On this page: Discover how Live activities deliver persistent, real-time updates on the iPhone Lock Screen and Dynamic Island so you can keep users engaged during ongoing events and plan the configuration and API-triggered campaigns needed to send them with Adobe Journey Optimizer.
Live activities are persistent, glanceable UI elements displayed on the device lock screen. They let your app present real-time, up-to-date information — keeping users informed throughout an ongoing event without requiring them to open the app or receive repeated push notifications.
Unlike traditional push notifications, Live activities represent state-based engagement: instead of delivering one-time alerts, they maintain a continuous, contextual presence that updates dynamically as events evolve.
Key benefits
Live activities shift mobile engagement from notification-based to state-based, enabling brands to:
- Maintain a continuous presence on the Lock Screen throughout high-value events
- Update information dynamically without overwhelming users with repeated notifications
- Deliver richer, more contextual mobile moments tied to real-world events
- Increase engagement and retention during active transactions or live experiences
With Adobe Journey Optimizer, you can remotely start, update, and end Live activities programmatically through API-triggered campaigns — supporting both individual and audience-based use cases at scale.
Live activities can only be initiated via API-triggered campaigns, allowing you to provide custom payloads and perform all personalization through your own payload.
The appropriate API-triggered campaign type must be selected based on the intended Live activity use case:
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Select API-triggered Marketing for broadcast use cases — audience-based updates sent at scale:
- Sports scores and live event countdowns
- Flight status updates for all passengers on a route
- Shared experiences across a user segment
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Select API-triggered Transactional for individual use cases — 1:1 real-time updates per user:
- Order tracking and delivery progress
- Ride or service status updates
- Real-time booking and appointment confirmations
Quick start guide
Complete the steps below to configure and implement Live activities in your application:
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Configure Adobe Journey Optimizer
Set up your environment by creating a mobile configuration.
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Integrate the Adobe Experience Platform Mobile SDK
Integrate with Adobe Experience Platform Mobile SDK to enable real-time, dynamic updates on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island.
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Create a Live activity in Journey Optimizer
Use API-triggered campaigns in Journey Optimizer to start your Live activity.
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Start measuring the impact of your Live activity with built-in reports.
How-to video
Discover how to configure iOS Live activities with Adobe Journey Optimizer to deliver rich, real-time updates on the iPhone Lock Screen and Dynamic Island.
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- TL;DR: This page introduces Live activities as persistent, real-time updates on the iPhone Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, and explains that in Adobe Journey Optimizer they are sent only through API-triggered campaigns.
Intents:
- Understand what Live activities are and how state-based engagement differs from push notifications
- Determine when to use API-triggered Marketing (broadcast) versus API-triggered Transactional (individual) campaigns
- Plan the quick start steps: create a mobile configuration, integrate the Mobile SDK, create a Live activity, and track campaigns
Glossary:
- Live activity: A persistent, glanceable UI element on the device lock screen that presents real-time, up-to-date information throughout an ongoing event (product-specific)
- State-based engagement: A continuous, contextual presence that updates dynamically as events evolve, in contrast to one-time alerts
- Dynamic Island: The iPhone display area where Live activities appear alongside the Lock Screen
- API-triggered Marketing: The campaign type used for broadcast use cases, sending audience-based updates at scale (product-specific)
- API-triggered Transactional: The campaign type used for individual use cases, sending 1:1 real-time updates per user (product-specific)
Guardrails:
- Live activities in Adobe Journey Optimizer are only compatible with Apple iOS.
- Live activities can only be initiated via API-triggered campaigns, and all personalization is performed through your own payload.
- Broadcast use cases require an API-triggered Marketing campaign; individual use cases require an API-triggered Transactional campaign.
Terminology:
- Canonical name: Live activity — Acronym: n/a — variants: Live activities
- Synonyms: “broadcast use cases” = “audience-based updates sent at scale”
- Synonyms: “individual use cases” = “1:1 real-time updates per user”
- Do not confuse: “API-triggered Marketing” (broadcast, audience-based) ≠ “API-triggered Transactional” (individual, 1:1)
- Do not confuse: “Live activity” (persistent, continuously updatable presence) ≠ “push notification” (one-time alert)
FAQ:
- Q: Which platforms support Live activities in Journey Optimizer? — Only Apple iOS.
- Q: How are Live activities initiated? — Only via API-triggered campaigns, with all personalization performed through your own payload.
- Q: When should I use API-triggered Marketing versus API-triggered Transactional? — Marketing for broadcast, audience-based use cases such as sports scores or flight status; Transactional for individual 1:1 use cases such as order tracking or booking confirmations.
- Q: What are the quick start steps? — Create a mobile configuration, integrate the Adobe Experience Platform Mobile SDK, create a Live activity through an API-triggered campaign, then track the impact with built-in reports.