Apple continued to expand and refine the Lock Screen experience in iOS 17, building on the customization features first introduced in iOS 16. The update adds a new StandBy mode, more capable widgets, and additional personalization options that make the Lock Screen more interactive and useful throughout the day.
StandBy Mode
One of the biggest additions in iOS 17 is StandBy, a new full-screen Lock Screen experience that activates when the iPhone is charging and placed horizontally in landscape orientation.
StandBy works with:
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MagSafe chargers
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Qi wireless chargers
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Lightning charging cables
The feature is similar to Nightstand Mode on the Apple Watch, but with significantly more functionality. When active, the iPhone transforms into a smart display capable of showing widgets, photos, clocks, notifications, and other useful information from across the system.
StandBy Display Options
Dual Widget Stacks
This mode displays two customizable widget stacks side by side. Users can add Home Screen widgets to each stack and swipe vertically through available widgets independently on either side.
This setup makes it possible to view multiple types of information at once, such as weather, reminders, calendars, smart home controls, battery levels, or fitness data.
Photos View
The Photos screen displays images from the user’s photo library with the current time overlaid in the corner.
Users can swipe between different photo categories, including:
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Favorites
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Nature
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Pets
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Cities
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People
Additional albums can also be added, while unwanted categories can be hidden.
For privacy protection, viewing photo details such as location and date requires the iPhone to be unlocked with Face ID or Touch ID.
Clock View
The Clock screen offers several styles and themes, including both digital and analog options.
Available digital themes include:
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Digital – Standard digital clock layout
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World – Displays a world map with highlighted location
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Solar – Features solar-themed visual effects
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Float – Shows large floating bubble-style numbers
The analog clock includes customizable accent colors, while digital themes support multiple color options and layouts.
Users can switch between StandBy views by swiping left or right, and can cycle through variations within each category by swiping vertically.
Notifications in StandBy
When the iPhone is in StandBy mode, notifications appear in a full-screen format for improved visibility.
For example, incoming Messages display:
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The sender’s name
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The Messages app icon
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Notification details when permitted
Sensitive content remains hidden unless the user is nearby and the device has been authenticated using Face ID or Touch ID.
StandBy Customization
Nearly every StandBy screen supports customization through a long press gesture.
Users can:
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Change displayed widgets
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Adjust clock styles and colors
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Customize photo themes and albums
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Modify layout preferences
This makes it easy to tailor StandBy to specific use cases such as bedside clocks, office dashboards, or smart home displays.
Always-On StandBy
On devices with always-on displays, including the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, StandBy remains continuously visible without requiring user interaction.
On iPhones without always-on display support, the StandBy screen turns off after a short time and must be reactivated with a tap.
Although StandBy is available on all compatible iPhones running iOS 17, the experience is more seamless on devices with always-on display technology.
Interactive Widgets
Widgets in iOS 17 are now interactive, making them significantly more useful directly from the Lock Screen and Home Screen.
Instead of simply opening an app when tapped, many widgets now support quick actions without leaving the current screen.
Examples include:
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Checking off tasks in the Reminders widget
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Controlling smart home devices from the Home widget
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Playing or pausing media
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Completing simple actions directly within the widget
Apple has also provided developers with APIs to add interactive functionality to third-party widgets, expanding the feature across the App Store ecosystem.
These improvements make widgets more practical for everyday use while reducing the need to constantly open full applications.
Learn More
Additional information about Lock Screen enhancements and other iOS 17 features can be found in Apple’s complete iOS 17 feature roundup.