Apple Sports version 4.5, released October 15, 2026, makes its iPhone Live Activities more informative during pauses in play and expands soccer coverage with five competitions: Brazilian Serie B, English League One, English League Two, Norway’s Eliteserien and the UEFA Nations League. The app remains free and iPhone-only, and the App Store currently lists iOS 18 or later as the minimum requirement.
What changed in Apple Sports 4.5
The headline change is to Live Activities. Apple says the update lets users see key game statistics during breaks in the action across leagues, rather than limiting the Lock Screen view to a score or the latest event while play is moving. The exact statistics shown can depend on the league and game data available, so the release note does not promise an identical set of metrics for every competition.
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Live Activities continue to show live scores and plays on an iPhone Lock Screen when enabled. Apple Sports lets you choose which teams to follow and manage Live Activities separately for each followed team.
Five new soccer competitions
| Competition | Country or scope |
|---|---|
| Brazilian Serie B | Brazil |
| English League One | England |
| English League Two | England |
| Norwegian Eliteserien | Norway |
| UEFA Nations League | International competition |
These additions are coverage expansion, not a change to Apple Sports’ basic business model: the App Store listing describes the app as free.
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How to turn on Live Activities for a team
Live Activities are configured in two places: Apple Sports, where you select teams, and iPhone Settings, where you control update behavior.
- Open Apple Sports on your iPhone.
- Find the team you want to follow and add it to your followed teams. Apple’s support guidance says Live Activities are managed per team, so repeat this for each team whose games you want on the Lock Screen.
- When a game is available, enable that team’s Live Activity in Apple Sports. The control appears in the team’s Live Activity or game-following options; wording can vary with the app version and region.
- Open Settings > Apps > Sports > Live Activities to change how frequently the activity updates. A faster update setting can provide more current information but may use more battery and data.
- Lock the iPhone and check the Lock Screen when the team is playing. Scores and plays appear there when Live Activities are enabled and the relevant game feed is available.
If nothing appears, confirm that the team is actually followed, Live Activities are enabled for that team, the iPhone has an internet connection and iOS allows Lock Screen notifications for the app. Coverage and feature availability can differ by competition and location.
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Apple Sports’ soccer coverage has been expanding steadily
Version 4.5 follows several recent waves of additions. The progression matters if you follow leagues outside the traditional major-market set.
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| Version | Soccer additions listed in Apple’s version history |
|---|---|
| 4.2 | Belgian Pro League, Danish Superliga, Dutch Eredivisie, Japanese J1 League, Polish Ekstraklasa, Scottish Premiership and Swiss Super League; formations were added across most soccer leagues. |
| 4.3 | Austrian Bundesliga, English Women’s Super League, Greek Super League, Indian Super League, Saudi Pro League, Spanish Liga F and Turkish Süper Lig. |
| 4.4 | Australian A-League Men, Egyptian Premier League, Israeli Premier League and South African Premiership. |
| 4.5 | Brazilian Serie B, English League One, English League Two, Norwegian Eliteserien and UEFA Nations League, plus key statistics during Live Activity breaks. |
Apple also used a September 2025 newsroom update to announce widgets for iPhone, iPad and Mac, scheduled Live Activities, availability in seven additional countries and European competitions including 2. Bundesliga, Ligue 2, Segunda División, Serie B and Primeira Liga. Those capabilities are separate from the new 4.5 in-break statistics, and availability still depends on region and device.
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Compatibility, availability and limits
- Device: Apple Sports is listed as “Only for iPhone.” The current App Store requirement is an iPhone running iOS 18 or later.
- Connection: Internet access is required for live scores, plays and statistics.
- Regional differences: Apple states that availability and features may vary by country, region or device. A league or a particular Live Activity detail may therefore be missing even after updating.
- Data timing: Live Activity information depends on the underlying sports feed. The 4.5 release improves what can be shown during breaks; it does not guarantee identical update speed or statistics for every league.
- Other Apple devices: The App Store description is iPhone-only, while Apple’s 2025 announcement separately mentioned widgets for iPad and Mac. Do not assume that every Live Activity control or Lock Screen behavior on iPhone is available on those devices.
What this means for followers of the new leagues
Fans of the five newly listed competitions can now add their teams in Apple Sports and use the same per-team Live Activity controls as teams already supported. The practical improvement in 4.5 is most noticeable when a match is paused: the Lock Screen can retain key statistical context instead of leaving you with only a score or last play. For uninterrupted minute-by-minute monitoring, the usefulness still depends on the competition’s data coverage and your selected update rate.
Updating the app through the App Store is the straightforward way to receive version 4.5. If the update is not offered, check the iPhone’s iOS version and regional App Store availability; Apple’s listing does not promise every feature in every market.
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