The iOS stopwatch gets Live Activities support in iOS 17.4

The iOS 17.4 beta update that was recently released by Apple includes a new feature for the Clock app’s Stopwatch. Once iOS 17.4 is installed on your iPhone, (we expect the update to be released as soon as March 4th), you’ll be able to start the Stopwatch from the clock app and watch it count the seconds, minutes, and hours on the Dynamic Island and the Lock Screen.

The Dynamic Island will display an up-to-the-second look at the Stopwatch and tapping on it will give the user an option to pause the timer, or start a new lap. The same controls are all available for the Stopwatch on the Lock Screen. After pausing the Stopwatch on the Dynamic Island, you can clear it by tapping on the “X” button. On the Lock Screen, you can clear the Stopwatch by pausing it and swiping it off the screen.

While timers have worked with Live Activities since the feature was introduced with iOS 16, the Stopwatch could only be viewed in the Clock app. But with iOS 17.4, that is going to change. And with an active Stopwatch running on the iPhone showing up front and center, you will no longer forget that you have one running.

Because iOS 17.4 will bring major changes to iOS, Safari, and the App Store in the EU thanks to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA mandates that Apple make these changes by March 8th which is why we expect the update to arrive on Monday, March 4th. As we noted the other day, iOS 17.4 will also add a switch to the Stolen Device Protection feature allowing users to have the feature work everywhere. Currently, users can arrange to have the feature work at unfamiliar locations or they can disable it.

Stolen Device Protection requests that Face ID and Touch ID verify your identity to complete certain actions. More sensitive tasks, such as changing your iPhone passcode, changing your Apple ID password, resetting Face ID or Touch ID, and disabling the Find My app, require that an hour pass before the requested changes take place. And even then, after an hour, you must verify your identity via Face ID or Touch ID.