Live Activities Not Working? 8 Fixes

Quick answer: why Live Activities stop working and the fastest fix

Three things usually break Live Activities. iOS disabled Lock Screen access, Low Power Mode paused background updates, or an app lost its permissions after an update.

Before digging into complex settings, run the two-minute drill. Turn off Low Power Mode in Control Center. Then go to Settings, tap Face ID & Passcode, and make sure Live Activities is switched on under locked access.

How to turn on Live Activities on iPhone

iOS needs two separate switches active to run real-time widgets on your Lock Screen or in the Dynamic Island. One lives in your system security settings. The other lives inside the specific app settings.

If you want a full breakdown of supported formats, read our guide to Live Activities on iPhone.

1. Open passcode settingsGo to Settings and tap Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode), then type your PIN.
2. Allow locked screen accessScroll down to the Allow Access When Locked section and toggle Live Activities to on.
3. Open the app settingsGo back to the main Settings page, scroll down, and tap the app you want to track.
4. Turn on app activitiesTap Live Activities inside that menu and toggle Allow Live Activities to on.

Fix 1: Check the app supports Live Activities and has one running right now

A Live Activity only appears when an event is actively happening. If you close an app without an ongoing timer, ride, or score track, nothing shows up at the top of your phone.

Apple caps these widgets hard. A Live Activity runs for 8 hours at most. After that iOS ends the session, though the stale banner can sit on your Lock Screen for up to 12 hours total unless you swipe it away.

Fix 2: Turn Live Activities back on for the app

Sometimes the permission switch gets stuck in a cached state after an iOS patch. Toggling it off and on forces the system to refresh its background session.

Go to Settings, tap the specific app, select Live Activities, and toggle Allow Live Activities off. Wait ten seconds, then toggle it back on. If the app offers More Frequent Updates, turn that switch on as well.

Why is the Live Activities setting not showing for an app?

If you open an app in Settings and see no Live Activities option at all, do not panic. iOS hides that menu until the app asks for permission for the first time.

Open the app directly and trigger a live event, like starting a workout or ordering food. The app prompts you with a system pop-up asking to allow Live Activities. Once you tap Allow, the setting stays in your iPhone Settings menu for good.

Fix 3: Turn off Low Power Mode

Low Power Mode is one of the most common reasons Live Activities freeze or fail to load. When your battery icon turns yellow, iOS cuts background network calls and halts live Lock Screen refreshes to save energy.

Open Settings and tap Battery, then turn off Low Power Mode. Faster still, swipe down from the top right corner of your screen to open Control Center and tap the yellow battery icon.

Fix 4: Check Background App Refresh and Focus settings

Live Activities rely on background data pushes from app servers. If you turned off background refresh to save mobile data, the widget cannot pull new numbers.

Go to Settings, tap General, and select Background App Refresh. Make sure the top toggle is set to Wi-Fi & Cellular Data. Scroll down and check that your target app is toggled on.

Next, check your Focus filters. Go to Settings and tap Focus. If you use Do Not Disturb, Personal, or Work modes, open the Options menu and make sure you have not hidden Lock Screen notifications or silenced the critical app alerts that feed your live feed.

Fix 5: Update the app and update iOS

Developers update their apps regularly to match new iOS requirements. If an app uses an outdated version of Apple’s ActivityKit framework, its live banners will break or glitch.

Open the App Store, tap your profile icon in the top right corner, and drag down on the screen to refresh pending updates. Tap Update All. Next, check for system software fixes by opening Settings, tapping General, and choosing Software Update.

Fix 6: Force close the app and restart your iPhone

A frozen background process can block the Dynamic Island from registering new events. If you want more tips on how the pill area handles live tasks, check our guide on how to use the Dynamic Island.

Swipe up from the bottom of your screen to open the app switcher, then swipe the app card up and off the screen. Next, restart your iPhone. Press and hold the side button and volume up button, slide to power off, wait thirty seconds, and turn your device back on.

Fix 7: Delete and reinstall the app

Did your Live Activities stop working after moving to a new iPhone or restoring an iCloud backup? This is a common bug. When you restore from a backup, push notification tokens and background permissions often disconnect from Apple servers.

Touch and hold the broken app icon on your home screen, tap Remove App, and select Delete App. Restart your phone once.

Then open the App Store, install the app fresh, log in, and grant all requested notification permissions on the first launch.

Fix 8: Reset All Settings as a last resort

If nothing else works, your device might have a corrupted system configuration file. You can clear this without erasing your personal photos, files, or messages.

Go to Settings, tap General, and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone, then tap Reset and choose Reset All Settings, which removes your Wi-Fi passwords, Bluetooth connections, Lock Screen layouts, and permission caches. Once your phone reboots, set up your Lock Screen again and re-enable your app permissions.

Still not working? When it is the app problem, not your iPhone

If you followed every step and an app like your favorite delivery tracker or sports scoreboard still refuses to update, the issue is likely on the developer server. During massive events, third-party push servers get overloaded.

Check the developer social accounts or support page to see if they reported server downtime. You can also leave feedback through TestFlight or the App Store listing so the development crew knows about the bug.

Want your friends at the top of your phone?

Live Activities are great for tracking rides, but they also bring you closer to your crew. In our apps like Locket guide, we explore how home screens and widgets help friends stay connected throughout the day.

Bobble is a free social app where you and your close friends turn into 3D bobbleheads made from a single selfie. On iPhone 14 Pro and newer, your crew lives right in the Dynamic Island and Live Activities, showing what everyone is up to, like gym, coffee, or asleep, without sharing a map pin.

Make your Bobble →