Live Activities on the iPhone are designed to provide real-time updates directly on the Lock Screen or within the Dynamic Island. While this feature is highly useful for tracking food deliveries or sports scores, it can be distracting and aggressively drain battery life if too many applications utilise it simultaneously. If you find the persistent notifications intrusive, you can completely disable Live Activities system-wide or restrict them on a per-app basis.
This guide explains how to completely disable Live Activities on your iPhone to maintain a cleaner Lock Screen and preserve battery performance.
Disable Live Activities Globally for All Apps
To completely shut down the Live Activities feature across the entire iOS ecosystem, you must modify your Face ID & Passcode settings. This prevents any application from displaying real-time widgets on your Lock Screen.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and select Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode on older models).
- Enter your device passcode when prompted.
- Scroll down to the Allow Access When Locked section.
- Locate the toggle switch for Live Activities and turn it Off (the switch will turn grey).
Once disabled, no applications will be permitted to push live updates to your Lock Screen whilst the device is locked. Please note that this will not affect standard push notifications, which will continue to operate normally.
Disable Live Activities for Specific Applications
If you prefer to maintain the feature for critical services (such as navigation or transport) but wish to block specific, noisy applications from using the Dynamic Island or Lock Screen, you can manage permissions individually.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down through the main menu until you reach the list of installed applications.
- Tap on the specific app you wish to restrict (for example, a sports app or food delivery service).
- Tap on Live Activities.
- Toggle the switch next to Allow Live Activities to the Off position.
By selectively disabling the feature, you ensure that only vital updates command your attention, thereby significantly reducing unnecessary distractions and extending your overall battery longevity.