Stop Live Activities Taking Over Your Apple Watch Face

[partyboy4357]

In watchOS, the Smart Stack for your Apple Watch is pretty clever. The collection of widgets can be pulled up with a scroll of the Digital Crown, and shows you relevant information throughout your day. But sometimes, its eagerness to help can be a bit much, especially when it comes to Live Activities.

You're probably familiar with this scenario: You raise your wrist expecting to see your carefully customized watch face, but it's been replaced by media playback controls because someone's watching your Apple TV, or there's a delivery tracking screen showing that you aren't currently interested in. Live Activities in the Smart Stack can clearly be useful, but having them automatically take over your display isn't always ideal. Here's how to take back control:

1. Open Settings on your Apple Watch.
   
2. Tap Smart Stack.
   
3. Select Live Activities.
   
4. Toggle off the switch next to Auto-Launch Live Activities.

After disabling auto-launch, Live Activities will still be available in your Smart Stack when you want them – you'll just need to manually scroll to see them instead of having them pop up automatically.

If you want more granular control, you're in luck. From the same settings screen you can control which Apple apps display Live Activities. Using the Watch app on your iPhone, you can also manage Live Activities settings for third-party apps. This lets you keep the notifications you find useful while preventing the less important ones from interrupting your watch face.

Pro Tip: If it's just those persistent media controls that bug you, head to Media Apps in the same settings menu and turn off Live Activities completely, or alternatively under "Auto-Launch," select Off or Smart Stack for a more focused watch face experience.

Article Link: Stop Live Activities Taking Over Your Apple Watch Face

Where do they get these watch arm models with the extremely HAIRY arms. EEK!!!

 

[kamyk35]

In watchOS, the Smart Stack for your Apple Watch is pretty clever. The collection of widgets can be pulled up with a scroll of the Digital Crown, and shows you relevant information throughout your day. But sometimes, its eagerness to help can be a bit much, especially when it comes to Live Activities.

You're probably familiar with this scenario: You raise your wrist expecting to see your carefully customized watch face, but it's been replaced by media playback controls because someone's watching your Apple TV, or there's a delivery tracking screen showing that you aren't currently interested in. Live Activities in the Smart Stack can clearly be useful, but having them automatically take over your display isn't always ideal. Here's how to take back control:

1. Open Settings on your Apple Watch.
   
2. Tap Smart Stack.
   
3. Select Live Activities.
   
4. Toggle off the switch next to Auto-Launch Live Activities.

After disabling auto-launch, Live Activities will still be available in your Smart Stack when you want them – you'll just need to manually scroll to see them instead of having them pop up automatically.

If you want more granular control, you're in luck. From the same settings screen you can control which Apple apps display Live Activities. Using the Watch app on your iPhone, you can also manage Live Activities settings for third-party apps. This lets you keep the notifications you find useful while preventing the less important ones from interrupting your watch face.

Pro Tip: If it's just those persistent media controls that bug you, head to Media Apps in the same settings menu and turn off Live Activities completely, or alternatively under "Auto-Launch," select Off or Smart Stack for a more focused watch face experience.

Article Link: Stop Live Activities Taking Over Your Apple Watch Face

I find it useful, I think people are exaggerating a lot, in saying how annoying it is.

 

[NightfallOrchid]

I like it, but wish it were smarter or I could control exactly what order things are in.

You can manually choose and pin widgets in the smart stack to have specific widgets in a specific order, and if you deactivate Widget Suggestions you will only ever see those widgets you have chosen yourself. Live activities always appear at the top of the smart stack, though.

 

[gjpinc]

Im hoping they bring back a more up to date version of the Siri watch face. That was my favorite.

 

[MikeDr206]

This made my day. So much so that I just spent the $50 to become a paid supporter of MacRumors (using Apple Cash that accrued from using my Apple Card to buy stuff from Apple).

 

[kostthem]

Thank you! This was so helpful!

 

[justanthonylee]

I really like the auto live activities myself, I always switched between the Siri watch face and others so it works like I wanted the Siri face to originally. When media is playing it show a quick way to pause, I use this all the time.

I think the people saying the watch is not a toy but a utility and they shouldn't have this feature is missing the point, the time always shows, but it's showing context to what you are doing making it more of a utility. If it was just a fancy watch face that never adjusted to my day it would be a "toy" not the other way around.

 

[justanthonylee]

Where do they get these watch arm models with the extremely HAIRY arms. EEK!!!

You mean a human?

 

[pdaholic]

I wish there was a way on the watch to stop notifications that shortcuts have ran. I often get a 3 note chime/haptic notification long after the shortcut has been executed.

 

[Edsel]

I gave away my Apple Watch because of this and other aggravating "features". It felt as if Apple, Inc. was trying to control every minute of my day. I went back to wearing a simple and inexpensive analog watch. Now, I can check the time without swiping away junk notifications and demands that I; Stand! Breath! Move!

 

[whatgift]

After they unceremoniously axed the Dock, I don't think the Apple Watch team has much respect for its users. Ever since WatchOS 10 they have shoved "new" features in our faces and removed or limited useful functionality for the sake of a visual refresh.

Strong disagree - while I did use the dock myself, I realised how clunky and inefficient it was compared to using the App library in Grid View, which was also made better in WatchOS 10 by having all apps in a vertical-only scrolling configuration. Now you can have any frequently-used apps easily accessible anytime you need them with a single touch (after clicking the crown) and no scrolling required. You still have the ability to get to any recent apps with the app switcher, which as a bonus can immediately open the last-used app just by double clicking the crown and doing nothing.

Most changes are actually beneficial, its mainly that people get used to a certain way of doing things and believe they must be the most efficient way of doing them. Edit: I'd also bet that Apple has usage data on how many users actually used the dock, and I imagine it would be quite a low percentage.

 

[svish]

For now I have kept it on. Happy to see that there is an option to turn it off. Can become annoying sometimes.

 

[Mr. Rod]

THANK YOU! I always end up dismissing this view.

 

[therunningman]

In watchOS, the Smart Stack for your Apple Watch is pretty clever. The collection of widgets can be pulled up with a scroll of the Digital Crown, and shows you relevant information throughout your day. But sometimes, its eagerness to help can be a bit much, especially when it comes to Live Activities.

You're probably familiar with this scenario: You raise your wrist expecting to see your carefully customized watch face, but it's been replaced by media playback controls because someone's watching your Apple TV, or there's a delivery tracking screen showing that you aren't currently interested in. Live Activities in the Smart Stack can clearly be useful, but having them automatically take over your display isn't always ideal. Here's how to take back control:

1. Open Settings on your Apple Watch.
   
2. Tap Smart Stack.
   
3. Select Live Activities.
   
4. Toggle off the switch next to Auto-Launch Live Activities.

After disabling auto-launch, Live Activities will still be available in your Smart Stack when you want them – you'll just need to manually scroll to see them instead of having them pop up automatically.

If you want more granular control, you're in luck. From the same settings screen you can control which Apple apps display Live Activities. Using the Watch app on your iPhone, you can also manage Live Activities settings for third-party apps. This lets you keep the notifications you find useful while preventing the less important ones from interrupting your watch face.

Pro Tip: If it's just those persistent media controls that bug you, head to Media Apps in the same settings menu and turn off Live Activities completely, or alternatively under "Auto-Launch," select Off or Smart Stack for a more focused watch face experience.

Article Link: Stop Live Activities Taking Over Your Apple Watch Face