Alternative for folk who can’t get the bedside mode to remain on

[Mikezoe655]

Having just installed ios17 on my 13Pro I, like many others, have been disappointed to find that it is impossible to get the display to remain on. It comes up after inserting the charger lead in landscape mode but disappears after 30 secs or so. Only by changing the slope (either increasing or reducing) will it come on again which is pointless.

The alternative for nightime checking of the time (useful when staying the night when away from home where I have a clock radio) is the following:

Choose World clock
Turn down brightness to zero
Attach charging (lead)
Prop phone up against bedside light base or anything so it’s near horizontal ie landscape

Yes the display is vertical but with your head on the pillow you can read the time perfectly!

 

[Apple_Robert]

It’s not supposed to stay on indefinitely. It comes on when the phone detects movement.

 

[Mikezoe655]

It’s not supposed to stay on indefinitely. It comes on when the phone detects movement.

i don’t believe that. Moving your hand in front of it doesn’t trigger the display and tapping the screen brings up the lock screen. Anyway the 14 pro and 15 pro allows the display to stay on permanently.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Motion does trigger the display. I did it several times last night. What I said is true.

 

[StumpyBloke]

i don’t believe that. Moving your hand in front of it doesn’t trigger the display and tapping the screen brings up the lock screen. Anyway the 14 pro and 15 pro allows the display to stay on permanently.

Believe what you like, but he is absolutely right. On no phone is it going to stay on permanently. It will come on when it detects movement.

 

[StumpyBloke]

Motion does trigger the display. I did it several times last night. What I said is true.

Exactly right. Working as designed.

 

[Mikezoe655]

Believe what you like, but he is absolutely right. On no phone is it going to stay on permanently. It will come on when it detects movement.

No it doesn’t. I’ve just tested that! A tap on the table works however. The 14-pro 15 pro have a permanently on setting which will work.

 

[pshufd]

I use an App named DigitalClock. It usually runs on old iPads for a couple of weeks at a time and it's on all the time. These are ancient iPads that are really too slow to use as tablets.

 

[teeshot44]

No it doesn’t. I’ve just tested that! A tap on the table works however. The 14-pro 15 pro have a permanently on setting which will work.

It does and has worked with movement. Check your settings under standby

 

[anthonymoody]

The 14-pro 15 pro have a permanently on setting which will work.

On a 14 Pro, here's what it says in Settings -> StandBy -> Display:

Always On (toggle)
When Always On is enabled, the display will intelligently turn off when not in use

-----
emphasis mine

 

[zorinlynx]

Apple totally bungled this feature for older iPhones. It's really disappointing.

The newer iPhones have a special low power always on screen mode, and this is great when on battery, but the thing is, when the phone is on your nightstand plugged into power, there's no need for the system to conserve battery!

Standby mode should keep the screen on continuously on all phone models that support iOS 17. This has to have been a deliberate decision on Apple's part to sell newer phones.

 

[Five_Oh]

This has to have been a deliberate decision on Apple's part to sell newer phones.

I don't understand why you think this, considering the fact even the newer phones turn the display off in stand by mode after a bit. They turn it back on when motion is detected, as someone already pointed out.

 

[roland.g]

AFAIK the motion detection for Standby Mode is limited to 14s and 15s. But I have a 14 and can't test on a 13.

 

[mebehere]

Movement means physical movement. Like nudging a table the phone is on. Just like an Apple Watch in bedside mode. The phone doesn’t actually use a motion sensor like a security camera.

 

[pshufd]

Movement means physical movement. Like nudging a table the phone is on. Just like an Apple Watch in bedside mode. The phone doesn’t actually use a motion sensor like a security camera.

You can also just say Hey, Siri or maybe Siri.

I think that it's just easier to run an App which displays the time all the time if you want an actual clock. I have Apps on my phones to do this though I usually use an iPad so I can see it from a distance.

 

[matrix07]

I think that it's just easier to run an App which displays the time all the time if you want an actual clock.

Good shout out. I have Fliqlo which do just that on my iPad but forgot to try it on my phone. The app is great but i don’t think it has an option to turn it red though.

 

[pshufd]

Good shout out. I have Fliqlo which do just that on my iPad but forgot to try it on my phone. The app is great but i don’t think it has an option to turn it red though.

The one that I use has color options. I use the fluorescent light blue. Apple does white during the day and red at night which is nice but most digital clock apps that I've seen don't have the color-switching feature.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Movement means physical movement. Like nudging a table the phone is on. Just like an Apple Watch in bedside mode. The phone doesn’t actually use a motion sensor like a security camera.

I am able to have the clock turn on just by waving my hand where the phone can see it. I don’t have to nudge anything.

 

[pshufd]

I am able to have the clock turn on just by waving my hand where the phone can see it. I don’t have to nudge anything.

I wonder if there's a Clapper App.

 

[cableguy84]

Apple totally bungled this feature for older iPhones. It's really disappointing.

The newer iPhones have a special low power always on screen mode, and this is great when on battery, but the thing is, when the phone is on your nightstand plugged into power, there's no need for the system to conserve battery!

Standby mode should keep the screen on continuously on all phone models that support iOS 17. This has to have been a deliberate decision on Apple's part to sell newer phones.

Yep. There is no hardware reason that my 13 pro max screen shouldn’t be able to continuously stay on… this is a blatant attempt by Apple to force users on older phones to upgrade

 

[fredr500]

I use Alarm Clock from iHandy. Free. Stays on all the time and has multiple alarms.

 

[tymarats]

I use an App named DigitalClock. It usually runs on old iPads for a couple of weeks at a time and it's on all the time. These are ancient iPads that are really too slow to use as tablets.

This is the way.

Thanks, @pshufd