How to Use StandBy on iPhone: Widgets, Faces and Settings

To use StandBy, turn it on in Settings → StandBy, lock your iPhone, connect it to a charger and set it on its side. It then shows widgets, photos or a clock at a distance. On iPhone Duo you partially fold the phone instead, and it does not need to be charging.

Turn on StandBy

1. Open Settings and tap StandBy.
2. Make sure the StandBy switch is on.
3. Lock your iPhone, connect it to a charger and set it down on its side, keeping it still.
4. On iPhone Duo: while on the Lock Screen, partially fold it like a book or a tent and set it down.

These steps come from Apple’s StandBy guide ↗. On iPhones with an Always-On display, StandBy stays visible. On other models, tap the screen or nudge the table to wake it.

Switch between widgets, photos and clocks

On most iPhones, swipe left or right to move between the widgets, photos and clock views, and swipe up or down to change the style of each one. If you charge with MagSafe in more than one place, StandBy remembers the view you prefer in each spot, so the kitchen and the bedside can show different things.

Widgets in StandBy refresh at a rate the system sets, according to Apple’s developer guide on keeping widgets up to date ↗. That rate does not count against an app’s normal refresh budget.

Settings worth changing

• Night Mode: in low light the screen dims and shows a red tint, which is easier on the eyes at your bedside.
• Show Notifications: see alerts while StandBy is on. Turn on Show Preview on Tap Only to hide details until you tap.
• Display (non-Duo models): choose whether the screen turns off automatically, after 20 seconds or never.

StandBy on iPhone Duo

Apple’s iPhone Duo announcement ↗ describes a larger StandBy upgrade: it runs on either the outer or inner display, adds Calendar and Weather faces next to Clock, Modular and Photos, and gives every face more colors and fonts. In Settings → StandBy you can choose which folding positions start StandBy, or turn on Only While Charging if you prefer the old behavior. To edit a face, start StandBy, swipe to the face and tap Customize. On the Modular face, Smart Rotate changes widgets automatically through the day.

For the rest of the Home Screen on Duo, read our iPhone Duo Home Screen guide. To compare widget locations, see Home Screen vs Lock Screen widgets.