’re running iOS 18, your iPhone has one more surprise in store. Even when the battery is critically low, the display will show the current time in the upper left corner, alongside the low battery icon. This small but handy feature ensures you’re never left guessing the time, even when your device is on its last legs.
Key features of iPhone power Reserve Mode
| Feature | Details |
|—————————|—————————————————————————–|
| Contactless Payments | Works for mass transit via Express Transit Card; no Face ID/Touch ID needed |
| Access Cards | Use express mode-enabled cards for work, school, cars, doors, and hotels |
| Offline Find my | Locate your iPhone for up to 24 hours after shutdown (UWB chip required) |
| Current Time Display | Available on iOS 18 when battery is critically low |
Why This Matters
The power reserve mode is a testament to Apple’s commitment to user convenience. By leveraging NFC and UWB technology, the company ensures that your iPhone remains a reliable tool, even in the most challenging situations. Whether you’re rushing to catch a train, trying to locate a misplaced device, or simply checking the time, this feature keeps you connected when it matters most.
So, the next time your iPhone’s battery dies, don’t panic. Remember: your device might still have a few surprises left.
For more tips and tricks on maximizing your iPhone’s potential, check out The sun’s tech section.
When your iPhone’s battery hits zero, it might seem like the end of the road. But what if we told you that your device still has a few tricks up its sleeve? Thanks to a little-known power reserve mode, your iPhone can remain functional for up to five hours after it shuts down due to low battery. This feature, which leverages NFC and UWB technology, unlocks a surprising range of capabilities—even when your phone appears to be wholly dead. Today, we sit down with Sarah Thompson, a technology specialist and Apple ecosystem expert, to delve into the hidden features of iPhone Power Reserve Mode.
Understanding Power Reserve Mode
Senior Editor: Sarah, let’s start with the basics. What exactly is Power Reserve Mode, and how does it work?
Sarah Thompson: Power Reserve Mode is a feature that Apple introduced to ensure essential functions remain operational even when the battery is critically low or seemingly “dead.” It leverages NFC and UWB technology to conserve a small amount of battery power, allowing the iPhone to perform specific tasks like making contactless transit payments or accessing stored cards [[1]]. This mode can keep your iPhone running for up to five hours after the battery indicator reaches zero.
Contactless Payments on the Go
Senior Editor: One of the most practical uses of this feature is contactless payments. Can you explain how this works?
Sarah Thompson: While you can’t use your iPhone to pay at stores in Power Reserve Mode, you can still tap to pay for mass transit. To enable this, you’ll need to set up an Express Transit Card in your Apple Wallet [[2]]. By doing so, you agree to bypass Face ID or Touch ID authentication for transit payments, meaning your iPhone can still function as your ticket even when it’s powered off.
Access Cards and Keys at Your Fingertips
Senior Editor: Another intriguing feature is the ability to use access cards. How does this work in Power reserve Mode?
Sarah Thompson: If you’ve stored access cards for work, school, your car, front door, or hotel room in your Apple Wallet, you’re in luck.These cards can still be used in Power Reserve Mode,provided they’re set to express mode. When your iPhone runs out of battery, simply press the side button to view which cards are available for use. This feature ensures you’re never locked out, even when your device is out of juice.
Find Your iPhone—Even When It’s Off
Senior Editor: For iPhone 11 and later models equipped with a UWB chip, the Power Reserve mode offers another game-changing feature: the ability to locate your device even after it’s turned off. Can you elaborate on this?
Sarah Thompson: Yes, thanks to the active UWB chip, your iPhone can continue to send its location data via the apple Find My network for up to 24 hours after the battery dies. To test this feature,you can let your iPhone discharge completely or manually turn it off. If the shutdown screen displays a message stating that your iPhone can still be found, you’re good to go.Alternatively, pressing the power button on a discharged iPhone will show a message confirming its findability [[3]].
Bonus: Check the Time Without Power
Senior Editor: If you’re running iOS 18, your iPhone has one more surprise in store.Even when the battery is critically low, the display will show the current time. Can you explain this feature?
Sarah Thompson: This small but handy feature ensures you’re never left guessing the time, even when your device is on its last legs. The current time is displayed in the upper left corner, alongside the low battery icon. It’s a subtle yet thoughtful addition by Apple to keep you connected when it matters most.
Why This Matters
Senior Editor: What do you think makes Power Reserve Mode a testament to Apple’s commitment to user convenience?
Sarah thompson: By leveraging NFC and UWB technology, Apple ensures that your iPhone remains a reliable tool, even in the most challenging situations. Whether you’re rushing to catch a train, trying to locate a misplaced device, or simply checking the time, this feature keeps you connected when it matters most. It’s a testament to apple’s dedication to enhancing user experience, even when the device is seemingly “dead.”
Senior Editor: So, the next time your iPhone’s battery dies, don’t panic. Remember: your device might still have a few surprises left. Thanks, Sarah, for shedding light on these hidden iPhone features.
for more tips and tricks on maximizing your iPhone’s potential, check out The Sun’s tech section.
