How to Turn Off Live Activities on iPhone Lock Screen

Quick Answer: How to Disable Live Activities on iPhone

You have two clear paths. Disable them for individual spammy apps, or shut them off across your entire Lock Screen at once.

Apple introduced Live Activities in iOS 16.1 to display glanceable real-time info. While helpful for tracking rides, food orders, or flight gates, some aggressive apps treat your screen like an advertising billboard that demands your constant attention throughout the day without offering real value. Learning how to manage your Live Activities on iPhone puts you back in control of your display.

Method 1: Turn Off Live Activities for Specific Apps

Target individual apps in Settings to stop aggressive banners while keeping helpful ride updates intact. Silence the noise.

1. Open SettingsScroll down your main Settings list until you find the app you want to mute.
2. Tap the app nameSelect it.
3. Tap Live ActivitiesChoose the Live Activities sub-menu located beneath the Notifications tab.
4. Toggle off Live ActivitiesSwitch off the main toggle.

That app will never start a banner on your Lock Screen again. You can re-enable it anytime without resetting your other notification permissions.

Method 2: Turn Off All Live Activities on Your Lock Screen

Kill every banner on your locked display with a single master toggle. Nothing appears until you authenticate.

1. Open SettingsOpen your Settings app and scroll down to Face ID & Passcode.
2. Enter your passcodeType it in.
3. Scroll to access permissionsSwipe down to the section titled Allow Access When Locked.
4. Switch off Live ActivitiesTurn the toggle off.

This global switch stops apps from showing dynamic cards while your iPhone remains locked. If you use an iPhone 14 Pro or newer model, your Dynamic Island features continue to present active tracking sessions right at the top edge of the panel once you authenticate your device.

How to Dismiss a Single Active Live Activity Fast

Skip the Settings menu entirely. Clear active clutter right from the glass whenever a tracker overstays its welcome.

• Swipe left across the active banner on your Lock Screen.
• Tap Clear or swipe across.
• Confirm dismissal if prompted.

Dismissing a card hides the current event. The next time you order food or check in for travel, that app will display a new card normally.

Why You Should Keep Close Friend Apps Like Bobble Active

Muting commercial alerts frees up space for people who matter. Bobble is a free social app where you and your crew turn into 3D bobbleheads made from a single selfie.

For iPhone 14 Pro and newer models, your friends live right at the top of your phone in your Dynamic Island and Live Activities. Bobble shows what your crew is up to, such as gym, asleep, or vibing to music, instead of placing a pin on a map.

Make your Bobble →

Keep the friends. You can silence corporate trackers while letting your actual circle stay visible throughout the busy day.

Troubleshooting: Live Activities Still Showing Up?

When banners persist after toggling them off, a quick configuration conflict is usually the culprit.

• Check in-app notification toggles: Some apps push recurring alerts through normal notification channels rather than official Live Activities.
• Restart your device: Reboot the phone.
• Check More Frequent Updates: Turn off More Frequent Updates in individual app settings if an app drains battery by refreshing every few seconds.
• Review Lock Screen widgets: Static widgets look identical.

If you run into deeper bugs where your widgets refuse to update properly, check our guide on Live Activities not working fixes to reset your system services.