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 realise 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.
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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.
iPhone tricks to try today
Here are some of the best…
- Typing cursor – When typing, hold down the space bar to turn your keyboard into a trackpad, letting you move around words and sentences more easily
- Close all Safari tabs – To do this in one go, simply hold the overlapped squares in the bottom right-hand corner, and press close all tabs
- Delete lots of photos quickly – Hold down on a photo and then drag your finger diagonally in Photos to select lots of images at once, then hit delete
- Convert currency quickly – Swipe down from the top of your Home screen (or swipe left to right on an iPhone X or later model), then tap in the bar and type a currency (like $200) and it will automatically covert to your local currency
- Check if you’re due a battery upgrade – Batteries inside smartphones degrade over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health, and check out the Maximum Capacity reading. Generally a battery is considered worn when you’re down to 80% capacity. If you’re below, you can buy a battery swap from Apple
- Move apps around faster – Hold an app until it starts wiggling, then (while still holding) tap other apps, causing them to stack so you can move them around easier
Apple says you can do this “by either tapping the screen, gently nudging the table your iPhone is on, or using Siri”.
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:
Read more on the Scottish Sun
- 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.