iPhone StandBy Mode Wizard (2026) — Find Your Best Bedside Display

Tell us about your nightstand routine

Your iPhone model (StandBy needs iOS 17+) How do you charge your iPhone overnight? Your bedroom lighting at night What do you most want at a glance? (check all) Do you use Sleep Focus? Sleeping situation

The Three StandBy Views

StandBy has three main views you switch between by swiping horizontally on the locked, charging iPhone in landscape orientation:

1. Widget Stack View (default)

Two stacks of widgets, side-by-side. Swipe vertically to cycle through widgets in each stack. Widgets available: Clock, Calendar, Reminders, Weather, Stocks, Photos, Music, Smart Home, Fitness, Files, Notes, Contacts, Mail, Maps, News, Podcasts. Best for: high-information density at a glance.

2. Photo View

Curated photo carousel. iPhone uses your library's Featured Photos, Memories, or a specific album. Best for: family photo frame replacement on the nightstand.

3. Clock View

Five clock face styles: Digital, Analog, World, Solar, Float. Best for: minimal distraction, just want to see the time at 3 AM without lighting up the room.

StandBy Settings That Matter

Setting	Path	Why it matters
StandBy ON/OFF	Settings → StandBy	Master toggle — enables the entire feature
Night Mode	Settings → StandBy → Night Mode	Red-tinted display at night to preserve dark adaptation
Display	Settings → StandBy → Display	Always-On (iPhone 14 Pro+/15 Pro+/16 Pro+) or 20-second dim
Notifications	Settings → StandBy → Show Notifications	Show / hide / preview-only — bedroom privacy choice
Show Preview	Settings → StandBy → Show Preview on Tap Only	Hide message previews until you tap

Recommended Stands for StandBy

Stand	Type	Price	Why
Apple MagSafe Charger + Anker 3-in-1 Stand	MagSafe stand	$80-130	Cleanest landscape MagSafe; charges Watch + AirPods too
Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 with MagSafe	MagSafe stand	$150	Apple-certified, 15W to iPhone, charges Watch + AirPods
Spigen MagFit Stand	MagSafe puck mount	$25	Cheap, holds your existing MagSafe puck in stand
Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe	MagSafe stand	$100	Premium build, multiple angles
Anker 633 Magnetic Wireless Charger	MagSafe stand	$80	Foldable for travel, doubles as bedside

Critical: StandBy requires the iPhone to be in landscape (horizontal) orientation. Vertical-only chargers (most plain MagSafe pucks on flat surfaces) will NOT trigger StandBy. You need a stand that holds the phone sideways.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why won't StandBy turn on?Three requirements: (1) iPhone is plugged in or on wireless charger. (2) iPhone is in landscape orientation. (3) iPhone is locked. If any of these is false, StandBy doesn't activate. Also: iOS 17+ required.

How do I switch between Widget, Photo, and Clock views?Swipe horizontally on the locked iPhone in StandBy. Three swipes through three views.

How do I change which widgets show?Tap and hold on a widget in StandBy → "+" appears → add Smart Stack widgets. Or open the widget stack on iPhone home screen, edit, and they sync to StandBy.

Will StandBy drain my battery overnight?No — your iPhone is plugged in. Always-On adds about 10% battery drain on a non-charging iPhone, but StandBy only runs while charging. Net: zero drain.

Does StandBy work on iPhone 13?Yes for the StandBy feature, but the display dims after 20 seconds because iPhone 13 lacks Always-On. Tap the screen to wake StandBy when needed.

Can I customize Night Mode?Night Mode is automatic — based on ambient light, your iPhone shifts to a red-tinted display. You can't manually trigger it but you can disable it in Settings → StandBy → Night Mode.

Does StandBy show alarms?The alarm appears as a notification when it goes off. You can also set an alarm widget that shows your next alarm time in advance.

Can I use StandBy as a smart home dashboard?Yes. Add the Home widget to your StandBy widget stack — control lights, locks, scenes from the bedside.

What happens if I get a call during StandBy?Incoming calls take over the StandBy display with a full-screen caller view. After the call, it returns to StandBy.

Sleep Focus Integration

Sleep Focus + StandBy is the dream combo (literally). Configure both to:

Auto-trigger when you plug in your iPhone at bedtime: Sleep Focus enables → StandBy lights up.
Silence all notifications except your designated favorites (spouse, kids, on-call work).
Wake-up alarm at your set time. StandBy then auto-disables Sleep Focus when you tap snooze or stop the alarm.
Wind-down screen 30-60 minutes before bed — StandBy can show a calm clock face during your wind-down period.

Setup: Settings → Focus → Sleep → Customize Lock Screen. Then Settings → Health → Sleep → Schedule → set your bedtime and wake time.

Privacy and Bedroom Considerations

StandBy can show notification previews, message contents, calendar event titles — visible to anyone who walks by your nightstand. Three privacy tiers:

High privacy: Settings → StandBy → Notifications → OFF entirely. Settings → Notifications → Show Previews → When Unlocked.
Medium privacy: Notifications appear but Settings → StandBy → Show Preview on Tap Only ON.
Low privacy: Show notifications + previews. Useful if you live alone or want to see incoming context immediately.

If you sleep with a partner who you'd rather not have see your unfiltered notifications, choose High or Medium.

iPhone StandBy Mode Wizard