Guides
Turn an old iPhone or iPad into a photo frame
The iPhone in your drawer is a better photo frame than most you can buy: a bright screen, a charger you already own, and StandBy, which shows a widget full screen whenever the phone is charging in landscape. DailyAlbum gives that widget one photo a day.
Setup in three steps
1. Install DailyAlbum on the old iPhone (iOS 17 or later) and sign in to the same iCloud account as your main phone, or accept a family invitation from the person whose days you want to see.
2. Put the phone on a charger in landscape. StandBy starts on its own. Swipe to the widget page and add the DailyAlbum widget.
3. That is all. The photo changes once a day. The date and the note sit in the corner, the way a caption sits under a print.
Which devices work
StandBy needs iOS 17, so an iPhone XS or newer. Always-on display (the frame staying lit without a tap) needs an iPhone 14 Pro or newer; older models show the frame when you tap or when the phone is moved, and dim otherwise. An iPad on a stand can run Frame Mode full screen instead.
At night, StandBy turns red and dims by design; it is meant to sit on a bedside table.
Frame Mode for a bigger picture
Open DailyAlbum and start Frame Mode: the photo hangs in a wooden frame on a plain wall, the date and note directly under it, and the picture quietly changes at the interval you set. Frame Mode is free with a time limit; DailyAlbum Plus removes the limit. Connect the phone to a TV with AirPlay or an HDMI adapter and the frame appears on the TV alone.
Questions
Does the old iPhone need a SIM or a phone number?
No. Wi-Fi and an iCloud sign-in are enough.
Will it burn in the screen?
StandBy and Frame Mode both shift the image slightly over time. Frame Mode also changes the photo at intervals.
Can it show photos from someone else's phone?
Yes, with DailyAlbum Family. The person sharing subscribes; the old iPhone only needs the free app and the invitation.