How to Use StandBy Mode on iPhone With iOS 17

While there are a lot of exciting new features for Messages, FaceTime, and the Phone app with iOS 17, there’s another feature that is already turning heads. With StandBy Mode on iPhone, this is transforming the way that you can “use” your iPhone when it’s on the charger.

What Is StandBy Mode?

Currently, if you put your iPhone on a MagSafe charger, you’re greeted with the same boring Lock Screen that you always have to look at. iOS 17 is changing that thanks to StandBy, which essentially turns your iPhone into a “bedside clock.”

With the help of Smart Stacks of Widgets, you can glance over and see what the time is, what your calendar looks like for tomorrow, and more. There are even full-screen layouts that just show the time or let you showcase some of your favorite photos.

The best part is that this is available for all iPhone models capable of running iOS 17. However, those with the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max will be able to take advantage of the Always On Display while you’ll have to tap the screen to see StandBy on other models.

As is the case with most of the features introduced with new versions of iOS, StandBy Mode is already activated and enabled with iOS 17. However, if you are experiencing issues, you can follow the steps below to enable and use StandBy Mode on iPhone.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone running iOS 17.
2. Scroll down and tap StandBy.
3. Tap the toggle next to StandBy to the On position.
4. If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max, tap the toggle next to Always On to the On position.
5. At the bottom of the page, tap Night Mode.
6. Tap the toggle to enable the following:
   • Night Mode: StandBy presents in a red tint with low ambient lighting.
   • Motion to Wake: StandBy will turn on the display when motion is detected at night.
7. In the top left corner, tap < StandBy to save your changes.

How to Customize StandBy Mode on iPhone

You might be surprised to learn that Apple has also provided quite a few more options for each of the StandBy Modes that are available with iOS 17. For example, the Widgets screen actually shows two different sets of widget stacks, allowing you to scroll through each of the widgets. You can long-press on either of the stacks if you want to add or remove different widgets from the stack.

1. Either plug in your iPhone or set it on a MagSafe charger.
2. Lock the screen by pressing the Side Button.
3. Wait a few moments until StandBy Mode activates.
4. Swipe to the left or right to switch between Widgets, Photos, and Clock.

If you want to have StandBy Mode turn your iPhone into a digital photo frame, you can just swipe from right to left. Long-pressing on the Photos mode presents the following options:

• Featured
• Nature
• Cities
• People

However, you can also tap the + icon in the top left corner in order to add specific albums that you previously created in the Photos app.

The last option is for those who would prefer to turn their iPhone into a traditional nightstand clock. iOS 17 includes a few different layouts for you to choose from, which include the following:

• Digital
• Analog
• World
• Solar
• Float

All of these are basically just different ways of showing a clock on your iPhone while it’s charging. However, you can tap the Shutter icon in the bottom right corner of each if you want to customize the color palette that is being shown.

After you are finished customizing StandBy Mode to your liking, you can simply tap the Done button to save your changes.