Learn how to make your notifications more private during StandBy Mode by disabling the preview until you tap the iPhone screen.
The handy StandBy Mode on your iPhone shows previews of incoming notifications when authorized with Face ID. This can be problematic if there are other people in the room and you accidentally look at your iPhone, revealing the notification for everyone to see.
But you can make your texts, calls, and other alerts a bit more private by configuring StandBy Mode to hide the preview until tapped. Though others in the room can still see the app that sent the notification, the notification won’t automatically expand across the whole display until taped—even if FaceID has recognized your face.
Hide notification previews in StandBy until tapped
Visit the StandBy settings on your iPhone to set all notification previews to require a tap.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone running the latest version of iOS.
- Select StandBy from the list.
- Turn on the switch for Show Preview on Tap Only in the Notifications section.
With it turned on, all notifications received while in StandBy mode shall remain locked, giving you a bit more privacy; curious folks will no longer be able to glance at a preview from across the room to read the text you just received.
Like before, Face ID needs to be able to see your face for the full notification to appear, then you can touch the notification banner to expand it to the whole screen. However, if privacy isn’t a problem and you actually prefer to show notification previews in StandBy right away, then turn the “Show Preview on Tap Only” switch off.
Disabling StandBy Mode notifications altogether
To boost your privacy further, turn off notifications in StandBy Mode altogether by going into Settings > StandBy and turning off Show Notifications. Doing so will stop incoming notifications to appear while your iPhone is in StandBy mode.
The only exception are time-sensitive notifications, which are delivered even in StandBy. This by design. If your HomePod detects the sound of a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm in your home, you’ll want to receive this critical notification—whether in StandBy mode or not.
Turn your iPhone into a bedside clock with StandBy
StandBy Mode is an excellent feature for glancing information at a distance while your iPhone is charging. It’s one of the best reasons to upgrade your old iPhone, and will only get better in the future. StandBy automatically activates when an iPhone is on a MagSafe charger, but it also works when charging via the wire in landscape mode at an angle. You can swipe left and right in StandBy to switch between widgets, Live Activities, photos, and clocks, then swipe up and down to browse through different styles for each. To avoid disrupting your sleep, be sure to change the StandBy Mode settings to display everything in a red tint during the night.
On a related note: 12 tips to secure your iPhone Lock Screen notification