How to set up and turn on the Apple iPhone sleep timer

Does the Apple iPhone have a sleep timer? Yes,  I will give you guided instructions on how to turn on and set up the sleep timer on your iPhone.

How to turn on the iPhone sleep timer

How to set up and turn on the Apple iPhone sleep timer

  1. Tap the clock icon on your home screen.
  2. Then tap Timer at the bottom right of the screen.
  3. Use the sliders to set the amount of time you would like before sleep
  4. Tap When Timer Ends and scroll all the way to the bottom, select Stop Playing
  5. At the top right of the screen, tap Set.
  6. Tap the green Start button.

How to check the Apple sleep Timer is working?

Follow the instructions above and set the timer for 2 minutes, then play a Youtube clip or play some music. If you have set it up correctly the timer will stop playing at the allotted time.

Why use the iPhone Sleep timer?

If like me you have difficulty getting to sleep then listening to an audiobook, watching a YouTube clip or Netflix often helps but there is nothing worse than waking up with a flat battery.

If you do not enable the iPhone sleep timer then you will be draining your battery all night long which could cause the iPhone to get really hot and if done regularly could deplete the overall battery life span of your phone.

Does the iPhone sleep timer turn off my phone?

If you are thinking will I still be able to get calls or messages after the iPhone sleep time has activated? Yes, you will as the sleep timer or rather the Stop Playing feature will only stop whatever you have playing on the device, it will continue to function as normal.

Is there a short cut to the sleep timer?

Yes, depending on which model of iPhone you have you can quickly enable the sleep timer by accessing the control centre on your iPhone.

  1. On iPhone 8 or older swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the control centre or on iPhone X or newer, swipe down from top right of the screen.
  2. Then press and hold the Timer icon. Your last set time interval will be default but you can edit this.
  3. Tap the Start button.
  4. Then close the screen by double-tapping anywhere else on the screen and start playing your media.

Additionally, you can press and hold the Clock icon on the home screen for a list of options.


Can Siri set a sleep timer?

Yes and no, what I mean by that is if you ask Siri to set a sleep timer she will tell you that she cannot. However, if you have already manually set your timer settings so that When Timer Ends it will Stop Playing, then if you ask Siri to ‘set a timer for X minutes’ she will and the default setting will be the sleep timer.

Will the sleep timer work with Netflix?

Yes, the sleep timer on the Apple iPhone and iPad is designed to stop playing anything that you have playing. For example, YouTube, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, music, audiobooks, etc.

Are there third-party iPhone apps available?

Yes, and a quick look around the Apple store will give you many options. As I have not found the need to use these apps I cannot recommend or endorse them. However, if you have found a good one feel free to let me know in the comments below.

Is there anything else I should know?

Yes, one last thing, if you decide to use the sleep timer feature and then use your iPhone to time how long your roast dinner has been in the oven, remember to set the timer back to an alarm otherwise when the timer ends you will not be notified and your dinner will be burnt!

If you would like more information then the Apple community pages are helpful or if you would like to see more from me click here.

I hope I helped you if I did please say hi in the comments below and remember to share this article with other people you think it might help.

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