StandBy Mode was introduced to us with the release of iOS 17. It gave the iPhone this passive but dynamic viewing mode when charging and in landscape mode. It can be used as a clock, to see the weather, as a hub for the Home app, or to help avoid distraction. I personally think this is a stepping stone to some sort of HomeOS-type interface for future products. But as it stands today, it is still very useful, especially once you start to customize it with third-party widgets. So here are some of my favorites!
If you want to get a hands-on look at each of these widgets, be sure to check out our video below. In the video, we also do a complete walkthrough of StandBy Mode. We teach you how to use it, the settings that can be adjusted and the different views you need to be aware of. Check it out below!
1. Timery
Timery is a very simple but useful app that helps with time management and tracking. I purely use the StandBy Mode widget to help focus me on certain tasks. It helps reduce distraction by gamifying certain task timing. So if I need to get something done and avoid distraction, I turn on the timery counter and then start working. Then, each session is tracked, graphed, and compared to previous sessions! The widget is simple and to the point, which is what I like for my Standby Mode widgets.
2. iScreen
I am going to put this in the category of ‘fun’. Sometimes, it’s just nice to have widgets because they look great! iScreen is a widget-based app that has 100s of different widget options to choose from. Most importantly, it has a section totally dedicated to StandBy Mode. There are fun ones to give you battery levels, widgets that show off your images as polaroids, and even more clocks to choose from. But my favorite one has to be the widget that shows you all the system data of your iPhone in real-time.
Now this is a freemium app, so it has plenty of free widgets to choose from (you just need to watch an ad first). But there are some higher-quality ones, like the one below, that require a subscription. It is $9 a year to get access to the entire catalog and remove all ads as well!
3. Sports Alerts
Now, this app won’t win any awards for its creativity when it comes to naming an app. But when it comes to function, it is perfect. I wanted a widget that had no frills, no add ons and just gave me live sports scores. This app does exactly that. You download the free app, set up your favorite teams in the app, and then set up your widget. When you place your widget, you can choose from a few options regarding what team is shown and what data, so I like to customize it to my liking. Even if there is no current live game happening, it will default to the next game coming up and even give you a countdown and pre-game odds! Excited for this during football season!
4. Lookup Dictionary
This has to be one of the simplest apps of all time and I love it. I also think that when it comes to these widget-specific apps, the simpler, the better when it comes to feature sets. Most people want the widget app just to be a widget! This app is just a dictionary database that can be used to look up words and their meanings. But the StandBy Mode widget is great for those looking to better their vocab! It gives you a new word of the day and keeps the definitions short so they are easy to remember. Most words have definitions that are shorter than four words. The words change on a daily or even hourly basis if you want to go crazy with it.
The Home app widget is basically a mini version of the Home app toggles. It gives you the top four most used accessories in your home and allows you to control them from your StandBy Mode screen. There are a few other widgets to choose from when it comes to energy consumption and optimal charging times. But I like to keep it so I can control the lights in my house with zero friction!
6. Countdown
This Countdown app does exactly what it says it does. It is purely there to have a consistent and dynamic way of viewing a countdown. It is very simple to set up and use. You go into the app and input certain dates you are looking forward to or need to be on your mind. Once those are inputed, the date that is coming up the soonest will be shown in the widget. Once that date passes, it moves on to the next one. You can customize the look, color, text size, and font of the countdown widget. So you can know when the next birthday is down to the seconds. I mainly use this for trips that we have planned and are looking forward to as well as birthdays and other big events!
7. Vitals app (iOS 18)
Since I am running the beta version of iOS 18.1, I have access to a few more widgets than those on iOS 17. The Vitals app is a new app that works with your Apple watch to track your main health vitals. It gives you an at-a-glance look at your five most important health metrics like heart rate, sleep time, temperature, and more. If you fall within a certain threshold, then you are good. But if you go above or below those thresholds, then it advises you on how to proceed. The Vitals widget is great to have a visual to see where you stand!
Final take
It seems as though we get more and more StandBy Mode widgets by the week. What is nice about these widgets is that, for the most part, if your app has a regular homescreen widget option, it will also be available as a StandBy Mode widget! As I said, I like to have my phone in StandBy mode whenever I am at my desk. I like to use it as a modern-day clock. Giving me glanceable and relevant information when I need it. I also like to use the smart rotation so it can smartly rotate to the widget that I would want to see in that moment!
What do you think of StandBy mode? Is it something you use? Which widgets would you recommend? Let’s discuss this below!
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