What Is StandBy Mode on iPhone?

StandBy is a feature, introduced in iOS 17, that transforms a charging iPhone into a small bedside or desk display. When the phone is plugged in and resting on its side in landscape orientation, the Lock Screen switches to a large, glanceable view — a clock, a pair of widgets, or a slideshow of your photos — designed to be read from across the room.

The one-sentence version

Plug in, lay it sideways, and your iPhone becomes a tiny smart display. Unplug or stand it upright and the normal Lock Screen returns. That is the whole idea.

What triggers it

Three conditions have to be true at once:

• The iPhone is charging (wired or wireless).
• It is on its side, in landscape orientation.
• It is locked.

Meet all three and StandBy appears automatically. A MagSafe stand or a simple kickstand case makes this effortless, which is why StandBy is so popular on nightstands and desks.

The three view modes

Swipe horizontally while StandBy is showing to move between three layouts:

Widgets

Two stacked widget panels sit side by side. You can build Smart Stacks that rotate through several widgets, and swipe each panel vertically to flip between them — weather, calendar, reminders, Home controls, and more.

Photos

A rotating gallery of your own pictures, pulled from albums or smart categories like Nature and People. It behaves like a slow, ambient slideshow. If you want a curated look rather than random camera-roll shots, point it at a hand-picked album — the Wallpaper Hub library and its style collections make it easy to assemble a tidy, themed set.

Clock

A full-screen clock in several styles, including a large Digital face, an Analog dial, and a colorful Solar option. Tap and hold to recolor it.

Always-on or wake-on-tap?

This is the detail people most often miss. On iPhone 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, and later Pro models — the ones with an always-on display — StandBy can stay lit continuously through the night, dimming intelligently in a dark room. On every other supported iPhone, StandBy still works perfectly, but the screen sleeps and wakes when you tap it or nudge the table. Both behaviors are normal; only the always-on dimming differs.

Setting it up

StandBy is on by default. To check or tweak it:

1. Open Settings → StandBy.
2. Confirm StandBy is toggled on.
3. On always-on models, set Display → Always On to your preference, and adjust Night Mode, which shifts the display to a warm red tint in low light.

Then just charge the phone on its side. The first time you enter each view, StandBy remembers your choice for that orientation and position, so your nightstand always shows the clock while your desk might show widgets.

StandBy vs. a regular Lock Screen

A standard Lock Screen is portrait, designed for holding the phone. StandBy is landscape, designed for not holding it — for glancing while you cook, work, or sleep. They are complementary. Your portrait Lock Screen can carry your favorite aesthetic wallpaper, while StandBy handles the at-a-glance role when the phone is docked. For a deeper walkthrough of customizing it, see our guide on how to use StandBy mode wallpaper.

Get Wallpaper Hub on the App Store

FAQ

Which iOS version do I need? StandBy requires iOS 17 or later. It is not available on iOS 16.

Does StandBy drain my battery? It runs while the phone is charging, so it does not eat into your day’s battery. Always-on models keep the screen dimly lit, but it is engineered to be efficient and pauses in a fully dark room.

Why won’t StandBy appear? Check all three conditions: the phone must be charging, locked, and turned to landscape. If one is missing, the normal Lock Screen shows instead.