Sleep timers are a common feature on most TVs. You can start a show or movie, set a timer, and let it play while you fall asleep. Once the time is up, playback stops, and in some cases, the TV automatically powers off. For those who like to listen to music, watch videos, or play white noise on their iPhones as they drift off, a sleep timer can be a real game-changer. It ensures that your device doesn’t run all night, saving battery life and preventing audio from playing into the early hours, which could disrupt your sleep cycle. Without a sleep timer, you might find yourself waking up to sounds long after you’ve fallen asleep.

While many people turn to third-party apps for this feature, your iPhone has actually had a built-in sleep timer since iOS 7. It’s just not immediately obvious where to find it.

Here’s how to use it

You might tend to overlook the native sleep timer because it’s somewhat hidden and rarely mentioned. It’s not even labeled as a sleep timer; instead, it’s found within the Clock app under the “Timer” section.

This placement makes sense, given that it functions like a regular timer. However, rather than emitting a sound when the timer ends, it stops any media that’s playing.

It’s better than third-party solutions, and here’s why: it allows you to remove an unnecessary app from your phone. Additionally, unlike many third-party options, it doesn’t require the Clock app to remain open with the screen on for the timer to work.