If your iPhone keyboard suddenly feels slow or delayed — but only when Low Power Mode is turned on — you’re not imagining it. This is a fairly common behavior, and in most cases nothing is actually broken. Low Power Mode changes how iOS allocates system resources, and typing responsiveness can be one of the side effects.
The quick answer: the keyboard lag usually happens because Low Power Mode limits background processing and animation performance. Turning it off should immediately restore normal typing speed. If you prefer to keep Low Power Mode enabled, a few adjustments can reduce or eliminate the delay.
Why Low Power Mode Affects Typing
When Low Power Mode is active, iOS reduces CPU performance, pauses certain background tasks, and tones down visual effects to conserve battery. Most apps handle this quietly, but the keyboard is one place where reduced responsiveness becomes noticeable.
The lag often shows up as delayed key pop-ups, missed taps, or text appearing slightly behind your typing speed. Third-party keyboards and predictive text features tend to amplify the issue because they rely on additional processing.
Start With the Simplest Check
Temporarily disable Low Power Mode and test the keyboard.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Battery.
- Turn off Low Power Mode.
If typing immediately feels normal again, the slowdown is tied directly to power management rather than a hardware or software fault.
Reduce Keyboard Workload While Keeping Low Power Mode On
If you need Low Power Mode during the day, you can lighten the keyboard’s processing load.
- Go to Settings → General → Keyboard.
- Turn off Predictive.
- Disable Auto-Correction temporarily to test responsiveness.
- If enabled, switch off Slide to Type.
These features continuously analyze input, which becomes more noticeable when the system is conserving power.
Check for Third-Party Keyboards
Custom keyboards sometimes struggle under reduced performance conditions.
- Open Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards.
- Select Edit and remove any third-party keyboards.
- Leave only the default Apple keyboard and test again.
If the lag disappears, the external keyboard app likely isn’t optimized for Low Power Mode.
Refresh System Performance
Occasionally the slowdown continues even after adjustments because background processes were already throttled.
- Restart the iPhone.
- After rebooting, enable Low Power Mode again and test typing before opening many apps.
This clears temporary system states that can exaggerate input delay.
One Small Setting That Sometimes Helps
Reducing motion effects can smooth keyboard animation when power saving is active:
- Go to Settings → Accessibility → Motion.
- Enable Reduce Motion.
This lowers animation overhead, which occasionally improves perceived responsiveness.
In most cases, the keyboard lag isn’t a bug — it’s simply how iOS prioritizes battery life over performance. Once Low Power Mode is off, or keyboard features are trimmed down, typing should return to normal immediately.