Google may be developing an Android equivalent to iOS’s Standby Mode, which will let you transform your Android phone into a smart display.
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Google appears to be developing an Android equivalent to iOS’s Standby Mode, hinted at by a Google Play Services update and code found in Android 16.
This new feature will likely leverage an enhanced Hub Mode, which is being optimized for phones and will integrate lock screen widgets in Android 16 QPR1.
The rollout of Qi2 magnetic wireless charging for Android devices is a key enabler, allowing phones to be easily docked horizontally like smart displays.
One of iOS’s standout features is Standby Mode, which transforms an iPhone into a mini smart display. When charging and placed horizontally, iPhones activate Standby Mode, displaying a full-screen clock, photo frame, widgets, or Live Activities. This feature particularly shines when using a MagSafe charger, as it truly gives the iPhone the appearance of a smart display. While Android currently lacks a direct equivalent to iOS’ Standby Mode, there are hints that Google may be developing its own version. Here’s how I know.
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Last week, Google updated its Google System Release Notes page with an intriguing line for Google Play Services v25.18. It mentions a “new feature” that lets you “use Cast on standby-friendly devices,” specifically tagged with [Phone], indicating it’s for the mobile version of Android, not Wear OS, Google TV, Google Play Games on PC, or Android Automotive.
While somewhat ambiguous, we interpret this to mean Android mobile devices can now cast content to “standby-friendly” devices. Existing Google Cast-compatible devices—like Google TV, Google Home smart speakers and displays, and tablets in Hub Mode—likely don’t fall into this new “standby-friendly” category, suggesting Google is referring to a different set of hardware.
