How to Turn Your iPhone or iPad Into a Desk Clock (2026)

To turn your iPhone into a desk clock, turn on StandBy in Settings, put the phone on a charger on its side and leave it still. It shows a large clock with no app to install. To use an iPad as a desk clock, you need a full-screen clock app, because StandBy isn't an iPad feature. Then plug it in and change Auto-Lock so the screen doesn't turn off.

The steps below come from Apple's iPhone and iPad User Guides, and app details come from each app's App Store listing, as of November 2026.

Which way should you use?

Way	Works on	Needs a charger?	Best for
StandBy	iPhone	Yes	A bedside or desk clock with nothing to install
Full-screen clock app	iPhone and iPad	Best kept plugged in	A particular look, like a flip clock, or a clock on iPad
Full-screen countdown	iPhone and iPad	Best kept plugged in	Seeing how long until the next thing, not what time it is

Option 1: use StandBy on iPhone

Open the Settings app and tap StandBy, then turn it on.
Put the iPhone on a charger, on its side, and keep it still.
Swipe left or right to move between widgets, photos and clocks.
On the clock, swipe up or down to change the style.

Two settings on the same StandBy screen are worth a look. Night Mode dims the screen in low light and gives everything a red tint, which is what you want on a bedside table. Display sets when the screen turns off: Automatically, After 20 Seconds or Never. On iPhones with an Always-On display, StandBy stays on. On other models, tap the screen or gently nudge the surface it's sitting on to wake it. Apple's guide to using StandBy has the full list.

Option 2: use a full-screen clock app

This is the way to go on iPad, or on iPhone if you want a look StandBy doesn't have. A full-screen clock only runs while the app is open in front of everything else, because iOS doesn't let apps act as a screensaver.

Pick a clock app and open it full screen. Flip clocks are the popular choice, and our list of Fliqlo alternatives compares five of them.
Look in the app's settings for an option that keeps the screen on, and turn it on if there is one.
If there isn't, change Auto-Lock (next section).
Plug the phone or tablet in and stand it where you can read it.

How to keep the screen on

Check the app first. Apple says many apps, such as video players and reading apps, stop the device from locking while they're in use, and that if an app locks when you don't want it to, you should look for a setting there. If that doesn't work, change it for the whole device:

Open the Settings app.
Tap Display & Brightness, then Auto-Lock.
Choose the longest option.

Apple notes that delaying or preventing Auto-Lock may increase power consumption, so do this on a charger. On a phone you also carry around, remember to change it back. Apple's iPad guide has the same steps under keeping the display on longer.

If you want the device held on one app, for a clock in a shared room or a kid's desk, Guided Access does that. Turn it on in Settings, under Accessibility, then Guided Access, where its Display Auto-Lock option sets how long the screen stays on during a session. Start a session from the app you want. If you later find Auto-Lock can't be changed, Apple says Guided Access may still be on. Apple's guide to Guided Access has the details.

Will it burn in the screen?

On an OLED iPhone, it's possible but takes a lot. Apple's note on OLED displays separates two things. Image persistence, a faint remnant of the last image, is temporary and goes away after a few minutes of normal use. Burn-in can occur in more extreme cases, when the same high-contrast image is shown at high brightness for prolonged periods. Apple also says iPhone adjusts individual pixels by itself to reduce those effects.

A desk clock is close to that case, since the numbers sit in the same place for hours. To lower the odds:

Turn the brightness down. A clock on a desk rarely needs more than a low setting.
Let the screen turn off at night or when you're out, instead of running it around the clock.
Choose an app that moves its pixels around. Some flip clock apps list this as burn-in protection.

Apple's note is about OLED iPhones, so check which display your model has. It's most useful if your phone is the one you still use every day.

Setting up an old iPhone or iPad as a clock

A retired phone or tablet makes a better desk clock than the one you carry, since it can stay plugged in and you won't mind a faint mark on the screen.

Update it as far as it will go. StandBy needs iOS 17, and apps have their own minimum. DuePal needs iOS 18 or iPadOS 18, for example.
Connect it to Wi-Fi. It doesn't need a SIM. Wi-Fi is enough for the clock to stay right and for apps to update.
Turn notifications off for anything you don't want lighting up your desk, or leave a Focus on.
Check the battery. A very old battery that's always on the charger is worth keeping an eye on. If it swells or the screen starts to lift, unplug it and stop using it.
Give it a stand. A cheap phone stand or a charging dock is enough. Keep it out of direct sun, since heat is hard on any battery.

For the phone you still use, iPhone's battery settings include Optimize Battery Charging, and a charge limit on supported models, which help if it spends most of the day on a charger.

When a desk clock should show the time left

A desk clock tells you it's 9:41. That doesn't always help if what you needed to know was how long you have until the 10:00 meeting. If you often look at a clock and still lose track, it may be more useful to show the time left. Our guide to time blindness goes into why.

DuePal, which we make, does this. You set the times of your day once, and it counts down to the next one, then moves on to the following one by itself.

Add a due or two, such as a stand-up at 9:30 and lunch at 12:00.
Tap the arrows on the countdown card. The clock fills the screen, with the due's name above it and its progress below, and an iPhone turns sideways by itself.
Plug it in and set Auto-Lock as above.

Full screen is free with two dues and the digital face, which shows DuePal's name faintly in one corner. The flip clock and the other 15 faces, hiding that name, and the app's own Keep Screen On setting come with Premium, so on the free version use Auto-Lock instead. There are no ads and no account.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my iPhone as a desk clock?

Yes. On iPhone the quickest way is StandBy: turn it on in Settings, put the phone on a charger on its side and keep it still, and it shows a large clock. You can also run a full-screen clock app, which works without a charger as long as Auto-Lock doesn't turn the screen off.

Does iPad have StandBy?

StandBy is an iPhone feature, and Apple's iPad User Guide doesn't include it. To use an iPad as a desk clock, open a full-screen clock app, plug the iPad in, and set Auto-Lock in Settings, under Display & Brightness, so the screen stays on.

How do I keep my iPhone screen on all the time?

In Settings, tap Display & Brightness, then Auto-Lock, and choose the longest option. Apple notes that delaying or preventing Auto-Lock may increase power consumption, so keep the phone on a charger. Many apps can also keep the screen on while they're open, so check the clock app's own settings first.

Will a clock on screen cause burn-in on my iPhone?

It can in extreme cases. Apple says burn-in on OLED iPhones can occur when the same high-contrast image is shown at high brightness for prolonged periods. Lower the brightness, let the screen turn off at night, and pick an app that moves its pixels if the phone will run a clock for many hours a day.

Free on the App Store

A full-screen clock that counts down to what's next

Set the times of your day once. DuePal shows how long until each one and moves on to the next by itself.

Download DuePal on the App Store →