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Live Activities show ongoing information—such as the status of a task or event—in layouts that change with the iPhone screen and context. You may see one on the Lock Screen, in the Dynamic Island on supported iPhones, or in StandBy. The system chooses the presentation; it is not always the same fixed card.

What a Live Activity looks like on the Lock Screen

On the Lock Screen, a Live Activity presents current information about a specific ongoing task or event. Depending on the app, it may also offer quick interactions. Apple describes this as one of several possible presentations, rather than a notification that appears only briefly. See Apple’s Live Activities presentation guidance.

How Live Activities appear in the Dynamic Island

On iPhones that support Dynamic Island, an activity can appear there in a compact layout. That layout combines leading and trailing content into a small view. Touch and hold the activity to reveal its expanded presentation, which can show more information. Apple’s ActivityKit overview describes the framework’s presentation contexts.

When more than one activity is active

If multiple apps have Live Activities running, the system can show two in minimal presentations. Not every activity will necessarily get the same amount of space or visibility: relevance can affect what appears in the Island and the order of activities on the Lock Screen. The app supplies layouts for the supported presentations, but the system selects which one to show.

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What changes on other screens

StandBy

In StandBy, the minimal presentation appears. Tap it to open the Lock Screen presentation, scaled to fill the display.

iPhones without Dynamic Island

There is no Dynamic Island presentation on a device that lacks that feature. Apple says an update configured with alert information can additionally appear as a Lock Screen presentation in a banner when the iPhone is unlocked and the app is not open. This is a context-dependent alert, not the general appearance of every Live Activity.

Landscape Dynamic Island in iOS 27

In its WWDC26 session, Apple described a landscape Dynamic Island style in iOS 27 that provides more information. Apple presenter Adi, a System Experience Engineer, said: “Live Activities can also expand to show more information from the Dynamic Island.” This is a version-specific development, not a description of how earlier iOS releases behave. See Apple’s Live Activities essentials — WWDC26 session.

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Why the presentation can look different

A Live Activity can use compact, minimal, expanded, or Lock Screen presentations. The appropriate layout depends on where it appears, the device, and whether other activities are competing for space. Apple’s custom-view guidance explains the presentation layouts, while its Live Activities Human Interface Guidelines cover how they should adapt across contexts.

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  • Location: Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, or StandBy can display different presentations.
  • Interaction: Glance at a compact or Lock Screen view; touch and hold a compact or minimal Island view to expand it; tap the minimal StandBy view to open the Lock Screen presentation.
  • Device and activity count: Dynamic Island layouts require a supported iPhone, and simultaneous activities can affect which presentations are visible.
  • Software version: New presentation styles may be limited to specific iOS versions, as with the landscape style Apple described for iOS 27.

When comparing screenshots, check which screen and software version they show. The same activity may look different because the system has selected a different presentation for that context.

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