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This is the best way to follow election results on iPhone
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This is the best way to follow election results on iPhone

For those who want to stay connected to the elections every minute of the day, Apple News is launching a new feature Tuesday evening (via Apple Insider). It integrates the Live Activities feature for election results, so users can see each candidate’s electoral tally change in real time on their iPhones. This will appear on Dynamic Island and as a live widget on your lock screen.

To enable Live Activity for Elections, go to Settings on your iPhone, scroll to Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, and scroll to Live Activities. Enable the toggle if you haven’t already. Next, open the Apple News app and select the “Follow the 2024 elections live” option on the home page. You can check under Top Stories or head to the menu to search for “Special Election Coverage 2024” if it’s not there. Once you tap on it, you will be informed that live activity is enabled. If you want to pause or turn it off, click the banner again in Apple News.

Note that you need a iPhone 14 Pro or later to enjoy the full Dynamic Island experience, as older iPhones do not have this feature. But if you are using an older generation, you will still be able to see the widget live on your lock screen. Apple Watch users can also track election results in real time with the widget showing live activity on their wrists, as long as the watch is running watchOS 11.

Other ways to track election results include downloading certain apps to your iPhone. While this gets the job done, it requires a bit more effort to install the app and then check for push notifications or, in some cases, open the app to receive the latest updates.

Dynamic Island makes a lot more sense for an activity like this. This will allow you to monitor results even as you scroll through Instagram. Apple has previously used Dynamic Island for activities like sports and music, but the election results are interesting. Some people, like my colleague, might find this very anxiety-inducing, but you can of course always turn it off or take a break.

It is common for applications to present limited-time features or special offers focused on elections. Uber, for example, offers discounted rides at the polling stations today. You can get 50% off up to $10. Lyft offers a similar discount by carpooling, bike-sharing, and scooters.