Track Flight Status with iOS 16 Live Activities

Live Activities in iOS 16 allow travel and airline apps to stream real-time flight updates directly to an iPhone’s Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. By leveraging Apple's ActivityKit framework, these interactive widgets eliminate the need to repeatedly unlock the phone or open dedicated apps to check departure times, gate changes, and flight progress.

The Underlying Technology: ActivityKit and APNs

Live Activities rely on ActivityKit paired with Apple Push Notification service (APNs). When a user checks in or tracks a flight, the airline app initiates a Live Activity session. Rather than sending standard static push notifications for every change, the app sends background push tokens with updated data payloads. These payloads instantly refresh the widget's visual interface on the device with zero battery-heavy background app refreshes.

Lock Screen Display

On the Lock Screen, a flight tracking Live Activity appears as an expanded, persistent banner widget at the bottom of the display. It typically shows:

  • Flight Route: Departure and arrival airport codes (e.g., JFK to LHR).
  • Progress Bar: A visual line illustrating the flight's current phase—such as on-time status, taxiing, in-flight, or landed.
  • Terminal and Gate Information: Real-time updates showing current boarding gates, with immediate color-coded alerts if a gate changes.
  • Status and Countdown: Clear indicators for boarding times, departure countdowns, and delay notifications.

Dynamic Island Integration

On supported devices like the iPhone 14 Pro, Live Activities seamlessly adapt to the Dynamic Island in both compact and expanded states:

  • Compact View: When collapsed, the Dynamic Island splits the information. The leading edge might display an airplane icon or airline logo, while the trailing edge shows a live countdown to boarding or the estimated landing time.
  • Expanded View: Pressing and holding the Dynamic Island expands the interface into a detailed card, revealing gate numbers, baggage carousel assignments, and flight progress without leaving the current app.

Lifecycle of a Flight Live Activity

A flight-tracking Live Activity typically begins a few hours before scheduled departure. It automatically progresses through distinct stages: check-in, boarding, in-flight, descent, and arrival. Once the aircraft lands and baggage claim information is displayed, the activity ends automatically or expires after a set window, keeping the Lock Screen clutter-free.