iOS 16 introduced exciting new features like a customizable lock screen, message editing, passwords and more. One of these features is Live Activities, which makes the lock screen more useful. However, Apple did not include the feature in the initial release of iOS 16.
Later, in iOS 16.1, Apple allowed third-party developers to use Live Activities with the Live Activities API, and they began adding Live Activities support to their apps. Below we have compiled a list of the best iPhone apps that support Live Activities. So keep reading.
What are Live Activities in iOS 16?
Live Activities are notifications on the lock screen that stay on top of your notifications and show real-time updates of any ongoing event. The best thing about Live Activities is that you can check your lock screen for real-time updates without opening the app. It is one of the best features of iOS 16.
For example, if you order food through a supported food delivery app, you can track its status from the lock screen without opening it repeatedly.
To access Live Activities, you need an iPhone running iOS 16.1 or later. And if you have an iPhone 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max, Live Activities will also appear on Dynamic Island.
Top apps that support live activities
Many apps currently support Live Activities, including timers, sports alerts, delivery apps, and others. Here are some of the best Live Activities apps for iPhone.
1. Flying
Flighty allows you to track the status of any flight, including departure and arrival times, delays, forecast prediction and more.
You can track flights accurately on the lock screen with Live Activities. You can also see your flight number, gate information and departure and arrival times.
Flighty is free to download and use with no ads, and the free version allows you to track multiple flights. However, to use the Live Activities feature, you must upgrade to the Pro subscription, which costs $5.99/month or $49.99/year.
Download: Flighty (free, subscription available)
2. Offscreen
To increase productivity, you should limit your phone’s screen time. OffScreen does the same by tracking screen time, setting goals and providing daily insights. It also has a focus mode that lets you use a stopwatch to track time while you work.
OffScreen tracks your focus time when working with Live Activities, so you don’t have to open the app all the time. If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max, you can also watch the countdown on Dynamic Island.
The OffScreen app is free with limited features, but a Pro subscription costs $4.99/month or $9.99/year. The Pro subscription unlocks features like white noise, iCloud sync and more.
Download: Offscreen (free, subscription available)
3. Lock Launcher
Lock Launcher allows you to launch applications with shortcuts from the lock screen. Apart from just apps, you can check your internet speed and access custom URLs, web apps and more.
The app shows the shortcuts on the lock screen using Live Activities. The app’s shortcuts are customizable, along with their icons. With iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, the app gets value by letting you check network speed and app shortcuts from Dynamic Island.
In addition to network speed, you can choose a battery level indicator or ProMotion speed. Lock Launcher is free to use with limited features, but you can unlock the Pro version for a one-time fee of $0.99.
Download: Lock Launcher (free, premium version available)
4. Kookin
Kookin is a recipe app that guides you through making your favorite dish. It gives you the necessary ingredients and steps to prepare the recipe. You can import recipes or create your own and share them with others.
Once you’ve completed all the instructions, you’ll see Live Activity on the lock screen, showing your current steps and total steps. However, on the dynamic island it only shows the current step out of the total count and the recipe’s image. As a result, when you want to check the instruction, you have to expand it.
Kookin is a free application with limited functionality. To access features like hands-free instructions, meal planning, and meal scaling, you’ll need to pay $1.99/month for the Kookin+ subscription.
Download: Kookin (free, subscription available)
5. Mango Baby
If you have a newborn at home, Mango Baby can be helpful. It is an infant tracking app that allows you to track nursing, sleep, feeding time, length, weight and other factors.
This app uses Live Activities to keep track of a timer. For example, starting the sleep timer will start tracking your baby’s sleep time. You can keep track of it with the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island on any app.
The app is free to use but has limited features and ads. You have to pay a one-time fee of $9.99 to unlock all the premium features like reminders, growth charts, multiple baby profiles and more.
Download: Mango Baby (Free, in-app purchases available)
6. Lumi
Sunrises, sunsets and golden hours can be crucial for photographers and cinematographers. Lumy lets you track sunsets and sunrises, golden hours, blue hour times, moon phases and more.
Lumy uses Live Activities to show the remaining time for a specific event. For example, the lock screen will show the remaining time if you start tracking the first light.
If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max, you can get the same information on Dynamic Island. Lumy costs $6.99, but gives you access to all its features, including Live Activities.
Download: Lumy ($6.99)
7. Sticky timers and countdowns
With the Sticky Timers and Countdowns app, you can keep track of multiple timers and customize them with different emojis and colors. You can also customize the alert sounds for each timer.
You can add up to six timers on the lock screen with live activities and two on the Dynamic Island if you have an iPhone 14 Pro or 14 Pro Max.
This app is free but has limited functionality. To access all features, you must purchase the Super Sticky Timers subscription, which costs $4.99/year and includes a one-week free trial. If you don’t want to use the subscription plan, you can pay a one-time fee of $7.99.
Download: Sticky timers and countdowns (free, subscription available)
8. FITIV Pulse
If you’re serious about fitness and heart rate monitoring, FITIV Plus is the app for you. It allows you to track workouts, monitor your heart zones and compete with others to achieve fitness goals. It works best to run over all other exercises with advanced stats.
With Live Activities on iOS 16.1, you can check your training goals such as heart rate, intensity, active calories burned and FITIV score. You can also use it with the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island, which, when not extended, shows your average heart rate.
FITIV Pulse is a free app with limited functionality. Subscribing to FITIV Pulse Pro for $9.99/month or $29.99/year unlocks its full potential. However, it does offer a 14-day free trial to test it before subscribing.
Download: FITIV Pulse (free, subscription available)
9. Foot Mob
FotMob is a must-have for a die-hard football fan as it is one of the best iPhone apps for following football. It allows you to follow football matches live, with results, detailed statistics and highlights. In addition, there are live text and audio commentaries.
Live activities on FotMob allow you to track the live score as well as the duration of the game. You can keep track of different matches on the lock screen using several live activities. It also supports Dynamic Island, which lets you keep track of your scores without expanding them.
Apart from a few ads, FotMob is completely free to use. However, you can remove ads by subscribing to the 3-month plan for $2.49 or the $7.49 annual plan.
Download: FotMob (free, subscription available)
Other apps with live activity support
In addition to the apps mentioned above, some notable apps make good use of Live Activities on iOS 16. Here are some such apps:
- Carrot Weather: tracks precipitation if it rains in the next hour
- MoneyCoach: shows the recent transaction with the corresponding category
- Structured: shows a clock with the time left for the current activity
- SmartGym: adds a timer and guides you through the current or next exercise
- TickTick: gives you a timer when you start a task’s focus countdown
- Draft: uses Live Activities to pin a document for quick access
- Apollo for Reddit: lets you interact with virtual pets called Pixel Pals
- Hills: tracks your skiing activity
- TV remote control: includes controls for TVs from different brands
- PosturePal: keeps track of your posture and alerts you to incorrect posture
Access things faster with live activities
Live Activities is a new way to interact with iPhone apps that makes it easier to track real-time updates from different apps in iOS 16.
Along with the apps described above, several others support Live Activities, while others are still in the works. Apple also introduced many hidden features with iOS 16 that may have slipped under your radar.
