Unlock a Hidden iPhone Mode Just by Spinning Your Phone – StandBy Mode Revealed
An easy-to-miss iPhone mode can be unlocked just by spinning the handset on its side. A confused iPhone owner took to Reddit to ask how to make it work.
In the post, they shared a photo of an iPhone with its face entirely filled by a landscape-oriented clock. They wrote: “How do you get an iPhone to do this again? I’ve had this happen twice before and never managed to figure out how to get it to happen again.”
The iPhone owner didn’t realize that they were actually engaging StandBy Mode. Apple explains: “You can use StandBy to turn your iPhone into a bedside clock, a photo frame, a display for viewing widgets or Live Activities in full screen, and more.” This feature was added in iOS 17, so you’ll need that update to get it to work. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to see if you have the latest iOS version.
How to Start StandBy Mode on iPhone
First, go into your Settings app and tap on StandBy. You’ll need to make sure that the StandBy feature is turned on here – otherwise it won’t work. Then connect your iPhone to a charger and set it sideways, making sure that it’s totally stationary.
You can also use a wireless magnetic charging stand to keep it suspended in place: one of these made it into our best gadgets of 2023 list. Press the side button on your device to wake the screen. Then swipe left or right to switch between different widgets, photos, or clocks. And swipe up or down to scroll between the options for each of the views.
You Can Have More Detailed StandBy Modes That Show Widgets
If Night Mode is switched on, your screen will adjust for the low ambient light at night. It will switch to a red tint that is designed to not be intrusive while you sleep.
Model Matters
You’ll get a different StandBy experience depending on your phone model. If you’ve got an iPhone model with an Always-On display then StandBy will stay on. This includes the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15, Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. If you have an older iPhone without an Always-On display, you’ll need to activate StandBy manually.
Tweak It!
You can also adjust how long you want your iPhone display to stay on during StandBy. Just go into Settings > StandBy > Display. Then you can choose between three options, which Apple describes as:
- Automatically: The display turns off when iPhone isn’t in use and the room is dark.
- After 20 Seconds: The display turns off after 20 seconds.
- Never: The display stays on as long as StandBy is on.
You can change these settings at any time.