Why Use Live Activities on the iPhone Lock Screen
You order dinner, put your phone down, and ten minutes later you want to know where the food is. Instead of unlocking your phone, opening the delivery app, and waiting for it to load, you just glance at the Lock Screen. There it is: your order is being prepared, then the rider is on the way, then the food is two minutes away. That is what Live Activities do. They keep a small, live card on your Lock Screen that updates itself in real time, so you can follow something as it happens without opening an app.
A Live Activity is different from a normal notification. A notification arrives once, then sits still. A Live Activity stays on your Lock Screen and changes as the event changes: a score ticks over when a goal is scored, a timer counts down, and a ride shows the car moving towards you. When the event ends, the card disappears on its own.
Live Activities arrived with iOS 16.1, and they work on every iPhone that can run that version or later. On iPhone 14 Pro and later models, they also appear in the Dynamic Island while you are using your phone. Not every app offers them: the developer has to build support in, so no setting can force an unsupported app to show one. This guide shows you how to turn them on, try them with the Timer, use them with sports, food delivery, and rides, manage them app by app, and fix them when they do not show up.
Before You Start
Live Activities have two layers of settings: the main switch that allows them on the Lock Screen at all, and a switch for each app. Both need to be on. They are turned on by default on iPhones running iOS 16.1 or later, so for most people the main switch is already where it needs to be.
Step 1: Check that your iPhone runs iOS 16.1 or later. Live Activities do not exist on older versions of iOS. Open Settings, tap General, then tap Software Update. If an update is available, install it first.
Step 2: Make sure the app you want to use actually supports Live Activities. Check the app’s page in the App Store, or look in the app’s own settings for a Live Activities option. The built-in Clock app is a safe place to test, because its Timer supports Live Activities.
Step 3: Check that notifications are allowed for the app. Live Activities are closely tied to notifications. Open Settings, tap the name of the app, tap Notifications, and make sure Allow Notifications is on and Lock Screen is ticked.
Step 4: Decide how much you want on your Lock Screen. Live Activities are visible to anyone who picks up your phone, so think twice before turning them on for an app that might show sensitive details.
One more thing to know: a Live Activity is temporary. It follows one event and ends when that event ends, and Apple limits how long one can stay on your Lock Screen.
How to Turn On Live Activities on Your iPhone
The main Live Activities switch lives under Face ID & Passcode, in the section that controls what can be shown while your phone is locked.
Step 1: Open the Settings app. Find the grey Settings icon with the gears on your Home Screen or in your App Library and tap it.
Step 2: Scroll down and tap Face ID & Passcode. On an iPhone with a Home button, this entry is called Touch ID & Passcode instead.
Step 3: Enter your passcode when asked. Your iPhone asks for your passcode before it shows these settings, because they control what is visible on your locked phone.
Step 4: Scroll down to the Allow Access When Locked section. This section lists the features allowed to appear on your Lock Screen.
Step 5: Find Live Activities in the list and turn the switch on. The switch turns green when it is on. If it is already green, the main setting is fine and you can leave it as it is.
Step 6: Lock your phone and check the setting has taken effect. Press the side button to lock your iPhone, then wake the screen. You will not see a Live Activity yet, because none is running, but the setting is now ready.
What to do if the switch is already on but nothing appears
If the main switch is on and you still never see a Live Activity, the problem is almost always at the app level: either the app does not support Live Activities, or its own switch is off.
How to Use Live Activities with the Clock Timer
The easiest way to see a Live Activity in action is with the Timer in the built-in Clock app. It needs no account, no download, and no extra setup.
Step 1: Open the Clock app. Tap the Clock icon on your Home Screen, or swipe down on the Home Screen and search for Clock.
Step 2: Tap Timers at the bottom of the screen. The Clock app has four tabs along the bottom: World Clock, Alarms, Stopwatch, and Timers.
Step 3: Set a time using the hours, minutes, and seconds wheels. Five minutes is a good test.
Step 4: Tap Start. The timer begins counting down straight away, and a small orange timer icon appears in the status bar at the top of the screen.
Step 5: Lock your phone and look at the Lock Screen. Press the side button, then wake the screen again. The timer is now shown as a Live Activity card, counting down with a pause button you can tap without unlocking the phone.
Step 6: Tap the pause button on the card to pause the timer. You can pause and resume the timer right from the Lock Screen. Tap the card itself to open the Clock app if you want the full timer view.
Step 7: Wait for the timer to finish, or tap Cancel in the Clock app to stop it. When the timer reaches zero, the alarm sounds and the Live Activity ends. The card clears itself from the Lock Screen shortly afterwards.
How to Follow Sports Scores with Live Activities
Sports scores are one of the best uses for Live Activities, because a match changes every few minutes and you do not want to unlock your phone each time. Many sports apps offer a Live Activity for a match you choose to follow.
Step 1: Open your sports app and find the match you want to follow. Look for a live or upcoming match on the app’s home screen, or search for a team to see its next fixture.
Step 2: Tap the match to open its detail page. The detail page shows the teams, the kick-off time, and the score once the match has started.
Step 3: Look for a Follow, Track, or Live Activity option. Different apps label it differently: a star or bell icon, or a button that says something like Follow Live. If you cannot find any such option, the app may not support Live Activities for that match.
Step 4: Allow the Live Activity when your iPhone asks. The first time an app tries to show a Live Activity, your iPhone may ask you to allow it. Tap Allow. If you tap Don’t Allow by mistake, you can change it later in the app’s settings.
Step 5: Lock your phone and check the Lock Screen. Once the match starts, the score card appears on your Lock Screen and updates as goals are scored and the clock moves on.
Step 6: Stop following the match when it ends. Most sports apps end the Live Activity automatically when the final whistle blows. If the card stays around, open the app and tap the follow option again to unfollow the match.
How to Track Food Delivery and Rides with Live Activities
Food delivery and ride-hailing are the everyday cases where Live Activities save the most taps. When you order food, the app can show each stage of the order on your Lock Screen, with an arrival estimate that updates as the rider moves. When you book a ride, the card can show the car approaching and the arrival time.
Step 1: Place your order or book your ride as normal. Open the delivery or ride-hailing app, choose your food or destination, and confirm. Nothing about the ordering process changes.
Step 2: Watch for the Live Activity prompt. Some apps ask the first time whether you want to allow Live Activities. If a prompt appears, tap Allow. If no prompt appears, the app may start the Live Activity on its own.
Step 3: Lock your phone and glance at the Lock Screen. The card should appear within a few seconds of the order being confirmed. It shows the current stage of the order and an estimated time, and it updates as the order moves to the next stage.
Step 4: Tap the card if you need more detail. Tapping the Live Activity opens the app to the tracking screen, where you can see the map and the rider or driver details. For a quick check, the Lock Screen card is usually enough.
Step 5: Follow the card through each stage of the order. As the order moves from confirmed to picked up to on the way, the card changes to match, and the estimated arrival time adjusts as the rider moves.
Step 6: Let the Live Activity end on its own when the order arrives. Once the food is delivered or the ride is complete, the card finishes and clears itself from the Lock Screen. You do not need to dismiss it by hand.
How to Manage Live Activities for Each App
The main switch under Face ID & Passcode controls whether Live Activities can appear on your Lock Screen at all. Each app also has its own switch, so you can allow the feature for the apps you care about and turn it off for the ones you do not.
Step 1: Open the Settings app. Tap the Settings icon on your Home Screen.
Step 2: Find the app in the Settings list. On iPhones running iOS 18 or later, tap Apps near the bottom of the Settings list, then tap the app. On earlier versions, the apps are listed directly at the bottom of the main Settings screen.
Step 3: Look for the Live Activities switch on the app’s settings page. The switch sits on the same page as the app’s notification and location settings. If there is no Live Activities switch on the page, the app does not support the feature.
Step 4: Turn the switch on for apps you want updates from. This is the setting to check for a sports, delivery, or ride app that should be showing Live Activities but is not.
Step 5: Turn the switch off for apps you do not want updates from. If an app keeps showing Live Activities you do not care about, turn its switch off. That app will stop putting cards on your Lock Screen, while your other apps carry on as normal.
Step 6: Repeat for each app you want to change. There is no single page that lists every app’s Live Activities switch, so you change them one app at a time. It only takes a few seconds per app.
Turning Live Activities off completely
If you would rather not have Live Activities at all, go back to Settings, then Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, and turn off the Live Activities switch under Allow Access When Locked.
Live Activities on the Dynamic Island vs the Lock Screen
If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or a later Pro model, Live Activities can appear in two places: the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island. On older iPhones, or standard models without the Dynamic Island, they appear only on the Lock Screen.
The Lock Screen shows the full Live Activity card: the score or countdown in big text, the current stage of an order, and buttons such as pause for a timer. The Dynamic Island shows a compact version while you are using your phone: a small pill appears around the camera cut-out at the top of the screen, showing the most important detail at a glance. Long-press it to expand the full card, or tap it to open the app behind the activity.
There is nothing extra to set up for the Dynamic Island: if Live Activities are on and an app starts one, it appears there automatically. The same switches control both places.
Common Problems and How to Fix Them
Live Activities do not show up at all. Check the three basics: your iPhone needs iOS 16.1 or later, the main switch under Settings, then Face ID & Passcode must be on, and the app itself must support Live Activities. Test with the Clock Timer first. If the Timer works and the app does not, the app is the problem, not your phone.
The main Live Activities switch is missing. If you cannot find the Live Activities toggle under Face ID & Passcode, your iPhone is almost certainly running a version of iOS older than 16.1. Go to Settings, then General, then Software Update, and install the latest update.
One app shows Live Activities but another does not. Open Settings, find the app that is not working, and check its own Live Activities switch. If the switch is off, turn it on. If there is no switch on the app’s settings page, the app does not support Live Activities, and no setting can add the feature to it.
The Live Activity appears, then disappears too soon. A Live Activity ends when its event ends, so a timer that finishes or a match that ends will clear its card. Live Activities also have a time limit by design. If the card vanishes while the event is still running, check that the app is up to date and allowed to run in the background.
You tapped Don’t Allow by mistake. If you declined the Live Activity prompt the first time an app asked, the app cannot show Live Activities until you change that choice. Open Settings, find the app, and turn its Live Activities switch on.
Live Activities are draining the battery. Live Activities use a little extra battery, because they update over the internet and keep the card fresh. The effect is small for one activity, but it adds up if several run at once, so turn them off for apps you do not need them from.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an iPhone 14 Pro to use Live Activities? No. Live Activities work on any iPhone running iOS 16.1 or later, and they appear on the Lock Screen. The Dynamic Island is the extra feature that needs an iPhone 14 Pro or later. On older iPhones, the Lock Screen card is the whole experience, and it works just as well.
Are Live Activities turned on by default? Yes. On iPhones running iOS 16.1 or later, the main switch is on by default, and most supported apps will ask to show them the first time they have something live to report. If you turned the switch off before, turn it back on under Settings, then Face ID & Passcode.
Can I choose which apps show Live Activities? Yes. Each app has its own Live Activities switch in Settings. Find the app in the Settings list, or under Settings, then Apps on iOS 18 and later, and turn its Live Activities switch on or off. Turning one app off does not affect any other app.
Do Live Activities work when my phone is locked? Yes, that is their main purpose. The card sits on the Lock Screen and updates while the phone stays locked, which is why the main switch lives under Face ID & Passcode, in the Allow Access When Locked section.
How long does a Live Activity stay on the Lock Screen? A Live Activity stays until its event ends, such as a timer finishing or a match ending, and then it clears itself. Apple also limits how long one can stay active.
Why does my favourite app not offer Live Activities? The app developer has to add support for Live Activities, and not every app has done so yet. No iPhone setting can make an unsupported app show one. Check the App Store for an update, or send the developer a feature request.
Final Thoughts
Live Activities turn your Lock Screen from a static clock into a live window on whatever you are waiting for. Check that your iPhone runs iOS 16.1 or later, make sure the Live Activities switch is on under Settings, then Face ID & Passcode, and try the Clock Timer to see the feature working in under a minute.
Start with one activity at a time and see how it fits your day. A timer counting down while you cook, a score updating while a match is on, or a delivery moving towards your door are the moments where Live Activities earn their place.
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