Did you ever notice the battery icon in iPhone top status bar shows in different colors? The battery icon color depends on multiple things like Low Power Mode, whether iPhone is charging or draining the battery and screen color (light or dark). If you wonder what those different colors mean, then here is an explanation for you.
Summary of Battery Icon Colors in iPhone
Here is a summary of colors:
| Color | Meaning | % | Low Power Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green | Battery is charging | 1 to 100% when charging | No |
| Yellow | Low power mode | Below 20% when draining 20 to 80% when charging | Yes |
| Red | Battery critically low | Below 20% when draining | No |
| White or Black | Battery normal and not charging | Above 20% | No |
| Thunder symbol in any battery color | Battery charging | 1 to 100% | Not Applicable |
You can see the battery icon on top right corner of the screen. Alternatively, swipe down from right corner to open Control Center where you can also see the battery icon on the top right corner.
Meaning of Battery Icon Colors in iPhone
You will see six different colors or statuses in battery icon.
Green Color
This indicates the iPhone is currently charging and the battery level can be anywhere between 1 to 100%. It shows only when the Low Power Mode is disabled and along with thunder symbol. You may only see the thunder symbol in Control Center and not in the status bar when battery reaches 100%.
Yellow Color
When the battery level drains below 20%, your iPhone will prompt whether you want to enable Low Power Mode.
Enabling this will turn the battery color to yellow till the battery dies out. However, when you start charging the phone, yellow battery will be shown till 80% which is considered as sufficiently charged.
You will receive a notification when the battery reaches 80% informing Low Power Mode is disabled automatically.
Red Color
When the battery level falls below 20% and you choose NOT to enable low power mode, then the battery will show in red color. This indicates the battery is critically low and the iPhone will shut down anytime.
Though 20% can hold for many hours, certain actions like watching videos and playing games will drain it in few minutes. So, iPhone will warn you beforehand to charge or use Low Power Mode to save battery.
Black or White Battery Icon
This is a standard battery icon in iPhone indicating the battery is not charging and not using Low Power Mode. You will see black battery with white text % number when the display has light appearance and white battery icon with black text when the display is dark.
Remember, it does not matter whether you use light or dark mode. Your iPhone will automatically detect the screen appearance and change the battery icon and inside % text accordingly. If you wonder how to show % inside battery icon, check out this article.
Thunder Symbol in Battery Icon
Thunder symbol in battery icon appears when the iPhone is connected to power source and charging. The color can be red, yellow or green depending upon the battery level. Battery icon showing as normal white or black color will change to green with thunder symbol when connected to power source.
Note that when the charging reaches 100%, you may not see a thunder symbol inside battery icon. However, you can see it appears in the Control Center.
Low Power Mode
As you can see, Low Power Mode setting will affect the way your battery charges in iPhone. You can enable or disable this feature by going to “Settings > Battery” section. When enabled, iPhone will stop background activities to save power and show the battery icon in yellow color regardless of whether it is charging or not.
