Using Live Activities in iOS 16.2 and Enabling Frequent Updates

Live Activities is a new app-based tile that can appear on the lock screen in iOS 16 and keep you up to date with information. Learn how to use them and enable frequent updates.

Image: Apple

Live Activities is a new feature in iOS 16.1 that has been revamped in iOS 16.2 to allow for more frequent updates. It allows your iPhone to show a live update from a third-party app either through Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro or on the lock screen. This live tile can display things like a game’s scores, weather information, package deliveries, and more.

This type of live information is streamed from the app’s server or updated in the background on the iPhone to provide you with the latest viewable information from third-party apps.

You can enable live activities by following these steps:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to the app on which you want to enable the live activity feature.
3. Enable the toggle for Live Activities.

Apple offers this option as a toggle option in Settings because it can further drain the battery of your devices. Consider the trade-off between having the most up-to-date information and your battery life when weighing your options.

Once complete, the app has the option to use the system setting, but there may be additional configuration for when live activities are enabled through the app itself. Check with the specific app you are using to find out what additional steps need to be completed. Most apps will present live activities on the lock screen when you exit the app.

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How to Enable Frequent Live Activity Update

To enable more frequent Live Activity updates on your iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Go to an app you want to enable Live Activities with and tap Live Activities. I will be using the TV app settings on iOS.
3. Enable the Allow live activity option, then the More frequent updates option (Figure A).

Figure A

The more frequent Live Activity update on iPhone allows more up-to-date information to be displayed in the Live Activity tile.

This feature is not yet integrated into all apps on your device, as it was new for iOS 16.2, so it will take time for developers to adopt this new feature. Your mileage when activating this feature will vary depending on the third-party app.

For a list of some of the Live Activity enabled apps on iPhone, see this article from TechRepublic: How to View Live Activity on Your iPhone Lock Screen with iOS 16.1.