All articles tagged with #live activities
The iPhone 18 Pro shrinks Dynamic Island by moving some Face ID components under the display, freeing space and enabling up to three Live Activities to run at once. The standout improvement is the second Live Activity showing more information (like the remaining timer) alongside media playback, making multitasking more informative.
A leaker names pdfu posted a video showing Apple’s iOS 27 simulator with a three-item Dynamic Island on the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro, demonstrating three simultaneous Live Activities and aligning with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The demonstration requires a sensor region under 100 layout points (about 16.57 mm); the iPhone 17 Pro’s region is 20.76 mm, implying roughly a 20% hardware reduction would be needed to enable this mode. Rumors have pointed to a smaller Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro/Max, and a third Live Activity would mark the first expansion beyond two supported by the Dynamic Island since its 2022 debut.
Sonos’ latest iOS app update adds support for Apple’s Live Activities, letting iPhone users view basic playback details and control music or podcasts from the lockscreen after starting playback. Album art isn’t shown yet, and the feature must be enabled in both the Sonos app and iOS settings; it will disappear from the lockscreen 15 minutes after playback ends. The update also includes watchOS and CarPlay support, though those platforms don’t yet offer lockscreen controls. Sonos says it’s continuing to refine the feature and lock-screen experience.
The Sonos iPhone app now supports iOS Live Activities, displaying the current room playback on the Lock Screen after you start playback and removing it 15 minutes after you stop. To make changes, you must unlock your iPhone with Face ID or a passcode. Live Activities also work in CarPlay and Apple Watch with limited controls; album art isn’t supported yet. You can disable the feature in the Sonos app settings, and playback can still be controlled via AirPlay, Bluetooth, or other supported methods.
Apple updated its App Store Review Guidelines to target low-effort and oversaturated apps, adding language in 4.3(b) that new submissions must be meaningfully different from existing apps; categories like dating, flashlight, sound effects, wallpaper, simple timers, fortune telling, drinking games, and Kama Sutra are unlikely to be approved unless they offer a distinct improvement, with repeated submissions potentially leading to removal from the Developer Program. The updates also place responsibility on developers to remove content that violates guidelines from user-generated content and tighten Live Activities rules to prevent spam and unsolicited messages. Full guidelines are available on Apple's website.
iOS 26 introduces three key upgrades to Apple's Fitness app: expanded Fitness+ with custom plans and multilingual support, manual workout logging for all users regardless of Apple Watch ownership, and Live Activities for real-time workout tracking on Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, enhancing the fitness experience for a broader user base.
Apple has released a 3.4 update to its Sports app, adding a drive chart feature to Live Activities for NFL and college football games, enhancing real-time game tracking on the iPhone Lock Screen.
Tesla has updated its app to include Live Activities for real-time service status updates, enhancing user convenience by displaying ongoing vehicle service information directly on the lock screen or dynamic island, similar to features introduced by Apple and expected soon on Android. Additionally, Tesla is advancing battery technology with Panasonic's new high-capacity, anode-free batteries promising increased range, and has begun construction on a new 500kW Supercharger station in California to support faster charging, especially for the Cybertruck.
iOS 26 enhances Live Activities by enabling scheduling for third-party apps, integrating with Wallet for real-time flight updates, supporting CarPlay, and extending to Mac and iPad, offering new ways to track and share live information across Apple devices.
Apple CarPlay will now support Live Activities with iOS 26, allowing drivers to view real-time information from iPhone apps such as flight updates, food deliveries, sports scores, and weather directly on the car's display, enhancing the driving experience by reducing the need to use a phone.
iOS 26 introduces several new features to CarPlay, including Live Activities for real-time updates, support for widgets, a compact call view, Messages reactions, new icons, and enhanced accessibility options like Large Text and Sound Recognition, improving the driving experience with more information and customization.
Apple's latest CarPlay update in iOS 26 introduces features like Live Activities and widgets that resemble the proactive, glanceable information experience that Android Auto originally offered a decade ago, highlighting a shift back towards simplicity and real-time updates in vehicle interfaces.
Apple announced that starting with 10 airlines, including major carriers like American Airlines and Lufthansa, iOS 26 will enhance Apple Wallet's boarding passes with features like Live Activities, one-tap airport directions, baggage tracking, and automatic flight updates, improving the travel experience on iPhone.
iOS 26 introduces a revamped CarPlay experience with a new Liquid Glass design, support for app widgets including third-party ones, Live Activities on the dashboard, and a redesigned Music app, enhancing both aesthetics and functionality for all users.
Apple announced iOS 26 with major updates to CarPlay, including a new Liquid Glass design, enhanced Messages and Phone app features, a compact call view, Live Activities on the Dashboard, and customizable widgets, all set to be released later this year.