iOS 18.2 adds Safari Live Activity for file downloads

2 weeks ago 10

Live Activities are having a moment. Yesterday Apple rolled out a popular Live Activity for tracking election results via Apple News. Now, a new Safari Live Activity has been discovered in the latest iOS 18.2 beta for tracking a file’s download progress.

Newest Live Activity shows Apple continuing to expand feature

I wrote yesterday about how Live Activities are one of my favorite iPhone and Apple Watch features. They debuted two years ago, but only recently have they started becoming especially valuable.

Apple keeps making them better, too. The latest evidence of that is a new Live Activity coming to Safari in iOS 18.2 (via MacRumors).

As first discovered by Rishi Agrawal on X, when a Safari file download is initiated, iOS 18.2 will automatically start a Live Activity.

This allows you to track the progress of the download from the Dynamic Island and your iPhone’s Lock Screen.

Depending on your download speed and the size of the file you’re downloading, this can come in especially handy.

Like most other Live Activities, the feature isn’t exactly a game-changer, but it does provide a level of convenience that boosts your overall iPhone experience in a meaningful way.

Another Dynamic Island enhancement in iOS 18.2

On a related note, also in the latest iOS 18.2 beta, Apple has also tweaked Vehicle Motion Cues so that it uses the Dynamic Island when triggered on and off, rather than using a larger popover.

More than two years into the existence of Live Activities and the Dynamic Island, Apple keeps finding ways to improve them.

Are you glad to see Safari’s new Live Activity for downloads? What other Live Activities could Apple add? Let us know in the comments.