Getting a New Life for Your Old iPhone

Turning an old phone into a dedicated alarm clock is a great way to keep it useful. Here's how:

Setting it Up

First, consider what you want your old phone to do. A dedicated alarm clock is a great start.

Using StandBy Mode (iOS 17+)

Phones running iOS 17 or later have StandBy mode, which displays stylized clock faces when charging horizontally. To enable:

• Open Settings.
• Tap StandBy and toggle it on.
• Toggle on Night Mode (dims the clock in the dark).

Creating a Sleep Routine

Automate your phone for a peaceful night's sleep.

Playing Music and White Noise

1. Pick Your Playlist: Create a sleep-friendly playlist.
2. Turn Off Autoplay (Optional): To prevent endless music, disable Autoplay.
   • Open the music app.
   • Navigate to your playlist settings.
   • Toggle off Autoplay.
3. Choose White Noise: Access accessibility features for rain, ocean, or fire sounds.
   • Open Settings.
   • Tap Accessibility.
   • Tap Audio & Visual.
   • Tap Background Sounds.
   • Toggle on Background Sounds.
   • Select a sound.
   • Toggle on Use When Media Is Playing
   • Toggle off Stop Sounds When Locked
4. Create a Shortcut: Combine playlist and white noise playback.
   • Open Shortcuts.
   • Tap the + button.
   • Search for "volume" and set a percentage (e.g., 25%).
   • Search for "background" and set Background Sounds.
   • Search for "play" and select your playlist.
   • Rename the shortcut (e.g., "Sleep Routine").
5. Automate the Shortcut: Schedule the routine to start automatically.
   • In Shortcuts, tap Automation and tap +.
   • Select Time of Day and set your desired start time.
   • Ensure "Run Immediately" is checked and "Notify When Run" is off.
   • Select your newly created shortcut.

Turning Off Background Sounds

Automate turning off white noise after a set time.

1. Create a Shortcut to turn off Background Sounds.
2. Create an Automation to run this shortcut at your alarm time or a few hours after sleep.

Optimizing Battery Life

Keep your old phone's battery healthy.

• Limit Charging: Open Settings > Battery > Charging and set Charge Limit to 80 percent.

Side Quest: Stopping the Playlist Without Turning Off Autoplay

If you want the playlist to stop automatically without disabling Autoplay across all devices:

1. Note the length of your playlist.
2. Open the Clock app and tap the Timers tab.
3. Tap "When Timer Ends" and select "Stop Playing".
4. Set the timer to match your playlist length.