Standby mode was introduced to us with the release of iOS 17. It gave the iPhone this passive but dynamic display mode when charging and in landscape mode. It can be used as a clock to show the weather, as a hub for the Home app, or to avoid distractions. Personally, I think this is a stepping stone to some sort of HomeOS-like interface for future products. But as it is today, it’s still very useful, especially when you start customizing it with third-party widgets. So here are some of my favorites!
If you want to see each of these widgets first hand, be sure to check out our video below. In the video, we also show you Standby Mode. We show you how to use it, what settings you can adjust, and what different views you need to know about. Check it out below!
1. Time
Timery is a very simple but useful app that helps with time management and tracking. I use the standby mode widget exclusively to focus on specific tasks. It helps reduce distractions by gamifying certain task times. So when I need to get something done and avoid distractions, I turn on the timer counter and 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 about my standby mode widgets.
2. iScreen
I’m going to put this in the “fun” category. Sometimes it’s just nice to have widgets because they look great! iScreen is a widget-based app that has hundreds of different widget options to choose from. Most importantly, there’s a section entirely dedicated to standby mode. There are fun widgets that show you the battery level, widgets that show your pictures as polaroids, and even more clocks to choose from. But my favorite widget is the one that shows you all of your iPhone’s system data in real time.
This is a freemium app, so there are plenty of free widgets to choose from (you just have to watch an ad first). However, there are some higher quality ones, like the one below, that require a subscription. For $9 a year, you get access to the entire catalog and can remove all ads too!
3. Sports warnings
While this app won’t win any awards for creativity when it comes to naming an app, it’s perfect in terms of function. I wanted a no-frills, no-additional-features widget that would simply give me live sports scores. And that’s exactly what this app does. 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 for which team and data to display, so I like to customize it to my liking. Even if there’s no live game on, it defaults to the next game and you even get a pre-game countdown and odds! I’m looking forward to this during football season!
4. Look up the dictionary
This has to be one of the simplest apps ever and I love it. I also think that with these widget-specific apps, the simpler the better in terms of feature set. Most people want the widget app to just be a widget! This app is just a dictionary database where you can look up words and their meanings. But the StandBy Mode widget is great for anyone looking to improve their vocabulary! It gives you a new word of the day and keeps the definitions short so they’re easy to remember. Most words have definitions shorter than four words. The words change daily or even hourly if you want to go all out with it.
The Home app widget is basically a mini version of the Home app switches. It shows you the four most used devices 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 usage and optimal charging times, but I like to keep it so I can control the lights in my house seamlessly!
6. Countdown
This countdown app does exactly what it says on the tin, it’s just designed to display a countdown in a consistent and dynamic way. It’s very easy to set up and use. You open the app and enter specific dates that you’re looking forward to or want to keep an eye on. Once those are entered, the date that’s coming up next will appear 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. This allows you to know down to the second when the next birthday is. I use it primarily for trips we have planned and are looking forward to, as well as birthdays and other big events!
7. Vitals app (iOS 18)
Since I’m using the iOS 18.1 beta, I have access to a few more widgets than I did on iOS 17. The Vitals app is a new app that works with your Apple Watch to track your key health metrics. It gives you an overview of your five most important health metrics, like heart rate, sleep time, temperature, and more. If you’re within a certain threshold, you’re fine. But if you go above or below those thresholds, you’ll get advice on how to proceed. The Vitals widget is great for visually seeing where you stand!
Last attempt
It seems like we’re getting more standby mode widgets every week. The nice thing about these widgets is that if your app has a regular homescreen widget option, in most cases it will also be available as a standby mode widget! As I said, I like to have my phone on standby when I’m sitting at my desk. I like to use it as a modern clock. It gives me relevant information at a glance when I need it. I also like to use the smart rotation so it can intelligently rotate to the widget I want to see at that moment!
What do you think about standby mode? Do you use it? What widgets would you recommend? Let’s talk about it below!
FTC: We use income generating auto affiliate links. More.
