One of the most notable new features in iOS 17 is a smart landscape display mode for the iPhone while charging. Here’s how to use and customise the iOS 17 iPhone Standby display, which includes different clock faces, widgets, photo access, and more.
What is iOS 17’s StandBy Mode?
StandBy mode is a new iOS 17 feature that allows you to use your iPhone as a smart display while charging. It’s similar to the screen that displays the current time on your Apple Watch while charging, but with the larger screen of the iPhone, you can fit a lot more content on the screen.
A clock can be displayed in StandBy mode. You can also add features like photos and widgets to it. In StandBy mode, you can see live activities, notifications, playback controls, and even Siri.
However, StandBy mode is only available in iOS 17, so you’ll need to upgrade to iOS 17 to use it.
How to Enable StandBy
StandBy can be thought of as a smart display for your iPhone, providing quick access to different screens of glanceable information that can be viewed from a distance, such as when your device is charging on a kitchen, desk, or nightstand. When you charge your iPhone at night, StandBy adjusts to the low light and turns red. StandBy mode is available on all iPhone models that support iOS 17, but its always-on feature is only available on iPhone 14 Pro models.
When you enable StandBy, your iPhone must be locked and charging on a MagSafe or Qi-based wireless or Lightning charger. The most important things to remember are that the iPhone must be locked, fixed in a stationary horizontal (or landscape) orientation, and positioned at an angle (i.e. not on a flat surface), so a charging stand is usually required.
StandBy is enabled by default, but you can turn it off or on by going to Settings -> StandBy and toggling the StandBy switch.
How to Use iOS 17’s Standby Mode
#1. Enabling StandBy Mode
In iOS 17, StandBy mode is enabled by default.
If it isn’t, or if you want to disable the feature, go to Settings > Scroll down to StandBy > and toggle the activation toggle.
This page also contains settings for turning on Night Mode, which changes the colour tint from vibrant to red when the environment is darker, and notifications.
With the latter option, you can display critical notifications in StandBy mode and tap on them to expand to the preview, similar to how the iPhone’s lock screen works.
#2. Charging your iPhone
StandBy mode is available on any compatible charging iPhone that has been rotated to a horizontal orientation. A MagSafe charging dock, a standard Qi-enabled wireless charging pad, or even a standard lightning cable can be used to charge the iPhone.
StandBy mode will activate automatically when both requirements are met, and your iPhone lock screen will transform into a widescreen status hub with the time, date, and temperature.
One significant benefit of using a MagSafe-certified charging dock is location awareness. If you intend to dock your iPhone on multiple MagSafe accessories, such as one for your work desk, one for your bedside, and one for the kitchen, the iPhone will display the StandBy mode configuration you set for each.
#3. Customizing Standby Mode
Swiping sideways on an iPhone docked cycles through three StandBy mode panels:
- The first panel features two columns of interactive widgets similar to those found on the iPhone’s home screen. Tap and hold to add or remove widgets, move them around, and enable Smart Rotate and Widget Suggestions for a more personalised experience.
- The second panel is a photo clock that displays the time as well as your selection of existing photo albums or photo categories (for example, pets, nature, or people). You can select the images to display by tapping and holding on this panel.
- The third panel depicts a larger clock with various styles to choose from.
Also, the iPhone 16 Ultra camera will incorporate the biggest leap in photo quality since B&W-to-color conversion.
#4. Notifications and Alerts
When the iPhone is docked, incoming messages and alerts will be displayed if Show Notifications is enabled in the StandBy settings.
To increase privacy, set Show Preview to Tap Only so you can unlock the device using Touch ID or Face ID to view the notification in full.
How to Turn Off StandBy
Tired of staring at an alarm clock? Turn off StandBy by going to settings and looking for StandBy as an option. When you’ve opened it, simply click it to the off position, just like you would Bluetooth or WiFi.
Customizing Different StandBy Screens
StandBy consists of three screens that can be accessed by swiping horizontally across the screen of your iPhone. The first screen shows interactive widgets, the second individual photos from your Photos library, and the third a large clock.
The widget screen comprises two interactive widget stacks displayed side by side and can be slid up and down independently. The stacks are essentially enlarged versions of the Home Screen widget stacks, with the same options, such as Smart Rotate and Widget Suggestions.
You can, for example, tick off to-do items in a Reminders list because many widgets have interactive elements. When you tap on a non-interactive widget like the Calendar, an arrow indicator appears on the screen. Tapping the arrow takes you to the associated app, preventing you from accidentally launching it.
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After unlocking your iPhone with Face ID, the stack will centre on the screen in jiggle mode. You can add widgets to the stack by clicking the + button in the upper left corner, and you can toggle Smart Rotate and Widget Suggestions on and off by clicking the buttons on the right.
The photos screen on StandBy is also interactive and customizable. Tapping the photo’s location/date activates Face ID and takes you to the image in your Photo Library.
StandBy will display featured photos and memories from your library by default, but a long press on the photo and Face ID unlock allows you to swipe between specific themes such as Nature, Pets, Cities, and People. You can also use the + button to add specific albums to be displayed and the eye icon to hide themes you don’t like.
The third screen of StandBy displays the time and date in various themes that you can swipe through vertically. Some themes also display additional information, such as the current temperature or your next alarm. You can switch between themes by pressing and holding on a clock, which includes Digital, Analogue, World, Solar, and Float.
Float displays the time in large bubble numbers with customizable colours, Solar has a more standard font with a solar flare design in various colours, and World displays the time with a world map and your current location highlighted. The Analogue theme has customizable accent colours, whereas the Digital theme has large numbers in a variety of colours.
What iPhone Models Are Compatible With Standby Mode?
StandBy mode will be supported on all iPhones that can be upgraded to iOS 17. This level of support extends all the way back to the iPhone XR. The complete list of compatible devices is provided below.
Will StandBy mode always be enabled?
StandBy mode will be enabled only for iPhone models that support always-on displays, which at the time of writing were the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. StandBy mode on older models will automatically turn off after 30 seconds of inactivity.
What charging docks work with StandBy mode?
StandBy mode is compatible with MagSafe-certified chargers, traditional Qi-enabled wireless chargers, and wired chargers; to activate StandBy mode, the iPhone must be horizontal and propped up on a stand or against something. MagSafe chargers are required if you want to use MagSafe location awareness.
How to Add Widgets in StandBy Mode
Other widgets can be added to StandBy mode in addition to the clock. You can add as many widgets as you want, but only two will be visible at once.
Other widgets can be viewed by swiping through the widgets on the StandBy screen or by allowing Smart Rotate to choose the best widget for the current situation.
To add widgets in StandBy mode, follow these steps:
- Enter StandBy mode.
- Hold your finger on the side of the screen where you want the widget to appear.
- Select the plus (+) icon.
- Choose a widget category from the list on the left side of the screen.
- Swipe left and right to select one of the widget options.
- Tap the Add Widget button.
- Tap and hold your widget and slide it up and down into the appropriate position in the stack to change its position.
- Toggle the Smart Rotate option on or off by tapping the Smart Rotate icon.
- Your widget will be added after you click Done.
You may need to scroll through the widget stack by swiping up or down to see your widget.
How to Insert Photos Into Standby Mode
You can also use StandBy mode to see a rotating selection of photos from the album you select. You can choose which albums are displayed in StandBy mode by editing the Photos widget.
To add photos in StandBy mode, follow these steps:
- Start your iPhone in StandBy mode.
- Hold your finger on the side of the screen where you want the photos to appear.
- If a Photos widget already exists, tap it to view the current album.
- Tap the plus (+) icon if you don’t already have a Photos widget.
- Scroll down the widget list and select Photos.
- Tap Add Widget after selecting Album.
- To view the current album, tap the widget.
- To change albums, tap the album title.
- Select an album.
- To confirm your selection, tap anywhere outside the widget.
- You can move the widget up and down the stack order by tapping and holding it.
- Tap Smart Rotate to enable or disable the smart rotate option.
- Select Done.
If you didn’t make it to the top widget, you may have to scroll through them to see the photos.
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