WIDGETKIT / ACTIVITYKIT

Live Activity or widget for a step counter?

Use a widget for an always-there snapshot of today’s steps, and a Live Activity when you want progress that feels live during a walk or a day. Widgets refresh on a daily budget, typically 40 to 70 times for a frequently viewed widget, while Live Activities can take push updates and appear in the Dynamic Island but end after eight hours. Many step apps offer both.

By the Upmoat studio · Published September 25, 2026 · Last updated October 3, 2026

Widgets are persistent; Live Activities are temporary (up to 8 hours active).
A frequently viewed widget typically gets 40–70 refreshes a day (Apple WidgetKit documentation).
Only Live Activities appear in the Dynamic Island.
Live Activities can be updated by push notifications, within Apple’s hourly budget.
For steps, a good pattern is both: a widget for the daily total, a Live Activity while you are on the move.

What is the difference between a Live Activity and a widget?

Both show app data without opening the app, but Apple built them for different jobs: widgets for glanceable information that is always available, Live Activities for something happening now.

Live Activity vs widget for a step counter
	Widget	Live Activity
Where it appears	Home Screen, Today View, Lock Screen, StandBy	Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, StandBy; also paired Mac or Apple Watch and CarPlay
How long it lasts	Until you remove it	Up to 8 hours active, plus up to 4 on the Lock Screen
How it updates	Timeline reloads within a daily budget	App updates and ActivityKit push notifications
Update limits	Typically 40–70 refreshes a day if viewed often	Hourly budget for high-priority pushes
Who adds it	You, from the widget gallery	The app starts it (sometimes automatically)
Dynamic Island	No	Yes, on supported iPhones

Sources: Apple’s Keeping a widget up to date, Displaying live data with Live Activities and ActivityKit push notifications documentation.

When is a widget the better choice for steps?

You want the number there all day, every day, without anything to start or restart.
You check occasionally, so a refresh every so often is fine.
You want more on screen, such as your week or a goal ring on the Home Screen.

Widget refreshes are planned in timelines and spread across the day. Apple says a frequently viewed widget typically gets 40 to 70 refreshes a day, the budget adapts to how often you look, and reloads do not count while the app is in the foreground (Apple Developer).

When is a Live Activity the better choice?

You are actively walking and want progress in the Dynamic Island as you go.
You want timely moments, like a goal being reached, to show up without opening the app.
You glance at the Lock Screen constantly during a walk or a busy day.

The trade-off is that a Live Activity ends after eight hours and its updates are budgeted. Our guide to Live Activity update frequency explains the limits.

Can a step app use both?

Yes, and that is often the best experience: a widget as the calm daily snapshot, and a Live Activity while you are moving. StepIsland, the walking app we make at Upmoat, does both. Its page lists widgets in six styles (rings, journeys and full worlds for your Home Screen) and a Live Activity that keeps your companion and count on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island.

How do you add each one?

Widget: touch and hold an empty area of the Home Screen, tap Edit, then Add Widget, search for your step app and choose a size. For the Lock Screen, touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customise and add it under the clock.
Live Activity: allow Live Activities for the app in Settings, then start one from the app (some start automatically). Full steps are in how to show your steps on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island.

Which should a developer build first?

Start with a widget if your app’s value is a daily status people want to see all day.
Add a Live Activity when there is a clear “in progress” moment worth following.
Keep them consistent in colour, wording and numbers so people trust both.
Do not make either pretend to be the full app. Both are doorways back into it.

Can a widget show my steps in the Dynamic Island?

No. Only Live Activities appear in the Dynamic Island. Widgets appear on the Home Screen, the Lock Screen, Today View and in StandBy.

How often does a step widget update?

Apple says a frequently viewed widget typically gets 40 to 70 refreshes a day, spread over the day. Opening the app can refresh it too.

Why did my step Live Activity disappear but my widget did not?

Live Activities are temporary: Apple ends them after up to eight hours. Widgets stay until you remove them.

Which uses more battery, a widget or a Live Activity?

Apple budgets updates for both to limit their impact. Actual battery use depends on the app and how often it updates.

Should I use both a widget and a Live Activity for steps?

Many people do: a widget for an always-there daily total and a Live Activity for live progress during walks.

From the studio behind this journal

Widgets and a Live Activity, from one little world.

StepIsland is Upmoat’s walking app and step counter for iPhone and Apple Watch. Pick a companion, set a goal and watch an illustrated world grow with your Apple Health steps, live on your Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, widgets and Apple Watch.

Explore StepIsland

Sources