Live Activities to Get More Frequent Updates Option in iOS 16.2 - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Live Activities to Get More Frequent Updates Option in iOS 16.2

Apple released iOS 16.1 earlier this week and introduced Live Activities – lingering interactive notifications that stay up to date, allowing you to keep an eye on things happening right from the Lock Screen. Since then, Apple has released the first iOS 16.2 beta to developers, and evidence has been found that Apple is working on a way for Live Activities to update more frequently.

ios 16 live activities feature
According to inactive code in iOS 16.2 beta 1 discovered by 9to5Mac, Apple will provide users with an option for "More Frequent Updates" for Live Activities, although the setting will also drain an iPhone battery faster, warns the following unearthed message:

More Frequent Updates

Allowing more frequent updates lets you see more real time information, but can drain your battery faster.

Despite the increased battery usage, the upcoming option in the Settings app is likely to be a welcome addition for users relying on third-party apps that use Live Activities to relay information about travel times, such as Flight tracking app Flighty.

Since the release of iOS 16.1, several third-party apps have been updated to support Live Activities on iPhone Lock Screens. The ‌Dynamic Island‌ component requires an ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ or ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max.

In addition to the additional Live Activities option, the first iOS 16.2 beta includes other extras including the new Freeform App, Stage Manager External Display Support, Accidental Emergency SOS Reports and More

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple Just Released a New Accessory

Monday May 4, 2026 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today released a new Pride Edition Sport Loop for the Apple Watch. The band features a rainbow design with 11 colors of woven nylon yarns. The new Pride Edition Sport Loop is available to order now on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app in 40mm, 42mm, and 46mm sizes, and it will be available at Apple Store locations starting later this week. In the U.S., the band costs $49. There...
iOS 26

Apple Says iOS 26.5 Adds Three New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday May 5, 2026 7:36 am PDT by
iOS 26.5 includes three new features for iPhones, according to Apple's release notes for the update, which is expected to be released next week. As discovered during beta testing, iOS 26.5 enables end-to-end encryption for RCS messaging between iOS and Android devices. Apple says this security upgrade is limited to supported carriers around the world and will continue to roll out....
mac mini green 2

Apple Cuts More Mac Studio and Mac Mini RAM Options as Memory Shortage Worsens

Tuesday May 5, 2026 12:34 pm PDT by
Apple has removed more desktop Macs from its online store as the global memory shortage continues. Mac mini models with 32GB and 64GB of RAM are no longer available for purchase, nor is the M3 Ultra Mac Studio with 256GB RAM. The M3 Ultra Mac Studio is now available only in a 96GB RAM configuration, with higher-tier options eliminated. Both M3 Mac Studio and M4 Max Mac Studio models have...

Top Rated Comments

46 months ago

So „Live“ activities aren’t actually Live right now?
Trust me, I'm an engineer: there's a big difference (performance, data transfer and battery wise) between updating the state of the UI every 10 seconds and doing it every 1 second, but both would be considered live updates.

In general, almost always when something happens "live" in code it's actually some sort of "are we there yet?" running on a timer, either pushed to the device by the server or pulled by the device from the server. This applies to notifications, live chats and any other UI that constantly refreshes its own state.

As a programmer you need to balance the need for "liveness" of the updates with the drawback/cost to you and the end user (data transfer, battery life, server resources).
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProfessionalFan Avatar
46 months ago
It will make it much more useful yes. Need to see how much of a battery drain we're talking about here though.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
46 months ago
What is the refresh rate now and what will it be with this on?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
The Game 161 Avatar
46 months ago

What does this app do that CBS Sports app or The Score app can't do? Show a score on the lock screen? And do they just show one game or an entire scoreboard for multiple leagues? I mean for me, it's two taps to open CBS Sports or The Score to get to all the scores for all the leagues I have set up as favorites. I'm just trying to understand. Thanks.
will be on the lockscreen and the island. It will show the score and the time left. Sure it's a couple of clicks away but you don't need to do anything it will be on the bottom of your lock screen. You don't need to go into the app to go in touch with games. Even better on 14 pros AOD as well

sports alerts is my go to sports app as will have all my favourite sports with one swipe.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
46 months ago
But isn’t the whole idea of live activities means it’s live and always updating live, so does this mean now they don’t update live in real time?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
46 months ago
Great to hear this. Hope battery does not take a huge hit.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Related Apple News: Mac | South Africa | Culture | Reviews | Technology