Live Activities on iPhone: What They Are + Best Apps

What Are Live Activities on iPhone?

Live Activities are glanceable updates that live on your Lock Screen or in the Dynamic Island. They show you information that changes in real time. No more unlocking your phone to check an app.

Think about tracking your pizza delivery or watching the score of a game. Instead of a bunch of separate notifications, you get one persistent block that just updates itself. It’s a cleaner way to keep up with things as they happen.

Apple introduced this feature with iOS 16.1 back in 2022. Since then, more and more apps have started using it.

How Live Activities Work with Dynamic Island and Lock Screen

Live Activities can show up in two different places on your iPhone. Where you see them depends on your iPhone model.

On the Dynamic Island

If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or newer, you get Live Activities in the Dynamic Island. This is the pill-shaped area at the top of your screen that replaced the notch.

An active app will show a small icon or piece of information there. You can tap it to open the app, or long-press it to expand the activity and see more controls. For example, you could see album art for a song and long-press to get pause and skip buttons.

On the Lock Screen

On any iPhone running iOS 16.1 or later, Live Activities appear at the bottom of the Lock Screen. They look like rich, interactive notifications.

You can have multiple activities on your Lock Screen at once. They’ll stack up, showing you everything from your Uber’s arrival time to a running timer. This is useful for at-a-glance info when your phone is on the table.

How to Turn On Live Activities

Usually, Live Activities just work. But if they’re not showing up, you might need to check a few settings.

1. Check your iOS version. Go to Settings > General > About. You need to be on iOS 16.1 or a newer version for Live Activities to work.
2. Enable the main setting. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode. Enter your passcode, then scroll down to the ‘Allow Access When Locked’ section and make sure the ‘Live Activities’ toggle is on.
3. Check the app’s settings. Some apps require you to enable Live Activities individually. Go to Settings and scroll down to the app’s name (like Uber). Tap it and make sure ‘Live Activities’ is turned on.

For many apps, like the built-in Timer, a Live Activity will start automatically when you begin an action.

Apps That Support Live Activities

Full disclosure: we make Bobble, which is in this guide. We tell you who each app fits, including when it’s not us.

1. Uber

Uber uses Live Activities to show your ride’s progress. You can see how far away your driver is, their car details, and your trip status right on the Lock Screen.

Best for: Knowing exactly when to walk outside to meet your driver.

Watch out: The ETA can change quickly based on traffic, so it’s an estimate.

You can get Uber from the App Store. The app is free to download, and you must be 18 or older to create an account.

2. Spotify

Spotify’s Live Activity gives you a slick music controller. It shows the album art for the song you’re playing and lives in your Dynamic Island or on your Lock Screen.

A long press on the activity brings up playback controls. You can play, pause, or skip tracks without unlocking your phone. It makes managing your music much faster.

Best for: Quick music controls while you’re working out or on the go.

Watch out: If you pause your music for an extended period, the Live Activity might disappear.

Spotify is available on the App Store. It’s free with ads, with Premium plans available. The minimum age is 13.

3. Timer (Clock App)

Apple’s own Clock app has one of the most useful Live Activities. When you set a timer, it appears on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island.

You can even run multiple timers at once, and they’ll all show up. It’s perfect for cooking, workouts, or just reminding yourself to take a break. The Dynamic Island animation as the timer runs out is also a nice touch.

Best for: Simple, reliable countdowns for everyday tasks.

Watch out: You can’t add time or manage the timer from the Live Activity itself. You have to open the Clock app for that.

The Clock app is built into your iPhone but can be re-downloaded from the App Store if you’ve deleted it.

Where Bobble fits

Bobble is a social app that uses Live Activities to keep you connected to your close friends. You and your crew become 3D bobbleheads made from a selfie. Your friends’ bobbleheads then live in your Dynamic Island or on your Lock Screen widget, showing you what they’re up to with a simple status like ‘at the gym’ or ‘asleep’. It’s a fun way to feel together without sharing your exact location on a map.

The app automatically updates statuses based on general location, or you can set them by hand. It’s one of the more unique ways an app uses the Dynamic Island to feel more social and less like a plain notification.

Make your Bobble →

Best for: A close crew who wants to feel together without a constant feed or map.

Watch out: The Dynamic Island feature requires an iPhone 14 Pro or newer. Bobble is currently in a public beta, so it’s not on the App Store yet.

Try it: make your Bobble →

How to Use Live Activities in Daily Life

Live Activities are more than just a cool feature. They can actually make your day-to-day a little smoother.

• Focus on work or study. Use a timer app that supports Live Activities for the Pomodoro Technique. You can see your 25-minute work sprint counting down without picking up your phone and getting distracted.
• Never miss your ride. If you take public transit, an app like Citymapper uses Live Activities to show you real-time departures for your bus or train. You’ll know exactly when to leave for the station.
• Track your workout. Some fitness apps use Live Activities to show your run time, distance, or reps right on the Lock Screen. It helps you stay in the zone without fumbling with your phone.
• Stay connected with your crew. Social apps are starting to use Live Activities to show what friends are up to. It’s a nice way to feel close to people, similar to the trend of apps that put your friends on your home screen.

Troubleshooting Live Activities

Live Activities don’t always behave as expected. Here are common problems and how to fix them.

They aren’t showing up at all

First, double-check that you’ve enabled them in Settings > Face ID & Passcode. Then, check the specific app’s settings under the main Settings menu. If both are on and it’s still not working, a simple phone restart often does the trick.

An app asks about ‘More Frequent Updates’

You might see a popup from an app asking if you want to allow more frequent updates. This lets the Live Activity refresh its data more often, which is great for things like sports scores. The downside is that it uses more battery. You can manage this setting for each app in Settings > [App Name] > Live Activities.

An activity disappeared too quickly

An app can keep a Live Activity active for up to eight hours. After it ends, the system can keep it on your Lock Screen for another four hours before it’s automatically removed. If an activity ends sooner, it’s usually because the event itself is over, like your Uber has arrived or your timer finished.

How to stop a Live Activity

You don’t have to wait for an activity to expire. On the Lock Screen, just swipe left on the activity and tap the ‘Clear’ or ‘Remove’ button. In the Dynamic Island, the activity will typically go away on its own once the event is complete.