Skip to main content
All CollectionsPillow on the Apple Watch
Live Activities on the Apple Watch
Live Activities on the Apple Watch

This article provides an overview of Live Activities on the Apple Watch and includes troubleshooting steps.

Updated over a year ago

Pillow supports Live Activities on both the Apple Watch and iPhone, enabling you to monitor your sleep session progress without needing to open the app. On the Apple Watch, the Live Activity appears in the Smart Stack as soon as you start a sleep session.

⚠️ Note: Live Activities on the Apple Watch require watchOS 11 and iOS 18 or later.

How to Use Pillow’s Live Activity on the Apple Watch

  1. Install Pillow on your iPhone and Apple Watch.

  2. Set up an alarm preset in Pillow:
    Open Pillow on your iPhone and navigate to the Alarm tab at the bottom left.
    Tap the ‘+’ button to create a new alarm preset.
    By default, all new sleep tracking presets support Live Activities. You can disable Live Activities for specific presets at any time by editing the preset. The option to toggle Live Activities appears at the bottom of the dialog.

  3. Start a sleep session:
    Use the created preset to start a sleep session whenever you’re ready.

  4. View the Live Activity:
    Once the sleep session begins, the Live Activity will appear on both your iPhone and Apple Watch.

The Live Activity remains visible throughout your sleep session. Tapping on it will open Pillow on your Apple Watch.

Monitoring Sleep Session Status

During the sleep session, the Live Activity on the Apple Watch provides real-time information:

  1. Details displayed:

    1. The selected alarm time (if the preset is alarm-based)

    2. The session duration (if the preset is duration-based)

  2. Sleep tracking status:

    1. Active: The app is actively tracking your sleep.

    2. Paused: Sleep tracking is paused, and the Live Activity reflects the current state.

Troubleshooting

Issue: The Live Activity appears on the iPhone but not on the Apple Watch.

This may occur if Pillow on the Apple Watch has not been properly updated, often due to watchOS-related issues. To resolve this:

  1. Open the Watch app on your iPhone.

  2. Find Pillow in the app list and toggle off “Show App on the Apple Watch.”

  3. Wait for the app to disappear from your Apple Watch.

  4. Toggle “Show App on the Apple Watch” back on to reinstall Pillow.

  5. Restart both your Apple Watch and iPhone.

Issue: The Live Activity does not appear on either the iPhone or Apple Watch.

This usually happens if Pillow doesn’t have the required permissions to display Live Activities. To enable permissions:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

  2. Go to Apps → Pillow.

  3. Turn on the toggle for Live Activities.

Did this answer your question?