iPhone Charging Animation: Change What You See When You Plug In

Apple’s guides describe two official ways to change what your iPhone shows while it charges: StandBy, which turns the charging iPhone into a clock, photo frame or widget display, and a personal automation in the Shortcuts app that runs when you connect a charger. Neither needs a jailbreak or anything outside the App Store. iOS doesn’t let apps change the built-in charging animation; an app such as CleanX can only show its own scene inside the app when an automation opens it.

Use StandBy as your charging screen

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   Step 1: Turn on StandBy

   Open the Settings app, tap StandBy and make sure StandBy is turned on.

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   Step 2: Charge it on its side

   While on the Lock Screen, connect your iPhone to a charger and set it down on its side, keeping it stationary. On iPhone Duo, Apple says you partially fold it like a book or a tent instead, and no charger is needed.

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   Step 3: Pick a face

   Swipe left or right to switch between widgets, photos and clocks. Swipe up or down to scroll between styles for each one.

In Settings › StandBy you can also turn on Night Mode (in low light the screen dims and turns red), Show Notifications, and under Display choose when the screen turns off. To keep it on while charging, choose Never.

Run something when you plug in with a Shortcuts automation

Apple says the Charger trigger fires when you start or stop charging, whether with a cable, wirelessly or with a charging case. The steps below follow Apple’s Shortcuts User Guide.

iOS 27

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   Step 1: Add the Charger trigger

   In the Shortcuts app, tap an existing shortcut or create a new one with the actions you want. Tap Edit, then Automation, and choose Charger.

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   Step 2: Let it run without asking

   Tap the shortcut, tap Edit, then the Info button. Tap Privacy and turn on Allow Running When Locked.

iOS 26 and earlier

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   Step 1: Open Automation

   Open the Shortcuts app and tap Automation. If you already have automations, tap the + button in the upper-right corner.

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   Step 2: Choose the Charger trigger

   Tap Create Personal Automation if you see it, then choose Charger, select Is Connected and tap Next.

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   Step 3: Add actions

   Tap Add Action and pick what should happen, for example an app’s action from the Apps list. Tap Next, then Done.

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   Step 4: Let it run without asking

   Tap the automation, turn off Ask Before Running, then tap Don’t Ask.

Without that last step, iOS sends a notification asking you to run the automation each time you plug in. Apple notes the automation is specific to the device: it’s backed up to iCloud but doesn’t sync to your other devices.

If the charging screen doesn’t change

• StandBy doesn’t appear: check that StandBy is on in Settings, the iPhone is locked and charging, and it’s lying on its side without moving.
• StandBy turns off after a while: in Settings › StandBy › Display, choose Never.
• The automation only shows a notification: on iOS 27, turn on Allow Running When Locked in the shortcut’s Privacy settings; on iOS 26, turn off Ask Before Running.
• Nothing happens at all (iOS 26): tap the automation and make sure Enable This Automation is on.

Good to know

• A charger automation runs every time you plug in, not only at night or on a stand. If that’s too often, turn it off when you don’t need it.
• To pause an automation without deleting it on iOS 26, tap it and turn off Enable This Automation.
• Freeing up space too? See how to free up space on iPhone.