StandBy is a Lock Screen mode that activates when an ‌iPhone‌ is plugged into a charger and positioned in a horizontal (or landscape) orientation. It consists of three different screens, one of which is the fullscreen photos view. Keep reading to learn how you can customize it.


StandBy's second screen shows content from your Photo Library, with the current time overlaid in the top right corner. The photos screen is also interactive and customizable, but this requires your ‌‌iPhone‌‌ to be unlocked so no one can see your images without your permission.

Once you've done that, you can see the date and location of the photo if you tap, which will also reveal a View in Photos button that when pressed takes you to the place in your Photo Library where the picture is located.

standby
You can swipe up and down to change between themes like Favorites, Nature, Pets, Cities, and People. You can also hide any themes that you don't like, and add additional albums. The steps below show you how it's done.

  1. With your ‌iPhone‌ unlocked, charging, and in a horizontal position, swipe left on the first StandBy mode screen.
  2. Press and hold the photo displayed on the screen.
  3. You can swipe up and down to view the different themes, and tap the eye icon in the top-left corner of each photo collection to include or exclude it from StandBy mode (when excluded, the eye icon will have a line through it and the photo will dim).
  4. To add a specific album to the collection, tap the + button in the top-left corner of the screen, then tap the album you want to include.
  5. Tap Done if you're happy, or tap the minus button on the album you just added to remove it.

standby

You can also customize the widgets screen in StandBy mode. Check out our dedicated guide for more help.

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...