How to Customize Standby Mode in iOS 17

Customize Standby mode ios 17 new feature introduced in iOS 17 that allows you to turn your iPhone’s lock screen into an always-on display. When your iPhone is charging and in landscape orientation, the lock screen transitions into a customizable standby screen.

Standby mode gives you quick access to widgets, notifications, and other useful information without having to wake or unlock your iPhone. You can customize the standby screen with photos, widgets, clock designs, and more to create aunique always-on display.

In this guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to set up and customize standby mode on your iPhone running iOS 17.

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Activating Standby Mode

Activating standby mode is simple – just place your iPhone in landscape orientation while it’s charging. Here are the steps:

  1. Connect your iPhone to a charger. This can be through a Lightning cable, MagSafe charger, or wireless charger.
  2. Once connected and charging, rotate your iPhone horizontally so it’s in landscape orientation.
  3. After a few seconds, your lock screen will transition into a standby screen.

By default, the standby screen shows the time, date, battery percentage, and wallpaper. You’ll also see notifications appear on the standby screen.

Standby mode works automatically whenever your iPhone is charging in landscape orientation. To exit standby, just take your iPhone off the charger or rotate it back to portrait mode.

Customizing the Standby Screen

Once standby mode is activated, you can customize the standby screen to your liking. Here are some of the customization options:

Adding Widgets

The main customization option is adding widgets. You can swipe left and right to add different widgets like weather, calendar, reminders, activity rings, and more.

To add widgets:

  • On the standby screen, press down anywhere on the display.
  • Tap “Customize” to enter edit mode.
  • Swipe left or right to browse available widgets.
  • Tap “+” on a widget to add it to your standby screen.
  • Drag widgets to rearrange their order.

You can add up to 10 widgets on your standby screen. The widgets are interactive, so you can tap them to open the corresponding app.

Changing the Clock Style

You can change the clock to different styles like analog, digital, or word clock.

To change the clock style:

  1. On the standby screen, press down anywhere on the display.
  2. Tap “Customize” to enter edit mode.
  3. Swipe left or right until you reach the “Clock” widget.
  4. Tap the clock style to preview the different options.
  5. Select the style you want to apply.

Apple provides several different clock designs to match your personal style. Feel free to play around with the different options.

Adding Photos

For a personal touch, you can set a photo as your standby wallpaper. You can use shots from your library or a live photo for an animated effect.

To add a photo wallpaper:

On the standby screen, press down anywhere on the display.

  1. Tap the thumbnail of your current wallpaper.
  1. Select a new photo from your library or take a new live photo.
  2. Pinch and zoom to set the photo position.
  3. Tap “Set” to apply the new photo.

Photo wallpapers look great on the standby screen and help personalize your always-on display.

Showing Additional Information

By default, standby mode shows just the time, date, and battery percentage along with notifications. You can customize it to show additional useful information.

Swipe left/right on the customize screen to find and add widgets like:

  • Calendar – See upcoming events
  • Reminders – View reminder alerts
  • Activity – Track move, exercise, and stand goals
  • Weather – Current temperature and conditions
  • World Clock – See times in multiple time zones
  • Custom Text – Add custom text or reminders

Add whatever combination of info widgets you find most helpful on your standby screen.

Using Standby Mode

Once you’ve customized your standby screen to your liking, here are some tips for using standby mode on your iPhone:

  • Glance at info and notifications – Standby mode lets you quickly check the time, date, battery, and notifications without waking your iPhone.
  • Interact with widgets – Tap on widgets to open their corresponding app for more details and options.
  • Wake on raise – Your iPhone will wake from standby when you raise it to use normally.
  • Keep charging – Standby only works while your iPhone is charging. If you unplug it, the screen will turn off.
  • Use larger text – Enable “Larger Text” under Settings > Display and Text Size for easier standby screen readability.
  • Reduce brightness – Lower the brightness under Settings > Display and Brightness to limit battery drain.
  • Portrait orientation – Rotate back to portrait to exit standby mode and return to a normal lock screen.

Standby Mode Tips and Tricks

Here are some additional tips to master standby mode on your iPhone running iOS 17:

  • Use charging reminders – Enable “Remind Me to Charge” under Battery settings to ensure your iPhone stays sufficiently charged for standby mode.
  • Customize per charger – You can save different standby screen layouts for different chargers, like home vs work setups.
  • Try different wallpapers – Change up your standby wallpaper regularly to keep it feeling fresh.
  • Add important widgets first – Put your most-viewed widgets like calendar and reminders at the start.
  • Limit notifications – Reduce notification clutter by turning off non-essential apps under Settings > Notifications.
  • Use Bedtime mode – Bedtime mode will disable standby from activating during scheduled sleep hours.
  • Save battery with Dark Mode – Enable Dark Mode to use less power on OLED iPhone screens.
  • Turn off when traveling – Consider disabling standby mode under Settings when traveling or not near a charger for extended periods of time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some common questions about customizing standby mode on the iPhone:

What iPhones support standby mode?

Standby mode requires an iPhone with an OLED display – iPhone X and newer. Older iPhones do not support the feature.

Does standby mode drain my battery?

Because standby only works when your iPhone is charging, it has minimal impact on battery life. Lowering brightness can further reduce any battery drain.

Can I use standby mode overnight?

Yes, standby works great as an overnight bedside display for the time, notifications, alarms, etc. Just be sure to enable Bedtime mode to disable standby during scheduled sleep hours.

How do I exit standby mode?

To exit standby, just take your iPhone off the charger or rotate it from landscape to portrait orientation. The lock screen will return to normal.

Can I use a custom wallpaper?

Yes! Feel free to set any photo from your library or a live photo as the standby wallpaper. Just customize it through the edit mode.

Is my data safe in standby mode?

Yes, normal iOS security is maintained. Someone would need to fully unlock your iPhone to access private data. Standby only presents limited information.

Conclusion

Standby mode is a convenient feature in iOS 17 that takes your iPhone’s lock screen to the next level. With full customization over widgets, photos, clock designs, and information, you can create a tailored always-on display that fits your needs.

Experiment with different standby mode setups to find one that works for your daily charging routine. Place key info front and center for at-a-glance access to widgets, notifications, the time, and more, all without having to wake your iPhone.

With its highly customizable standby screen powered by the iPhone’s OLED display, your device will have a slick always-on look while charging in iOS 17.

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