iOS 16 introduced exciting features such as a customizable Lock Screen, message editing, passkeys, 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 its Live Activities API, and they began adding Live Activities support to their apps. Below, we've compiled a list of the top iPhone apps that support Live Activities. So, keep reading.

What Are Live Activities in iOS 16?

Starbucks app Live Activity on iOS 16 showing order in progress
Image Credit: Apple

Live Activities are Lock Screen alerts that stay on top of your notifications and display 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 repeatedly opening it.

To access Live Activities, you'll 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 the Dynamic Island.

The Top 10 Apps That Support Live Activities

Many apps currently support Live Activities, including timers, sports alerts, delivery apps, and others. Here are a few of the best Live Activities apps for iPhone.

1. Flighty

Flighty allows you to track the status of any flight, including departure and arrival times, delays, forecast prediction, and more.

You can precisely track flights on your 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 without advertisements, and the free version allows you to track multiple flights. To use the Live Activities feature, however, you must upgrade to the Pro subscription, which costs $5.99/month or $47.99/year.

Download: Flighty (Free, subscription available)

2. OffScreen

To boost your 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 allows you to use a stopwatch to track time while working.

OffScreen tracks your Focus time when you're 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 see the countdown on the Dynamic Island.

The OffScreen app is free with limited features, but a Pro subscription costs $4.49/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 displays the shortcuts on your Lock Screen using Live Activities. The app shortcuts are customizable, along with their icons. With the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, the app gains value by allowing you to check network speed and app shortcuts from the Dynamic Island.

In addition to network speed, you can select a battery level indicator or ProMotion refresh rate. Lock Launcher is free to use with limited features, but you can unlock the Pro version for a one-time fee of $1.99.

Download: Lock Launcher (Free, premium version available)

4. Kookin

Kookin is a recipe app that walks you through making your favorite dish. It provides you with 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 the Live Activity on your Lock Screen, which displays the current step and the total number of steps. On the Dynamic Island, however, it only shows the current step out of the total number and the recipe's image. As a result, whenever you want to check the instruction, you'll 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's an infant-tracking app that lets you track their nursing, sleep, feeding time, length, weight, and other factors.

This app uses Live Activities to keep track of a timer. For instance, starting the sleep timer will begin tracking the baby's sleep time. You can keep track of that with the iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island on any app.

The app is free to use but has limited features and advertisements. You'll 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. Lumy

Sunrises, sunsets, and golden hours can be critical for photographers and cinematographers. Lumy lets you track sunsets and sunrises, golden hours, blue hour times, moon phases, and more.

Lumy employs Live Activities to display the remaining time for a specific event. For example, the Lock Screen will display 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 the Dynamic Island. Lumy costs $6.99 but gives you access to all of its features, including Live Activities.

Download: Lumy ($6.99)

7. Sticky Timers and Countdowns

The Sticky Timers and Countdowns app allows you to 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 your Lock Screen with Live Activities and two on 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 are 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 for running over any other exercise with advanced statistics.

With Live Activities on iOS 16.1, you can check your workout metrics such as heart rate, intensity, active calories burned, and FITIV Points. You can also use it with the iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island, which, when not expanded, displays 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 provides a 14-day free trial to test it before subscribing.

Download: FITIV Pulse (Free, subscription available)

9. FotMob

FotMob is a must-have for a die-hard soccer fan since it is one of the best iPhone apps for checking sports scores. It allows you to follow football matches live, with scores, detailed stats, and highlights. In addition, there is live text and audio commentary.

Live Activities on FotMob allow you to track live scores as well as the duration of the game. You can keep track of different matches on your Lock Screen by using multiple Live Activities. It also supports Dynamic Island, which allows you to keep track of the scores without expanding them.

Except for a few advertisements, FotMob is entirely free to use. You can, however, remove ads by subscribing to the 3-month plan for $2.49 or the $7.49 annual plan.

Download: FotMob (Free, subscription available)

10. Forest

Forest helps control your phone addiction you increase your productivity in a gamified way. You can create timers for specific tasks and choose a tree before you start. Once the clock starts ticking, your tree will grow slowly until the timer ends. For instance, when the timer has 25 minutes left, the tree will be small, but you'll see a fully grown tree once the timer ends.

With Live Activities, the Forest app shows you countdown times on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island if you have an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max.

The goal is to fill your garden with various trees, and you'll be able to unlock more trees as you progress. The Forest app is available for $3.99 but lets you access all the features without any restrictions, except that you'd still have to work hard for those fancy-looking trees.

Download: Forest ($3.99)

Other Apps With Live Activities Support

In addition to the apps mentioned above, some noteworthy apps make good use of Live Activities on iOS 16. Here are a few such apps:

  • Carrot Weather: tracks precipitation if there's rain in the next hour
  • MoneyCoach: shows your recent transaction with its appropriate category
  • Structured: displays a clock with the time left for your current activity
  • SmartGym: adds a timer and guides you through the current or next exercise
  • TickTick: presents you with a timer when you start a task's focus countdown
  • Drafts: uses Live Activities to pin a document for quick access
  • Apollo for Reddit: allows you to interact with virtual pets called Pixel Pals
  • Slopes: tracks your skiing activity
  • TV Remote: includes controls for TVs from different brands
  • PosturePal: keeps track of your posture and notifies you about wrong posture
  • Box Box Club: lets you track your favorite motorsports.
  • Citymapper: uses Live Activities for real-time directions

Access Things Quicker With Live Activities

Live Activities is a convenient way to interact with iPhone apps that make it easier to track real-time updates from various 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.