Apple is working on a new Live Activities feature for the Maps app that will display turn-by-turn navigation directly on the lock screen, according to Apple leaker @analyst941. They claim that it will be a part of iOS 17 and shared a render that gives an idea of how the unreleased feature would look in action. It shows the map in a square window along with some direction prompts at the top.
Released with iOS 16 last year, Live Activities is meant to display an app"s most current data on the lock screen and in Dynamic Island. For instance, the feature can show how far an Uber is from its pickup location.It can also display workout progress, live game scores, or how much time is left for a food delivery order to arrive.
As per their tweet, the Maps Live Activity feature will offer a "seamless transition when unlocking" the device. Users will be able to swipe up on the screen and view their notifications as usual. While covering a big real estate on the lock screen, it would be like "a wallpaper for the most part" with the ability to move the map around, the leaker said. However, they added that the company is experimenting with a single tap or long press on the map to open the full app.
The company is also testing multiple ways to resize the live activity such as adding a graphic button, or with a long press or single tap. Moreover, the leaker alleges that it"s possible to minimize the live activity to the size of the music player in the lock screen and re-maximize it by tapping the activity.
iOS 17 is rumored to bring various other features such as revamped versions of the Wallpapers, Health, and Wallet apps. Apple will talk about the iOS 17 features and changes during its WWDC 2023 keynote next month. It is expected to add the long-awaited app sideloading capability as well but a recent report suggests the feature might be limited to Europe only.