How to set up and use Standby mode in iOS 17: turn your iPhone into a nightstand display

(Image credit: Future)

iOS 17 is bringing a slew of new features to iPhone including Standby Mode that turns your iPhone into a great nightstand display while charging. Here’s how to use it.

I say nightstand, as that is the way I personally use it. It looks fantastic on my iPhone 14 Pro Max! But there are a ton of ways this could be useful — given the fact it can present a lot of different information, such as calendar appointments, weather, and the music being played.

On top of that, there’s also third party support, so you can easily see the progress of your latest Uber Eats order. I’ve seen friends using it on their desk, in the living room, and even in the kitchen. It’s immediately useful across a variety of scenarios, so here is how to set it up.

How to set up and use Standby mode in iOS 17

Step 1: Go to Settings, scroll down, and tap on Standby Mode.

Step 2: Make sure the Standby Mode switch is toggled on.

Step 3: Place your iPhone on a charging stand and flip it horizontally. Standby Mode will activate automatically.

iOS 17 StandBy on an iPhone 14 Pro docked on a Belkin 2-in-1 charging stand — (Image credit: Laptop Mag)

Step 4: Press and hold the StandBy Mode display to pick any widgets you wish to present.

Jason brought a decade of tech and gaming journalism experience to his role as a writer at Laptop Mag, and he is now the Managing Editor of Computing at Tom's Guide. He takes a particular interest in writing articles and creating videos about laptops, headphones and games. He has previously written for Kotaku, Stuff and BBC Science Focus. In his spare time, you'll find Jason looking for good dogs to pet or thinking about eating pizza if he isn't already.