iPhones running iOS 16 or later include a feature called Live Activities that you can use to follow sports scores in real time on your Lock Screen, so you don't miss a thing. Keep reading to learn how it works.

NBA Live Activities Feature
Introduced in iOS 16, Live Activities are lingering interactive notifications that provide real-time updating information directly on an iPhone's Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island on ‌iPhone‌ models that support it. If you're following a sports game, for example, a Live Activity can show you the updated score.

When an ‌‌iPhone‌ 14‌ Pro or ‌iPhone‌ 15 is locked, the score is shown in a widget on the Lock Screen instead. On the ‌‌iPhone‌ 14‌ and ‌‌iPhone‌ 14‌ Plus, and on all other ‌‌iPhone‌‌ models without the ‌‌Dynamic Island‌‌, Live Activities are limited to the Lock Screen.

You can enable Live Activities for the Lock Screen on an ‌‌iPhone‌‌ running iOS 16.1 or later by following these steps.

  1. Launch the Settings app.
  2. Scroll down and tap Face ID & Passcode.
  3. Enter your passcode to continue.
  4. Scroll down and under "Allow Access When Locked," toggle the switch next to Live Activities to the green ON position.

settings

Controlling Live Activities for Individual Apps

Apple apps like the TV app and (in iOS 17.2, coming December 2023) Apple News app support Live Activities for sports events.

Apple has also made a Live Activities API available for developers, and there are several third-party apps in the App Store that make use of the feature, including sports-related apps.

You can enable or disable Live Activities for individual apps by following these steps.

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Scroll down and tap the app in question (the TV app in our example).
  3. Toggle on/off the switch next to Live Activities, or tap Live Activities, then toggle the switch next to Allow Live Activities.

tv app

Live Activities in the TV app are available for MLB games for users in the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K., Brazil, Mexico, Japan, and South Korea, in addition to NBA and Premier League games for users in the U.S. and Canada only. The feature will likely be expanded to other sports leagues in the future.

Tag: Live Activities

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Read Full Article • 80 comments
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
Read Full Article • 155 comments
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Read Full Article
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
Read Full Article • 71 comments
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

New MacBook Pros Could Now Arrive in March

Sunday February 8, 2026 6:02 am PST by
New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as Monday, March 2, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the release of new MacBook Pro models is tied to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3. The launch is said to be slated for as early as the week of March 2. He added that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models on sale today...
Read Full Article • 118 comments