How to Put a Rest Timer on Your iPhone Lock Screen
Short answer
To put a rest timer on your iPhone Lock Screen, use a timer that runs as a Live Activity. Start the timer with the app open, then lock your phone: the countdown stays on the Lock Screen, and in the Dynamic Island on iPhones that have one. The built-in Clock timer does this, and so do rest timer apps that support Live Activities. If nothing shows up, check that Live Activities are allowed for the app and on the Lock Screen in Settings.
What a Live Activity is
A Live Activity is the small live card that iOS pins to your Lock Screen while something is under way: a delivery, a game score, a timer. Apple describes them as a way to display an app's current data on the Lock Screen, in the Dynamic Island, in CarPlay, and on a paired Mac or Apple Watch, so you can check it at a glance and take quick actions.
For lifting, that's what you want. Your phone sits on the bench, locked, and one look tells you how much rest is left.
Option 1: the Clock app timer
The quickest way to get a countdown on your Lock Screen is the timer in Apple's Clock app. Set it, start it, lock your phone, and the countdown appears on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island.
It works, and it's already on your phone. The catch is between sets: you unlock and start the timer by hand after every set. Every unlock is a chance to open something else. We compared the two in detail in Between vs. the iPhone Clock app.
Option 2: a rest timer app with a Live Activity
A rest timer made for lifting can use the same Lock Screen space, and do more with it. The best ones put a button on the card itself, so you start your next rest right from the Lock Screen without unlocking.
When you compare apps, look for these four things on the Lock Screen card:
- Time left, readable at a glance. Big digits you can read from a step away, not a small line of text.
- A button to start the next rest. If you have to unlock to log a set, the Lock Screen only saves you half the trip.
- No Face ID for that button. Some Lock Screen buttons ask you to unlock first. Mid-workout, with chalk on your hands, that defeats the point.
- Something useful when the rest runs out. A card that freezes at 0:00 tells you nothing about how long ago your rest ended.
How to turn on Live Activities
If your timer runs but nothing shows on the Lock Screen, one of these settings is usually the reason.
- Allow Live Activities for the app. Apple's steps: go to Settings, tap Apps, tap the app, then tap Live Activities and turn it on. Apple notes that not every app has a Live Activities setting.
- Allow Live Activities while locked. In Settings, open Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode), enter your passcode, and under Allow Access When Locked, make sure Live Activities is on.
- Start the timer with the app open. An app can only begin a Live Activity while it's on screen. Start your rest, then lock the phone.
- Check whether you swiped it away. If you swipe the card off your Lock Screen, it's gone for that timer. Many apps bring it back the next time you start one.
Why the timer disappears after a long session
Live Activities have a time limit. Per Apple's developer documentation, a Live Activity can be active for up to eight hours before iOS ends it and removes it from the Dynamic Island. It can stay on the Lock Screen for up to four more hours after that. A normal session never gets close, but a timer left running from a morning workout into the evening will be gone.
Is the Lock Screen timer enough on its own?
It covers seeing your rest, not noticing when it's over if you aren't looking. For that you need an alert: a sound in your headphones, a buzz on your wrist, or both. For the full phone-down setup, including Apple Watch and Siri, see how to time rest without looking at your phone.
How Between uses the Lock Screen
Between is a rest timer for lifting built around the Lock Screen. Tap Log set and your rest timer begins, and the moment you lock your phone the countdown is on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island.
- The card shows your rest and your sets. A large countdown, a bar that drains as your rest runs down, and how many sets you've logged.
- Log set works from the locked screen. Tap it and your next rest starts, without Face ID and without opening the app.
- Work mode when the rest runs out. The clock rolls past 0:00 and counts your set up, so you always know how long it's been.
- You get notified when you're up. With your phone locked, a chime or a buzz comes 10 seconds before your next set and again at zero, on your iPhone and your Apple Watch.
- A shortcut if Live Activities are off. Between's Settings shows a Turn on Live Activities link that takes you to the right place.
The card ends when you end your workout, so your Lock Screen goes back to normal when you leave the gym. Not sure how long to set your rest? See how long to rest between sets.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't my timer showing on my iPhone Lock Screen?
Usually Live Activities are turned off for that app or for the Lock Screen. Check Settings, Apps, then the app, then Live Activities, and Face ID & Passcode, then Allow Access When Locked. Also start the timer with the app open before you lock the phone.
Does the Clock app timer show on the Lock Screen?
Yes. A running Clock timer shows its countdown on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. You still start each rest by hand in the app, though.
Can I start my next rest from the Lock Screen?
Only if your timer app puts a button on its Live Activity. In Between, tap Log set on the Lock Screen and your next rest begins, without unlocking.
How long does a Live Activity stay on the Lock Screen?
Apple allows a Live Activity to run for up to eight hours. After that it can stay on the Lock Screen for up to four more hours before iOS removes it. A normal workout finishes well inside that.
Do I need a Dynamic Island for a Lock Screen timer?
No. Live Activities appear on the Lock Screen of any iPhone that supports them. The Dynamic Island is an extra place to see your rest while you use other apps.