iOS 16 Live Activities for the Lock Screen now available for developers with latest beta

While iOS 16 is bringing with it a lot of different changes and new additions, one of the biggest focal points for Apple is the Lock Screen. Obviously the new widgets that can be implemented is a highlight, but so is a brand new feature called Live Activities. At face value, it’s all about giving the user even more easily digestible information.

But developers who are building their apps for the upcoming major software release have not been able to try out this new feature just yet. That is finally changing today, though. Apple has finally seeded the fourth beta to developers, and, along with it, launched the Live Activities API and the new ActivityKit framework.

Apple launched the new API and framework along with an official document for developers, saying in part:

Live Activities help people stay on top of what’s happening in your app in real time, right from the Lock Screen. You can now get started with Live Activities and the new ActivityKit framework, which are available in the beta 4 version of iOS 16.

You can see a brief tease of Live Activities in the image above. With this new feature, developers will be able to create widgets for the Lock Screen that show real-time information on a wide range of things. That includes keeping track of an order you placed, like for Starbucks, that will let you know when it’s available. Or for the likes of DoorDash, that can show you where your food delivery is mid-route. Or, if you’re keeping tabs on a sporting event, a Live Activity widget will be able to show you the score right on the Lock Screen.

Live Activities are definitely one of the more anticipated features coming to iOS 16. However, the wait is going to be a bit longer. Apple has already confirmed that Live Activities will not be available to the public at iOS 16’s launch, but instead will arrive with a subsequent software update sometime after launch.

Are you looking forward to this feature?