How to stop music and timers taking over the Apple Watch screen

2 min read · 6 steps · Updated 4 October 2026

Device

Apple Watch

Shown on

watchOS 26 (Apple Watch)

App

Settings

Path

Settings › Smart Stack › Live Activities

Real screenshots

6 of 6 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

1 official, linked below

Live Activities are, in Apple's words, app activities in progress such as a workout, a timer or music. They appear on the watch face and at the top of the Smart Stack, so the watch may show them when you only wanted the time. Two switches decide whether they open by themselves.

The screenshots show watchOS 26.5 on an Apple Watch Series 11.

Step by step

1. 

   Open Settings on the watch

   Press the Digital Crown to see your apps and tap the Settings gear.

   Done

2. 

   Tap Smart Stack

   It is the second row of Settings, below Notifications.

   Done

3. 

   Tap Live Activities

   It is the first of two rows.

   Done

4. 

   Switch off Auto-Launch Live Activities

   It is under the heading When Live Activity Begins and is on in the picture. The note below says that when a Live Activity is running, the Smart Stack will remain pulled up when your wrist is down.

   Done

5. 

   Or switch off Allow Live Activities

   This is the first switch on the page. Off means no Live Activities on the watch at all.

   Done

6. 

   Decide for single kinds of apps

   Further down, Media Apps, Music Recognition and Workout each have their own row. The note at the end says Live Activities settings for iOS apps can be managed in the Watch app on the iPhone.

   Done

Good to know

With the switches left on, tap the Live Activity at the top of the watch face to open it, and press the Digital Crown to return to the watch face.

Show Live Activities on Wrist Down, on the same page, lets you choose whether the data is shown or blurred when your wrist is down.

In short: Settings, Smart Stack, Live Activities, Auto-Launch Live Activities off.