The iOS stopwatch gets Live Activities support in iOS 17.4

According to MacRumors, Apple's recently released iOS 17.4 beta update includes a new feature for the Clock app's stopwatch. Once iOS 17.4 installed on your iPhone (we expect the update to be released as early as March 4), you will be able to start the stopwatch from the clock app and watch it count down the seconds, minutes, and hours on the Dynamic . Island and lock screen.

The dynamic island will display an up-to-the-second preview of the timer and tapping it will give the user the option to pause the timer or start a new round. The same controls are all available for the stopwatch on the lock screen. After pausing the timer on the dynamic island, you can clear it by pressing the “X” button. On the lock screen, you can clear the timer by pausing it and sliding it off the screen.

Although timers have worked with Live Activities since the feature was introduced with iOS 16, the stopwatch can only be viewed in the Clock app. But with iOS 17.4, that will change. And with an active stopwatch running on iPhone appearing front and center, you'll never forget 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 requires Apple to make these changes by March 8, so we expect the update to arrive on Monday, March 4. As we noted the other day, iOS 17.4 will also add a switch to the Stolen Device Protection feature allowing users to make the feature work anywhere. Currently, users can make the feature work in unknown locations or disable it.