What the standby screen is and how to reach it
The standby screen is what appears on your iPhone when it's locked and sitting on a table or in your pocket — the display that shows the time, date, and widgets without you having to unlock the phone. Starting with iOS 17, Apple lets you customize this screen with your own photos, colors, and widget layouts instead of showing the default lock screen.
To change it, you unlock your iPhone and hold your finger on the lock screen until a menu appears at the bottom. You'll see options to "Customize" or add a new lock screen. Tap one of these, and you enter the editor where all your changes happen.
Key Takeaways
- Hold your finger on the lock screen itself (not the home screen) until a menu appears, then tap "Customize" to open the editor.
- You can change the background by tapping the preview image and choosing a photo, gradient, or emoji style from your library or Apple's built-in options.
- Add widgets to show information like weather, calendar, or battery level by tapping the plus icon and selecting from available widget sizes.
- Create multiple lock screens and switch between them by swiping left and right, or set one as your default standby screen.
- Changes save automatically once you tap "Done" — there's no separate save button.
Changing the background image or color
Once you're in the customization menu, the preview image at the top of the screen is what you tap to change the background. Tap it and you'll see options: "Photos" (to pick from your camera roll), "Suggested Photos" (Apple's curated images), "Emoji" (a single large emoji as your background), or color gradients.
If you choose "Photos," you can pick any image from your library. The editor will let you zoom and position it so the time and date remain readable. For emoji, you pick one and choose a color scheme — the emoji appears large behind the time. Gradients are solid color transitions; tap one and you can adjust the colors by dragging sliders.
Once you've picked a background, tap outside the preview or swipe down to close that menu and return to the main editor. Your choice is live in the preview when ready.
Adding and arranging widgets on the standby screen
Widgets are small information boxes that show live data — weather, calendar events, battery percentage, or reminders — without you opening the full app. To add one, look for the plus icon (usually at the bottom of the editor) and tap it. A list of available widgets appears, organized by app.
Tap the widget you want, and you'll see size options. Some widgets come in small, medium, or large versions; pick the one that fits your layout. Tap "Add" and the widget appears on your standby screen in the preview. You can add multiple widgets — they stack vertically or arrange depending on the space available.
To remove a widget, tap and hold it in the preview, then tap the trash icon or "Remove." To rearrange them, tap and drag a widget to a new position. Not all apps have widgets available; if an app you want doesn't appear in the list, that app doesn't yet support standby screen widgets.
Creating and switching between multiple lock screens
You're not limited to one standby screen. You can create several — one for work, one for home, one with a favorite photo — and switch between them by swiping left and right on your actual lock screen when it's displayed.
To create a new one, hold your finger on the lock screen and tap the plus icon at the bottom of the menu. This opens a blank editor where you build a new screen from scratch. Once you've finished, tap "Done" and it's saved as a separate lock screen in your rotation.
To set one as your default (the one that appears first when you wake your phone), hold your finger on the lock screen, swipe to the one you want, and tap "Set as Default." You can still swipe to others, but this one will be the starting point.
Adjusting text color and font style
The time and date text color changes automatically based on your background — light text on dark backgrounds, dark text on light ones. However, you can override this by tapping the time display in the preview. A color picker appears where you can choose a custom text color that stands out against your background.
Font style is more limited: you can't change the typeface of the time itself, but you can adjust the weight (thickness) and size in some cases depending on your iOS version. Tap the time in the preview and look for size or style sliders. Not all iOS versions offer full customization here, so your options may vary.
Syncing standby screens across your devices
If you have multiple Apple devices — an iPhone and an iPad, for example — your lock screens sync through iCloud if you're signed into the same Apple ID. Create a standby screen on your iPhone and it appears on your iPad automatically, and vice versa.
If syncing isn't working, check that iCloud is turned on: go to Settings, tap your name at the top, then iCloud, and make sure "Keychain" or "iCloud Drive" is enabled (the exact setting varies by iOS version). If you don't want screens to sync, you can turn off iCloud sync for lock screens in the same menu, though this option isn't always visible depending on your setup.
Troubleshooting common standby screen problems
If you can't see the customization menu when you hold your finger on the lock screen, make sure you're holding on the lock screen itself, not the home screen. The lock screen is what you see when your phone is locked or first wakes up. If you're on the home screen, swipe up to return to the lock screen, then try again.
If widgets aren't showing information (they appear blank or say "Loading"), the app that powers the widget may not have permission to run in the background. Go to Settings, find the app, tap "Background App Refresh," and make sure it's turned on. Some widgets also require location services or internet access to work properly.
If your changes aren't saving, make sure you tap "Done" at the top right of the editor — changes don't save until you do. If "Done" is grayed out, you may have a configuration that isn't allowed (for example, some widget combinations don't fit together); try removing a widget or changing the background and try again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a live photo or video as my standby screen background?
No. The standby screen background must be a still image, emoji, or color gradient. Live photos and videos aren't supported because the standby screen is designed to be a low-power display that doesn't animate.
Why do some apps not have widgets available for the standby screen?
App developers have to build standby screen widgets separately from regular app widgets. Older apps or apps that don't show real-time information may not have them yet. Check the App Store to see if an app update adds standby screen support.
What happens to my standby screen if I update iOS?
Your standby screens are preserved during iOS updates. However, if you update to an older version of iOS that doesn't support standby screens (iOS 16 or earlier), your customizations will be lost and you'll revert to the default lock screen.
Can I set different standby screens for different times of day?
Not automatically. You have to manually swipe to switch between your lock screens. iOS doesn't have a built-in schedule to change them at specific times, though some third-party automation apps claim to offer this through shortcuts.
Do standby screen widgets drain my battery?
Standby screen widgets use very little battery because they refresh infrequently and the display is in a low-power state. The impact is negligible compared to normal phone use, so you don't need to worry about removing widgets to save power.