You can see your CGM glucose right on your iPhone home screen and lock screen using widgets and Live Activities, so your number and trend arrow are one glance away without opening any app. A widget shows your latest reading in a small tile you place among your app icons or on your lock screen, while a Live Activity keeps a live, updating glucose display on your lock screen and in the Dynamic Island. Both pull from a glucose app that already receives your CGM data, so you tap nothing to check your sugar.
The short version: Add a glucose widget to your iPhone home screen or lock screen to see your number without unlocking, and turn on a Live Activity to keep a constantly updating reading on the lock screen. Both are glance-only tools, so keep your CGM app and its alarms running underneath.
What is the difference between a widget and a Live Activity?
They look similar but work differently. Knowing which one you want saves you setup time.
- Widget: A small tile that shows your most recent glucose value and trend arrow. It refreshes on a schedule set by iOS, so it updates every few minutes rather than every second. You can place it on the home screen, on the lock screen, or in the Today View.
- Live Activity: A persistent card that stays on your lock screen (and in the Dynamic Island on newer iPhones) while it is active. It is designed to update more frequently and is ideal for watching a trend during a meal, a workout, or a low.
Think of the widget as an always-there sticker and the Live Activity as a short-lived live feed you turn on when you want closer tracking.
How do I add a glucose widget to my iPhone home screen?
The exact taps are the same for most glucose apps, because they use Apple’s standard widget system. Here is the general flow:
- Touch and hold an empty area of your home screen until the icons jiggle.
- Tap the plus (+) button in the top corner.
- Search for your glucose app in the widget list.
- Choose a widget size, then tap Add Widget.
- Drag it where you want it and tap Done.
Smaller widgets usually show just the number and arrow. Larger ones can add a mini graph of the last few hours. Pick the size that matches how much detail you want at a glance.
Adding a widget to the lock screen
Lock screen widgets are handy because you see them the moment you pick up your phone. To add one:
- Touch and hold your lock screen, then tap Customize.
- Select the lock screen you want to edit.
- Tap the widget area below the clock.
- Choose your glucose app and add its widget.
Now your latest reading sits under the clock, no unlocking required.
How do Live Activities show glucose on the lock screen?
A Live Activity is a live card that your glucose app starts and keeps updating. Once it is running, your current value and trend stay visible on the lock screen, and on an iPhone 14 Pro or later they also appear in the Dynamic Island at the top of the screen. Tap and hold the Dynamic Island to expand it for a bigger view.
Live Activities are especially useful when you want to watch a number move in near real time: during and after a meal to see a post-meal rise, while you exercise, or when you are heading low and want to see whether a treatment is working. Because they update more often than widgets, they show change sooner.
Live Activities are not permanent. They run for a set window and then end, so you may need to restart one after several hours. That is normal iOS behavior, not a glitch.
Why is my glucose widget not updating?
Widgets depend on both a working data connection and iOS’s refresh schedule. If your tile looks stale, check these first:
- The source data is behind. Your widget can only be as fresh as the app feeding it. If sharing is broken, the number freezes. See our guides on FreeStyle Libre troubleshooting, Dexcom troubleshooting, and Nightscout setup and troubleshooting.
- Low Power Mode is on. This throttles background refresh. Turn it off if you want frequent widget updates.
- Background App Refresh is off. Go to Settings, then General, then Background App Refresh, and make sure it is enabled for your glucose app.
- Weak internet. Widgets that rely on cloud sharing (like LibreLinkUp or Dexcom Share) need data or Wi-Fi to pull new values.
Remember that iOS decides exactly when a widget refreshes to save battery, so a small delay of a few minutes is expected. For the freshest number, open the app or start a Live Activity.
Should I rely on a widget instead of my CGM alarms?
No. Widgets and Live Activities are glance tools, not safety alarms. They are perfect for a quick check while you walk, cook, or work, but they are silent and passive. They will not wake you at night or interrupt a meeting when your glucose drops.
For safety, keep your CGM device and its official app running with alarms turned on. A companion app can add its own high, low, and predictive low alerts, and can even help alerts break through silent mode, but the widget itself is only a display. Learn more about why active alerts matter in our guide to real-time glucose alerts.
It also helps to understand what the arrow on your widget means. Our explainer on glucose trend arrows shows how to read whether your number is steady, rising, or falling fast.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see glucose on my lock screen without unlocking my iPhone?
Yes. A lock screen widget or a Live Activity shows your latest number and arrow the moment your screen lights up, with no passcode or Face ID needed. This is one of the fastest ways to check your sugar in public.
Do glucose widgets drain my battery?
Widgets use very little power because iOS limits how often they refresh. Live Activities update more often and use a bit more energy, but they are designed to be battery friendly and end automatically after a while.
Why does my widget number differ from the app?
The app usually shows the newest reading, while the widget may be a few minutes behind due to iOS refresh timing. Open the app for the most current value. If the two disagree by a lot, check your sharing connection.
Can I put glucose on my Apple Watch too?
Yes. Many apps offer a watch complication so your reading sits on your watch face. See our guide to CGM on Apple Watch for how that works alongside iPhone widgets.
Sugar Sense puts your FreeStyle Libre, Dexcom, or Nightscout glucose on your iPhone home screen and lock screen with widgets and Live Activities, plus a matching Apple Watch complication, so your number and trend are always a glance away. It layers on high, low, and predictive alerts and Care Circle sharing while your CGM device keeps doing the medical work underneath.
This article is educational and not medical advice. A companion app, widget, or Live Activity never replaces your CGM device or its built-in alarms, and should not be your only way to catch a high or low. Always confirm treatment decisions with your own healthcare provider. See our medical disclaimer for details.
