iOS 16.1 Will Bring Live Sports Scores to Your iPhone's Lock Screen

[MacRumors]

Apple recently announced that iOS 16.1 will enable a new Live Activities feature that allows iPhone users to stay on top of things that are happening in real time, such as a sports game or a food delivery order, right from the Lock Screen.

In the first iOS 16.1 beta made available to developers and public testers this week, Apple is testing Live Activities integration with sports games via the TV app.

In the TV app, tapping on the Follow button for a sports game results in a Live Activity appearing on the Lock Screen for the game, complete with a live-updating scoreboard and play-by-play action, such as a baseball player striking out on a fastball.

As shown in the screenshots below, provided to us by reader Alec Cohen, a brief summary of the game is also shown above the time, next to the date.

Live Activities appear at the bottom of the Lock Screen on iPhone 13 models and earlier, as well as on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. On the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, Live Activities will appear at the top of the Lock Screen in the Dynamic Island, a new pill-shaped area surrounding the Face ID sensors and front camera that can expand to display system alerts and other content at a glance.

Apple says iOS 16.1 will be released later this year, bringing Live Activities to the masses. For sports, the feature will be available for MLB games for users in the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K., Brazil, Mexico, Japan, and South Korea, along with NBA and Premier League games for users in the U.S. and Canada only at launch.

Live Activities also supports timers set in the Clock app, while third-party apps can support the feature too. Once the iOS 16.1 Release Candidate is available, Apple says developers will be able to submit apps with Live Activities to the App Store.

iPhone 14 Pro models launch this Friday in the U.S. and are already starting to arrive to customers in countries such as Australia and New Zealand.

Article Link: iOS 16.1 Will Bring Live Sports Scores to Your iPhone's Lock Screen

 

[bpeeps]

Apple is increasingly pushing features into the .1 releases now. I swear this wasn't the case even just a few years ago.

 

[sorgo †]

Apple is increasingly pushing features into the .1 releases now. I swear this wasn't the case even just a few years ago.

Hmm I wonder why..

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Funny how Apple announces an MLB deal, and 6 months later there's a new feature to put MLB front and center on the iPhone.

Call me cynical.

 

[zapmymac]

This feature is a “home run” in my book, statistically relevant to many I’d wager! ⚾️🏟

 

[Mrjoedot]

I look to see world sports, not just American sports

 

[Deadman64]

Any rumors/educated guesses on when we can expect 16.1 to release?

 

[Sasparilla]

Apple needs to make this any sports any where as part of the OS (as opposed to only something their broadcasting) - I would constantly use it if that was the case (for U.S. sports).

 

[inversewave]

Does anyone know what app is used for the Falcon 9 countdown widget on the Lock Screen from the screenshot?

 

[rikscha]

This hopefully comes to major and global sport games as well rather than something very niche such as Baseball.

 

[Pinwizd]

Sweet feature just tried it out. The Score app is way faster though with the game updates as it happens live though. I understand this is a beta and hopefully it starts updating faster in the future.

 

[DragonSky]

I have no idea why this is a feature of the OS rather than an application you can run on it. I have no interest in the slightest in sports results and don't know why my phone has to carry the code to display it. There are many things tat I would like to see delivered in this manner (somebody suggested Falcon 9 countdowns) however I believe they should firmly live in the user/application world, not the OS itself. It's up there with the stocks app as useless baggage that could be just as easily delivered as a stand alone app.

 

[scrapesleon]

Great now I can see arsenal more on my screen adrenaline rush lol

 

[BJMRamage]

I have no idea why this is a feature of the OS rather than an application you can run on it. I have no interest in the slightest in sports results and don't know why my phone has to carry the code to display it. There are many things tat I would like to see delivered in this manner (somebody suggested Falcon 9 countdowns) however I believe they should firmly live in the user/application world, not the OS itself. It's up there with the stocks app as useless baggage that could be just as easily delivered as a stand alone app.

Live Activities will work with so much more than sports. The article noted it can be used with the Timer function.

It can also work with Uber for when the car is coming. It can work with food vendors as well.

Many people enjoy sports and Apple has started to get into showing sports and has a tab in the TV app highlighting sports scores/games.

This is a function of the OS and apps can take part in this feature. And Apple wants to get in on this feature as well by adding in sports updates.

 

[Macalway]

Stock quotes would be good!

Oh wait, maybe not

 

[Böhme417]

Any rumors/educated guesses on when we can expect 16.1 to release?

Pretty sure it's normally mid to late October for .1 releases...

 

[dannyyankou]

MLB app says the Dbacks have runner on second and there’s a 1-1 count, the live activity says says 0-2 count. So one of them is wrong

 

[coolbreeze2]

I'm glad this feature is not limited to iPhone 14! I'm gonna love the sports scores!

 

[Frankspentcold]

Cries in Hockey...

 

[Sir_Macs_A_Lot]

Nice. I will be using this feature. iOS16 just keeps getting better.

 

[matrix07]

English Premier League live score in Asia, Apple. You should know how hugely popular EPL is in Asia region.

 

[efktd]

If I could get SpaceX's launches to automatically appear at the bottom of my Lock Screen, in real time... I'd be really happy.

 

[LeadingHeat]

Maybe this will get me to finally start paying attention to football or baseball.

Go sports!

 

[LeadingHeat]

I have no idea why this is a feature of the OS rather than an application you can run on it. I have no interest in the slightest in sports results and don't know why my phone has to carry the code to display it. There are many things tat I would like to see delivered in this manner (somebody suggested Falcon 9 countdowns) however I believe they should firmly live in the user/application world, not the OS itself. It's up there with the stocks app as useless baggage that could be just as easily delivered as a stand alone app.

What? Live Activites is an iOS based feature because it’s a framework/API that developers can use… for apps. If it were an app by itself that wouldn’t make sense, third party apps wouldn’t be able to integrate into it. In this case, the TV app is utilizing it to show things like sports updates. The built in Timer app already uses it.

Think of this like notifications. Apps can push out their own notifications in different styles by using that API. Same thing here. It’s on the developers to make this awesome and useful, not Apple.

 

[svish]

Eagerly waiting to try out live activities.