You won’t need Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo to enjoy some of its more useful StandBy features for much longer.
With iOS 27.3, Apple is bringing expanded StandBy customization to iPhone 11 and newer models, including additional clock options, new faces, and support for Shared Albums.
The improvements are currently available in the first developer beta, with a public release expected in December.
More Clock Customization and Two New Faces
StandBy turns your iPhone into a bedside display when placed horizontally on a charger, showing clocks, photos, and useful information at a glance.
The upcoming update introduces several customization options previously exclusive to the iPhone Duo.
Here’s what’s changing:
- More clock colors: Analog and Digital Clock faces gain additional color choices.
- Customizable complications: Add or rearrange information such as weather, calendar events, and battery status.
- Shared Albums: Display photos from shared iCloud albums instead of being limited to your personal library.
- Calendar face: A new layout dedicated to upcoming events and appointments.
- Weather face: A dedicated view for checking weather conditions.
Apple is also adding the ability to create multiple versions of the same StandBy face and switch between them with a swipe.
For example, you could keep a simple clock for nighttime and a more detailed weather display for the morning without repeatedly changing your settings.
One iPhone Duo Feature Remains Exclusive
Although iOS 27.3 brings more customization to older iPhones, it doesn’t replicate every StandBy capability of the Duo.
On Apple’s foldable phone, StandBy can work in book or tent configurations without requiring a charger.
Traditional iPhones will still need to be positioned horizontally while charging to activate StandBy.
More Changes Coming in iOS 27.3
The StandBy improvements arrive alongside several other additions, including vertical tabs in Safari, expanded Apple Intelligence availability in China, and the return of Apple’s redesigned Health app.
iOS 27.3 is currently in developer testing, with the public update expected in December.
