What is on the card
From the top:
- The run's name and its clock. The clock counts down where the step has a timer, and counts up how long the step has been in hand where it has none. In the corner, Again, only where going round the step again means something.
- The step's name, across the whole card.
- A row of beads, one per step, with yours filled, ending in Next. On the last step it says Finish, with a tick. While the run is paused, Resume stands there instead. A step left for later is a hollow bead with an orange ring, in its own place. When the run reaches its end with steps still left, the corner says how many, the step named is the first of them, and Next begins it.
- The step's buttons. The note button opens the app at the run's note. Then what the step is waiting for you to press: a link, a shortcut, or another action set to wait for a tap, up to two of each. On the right, the words Decide later.
Tap anywhere else and the app opens on that run. Press and hold the Dynamic Island for the same buttons.
Which buttons, and when
| Button | When it is there |
|---|---|
| Next or Finish | Always, unless switched off for the routine or the step |
| Again | Where going round the step again means something |
| Decide later | While the run is going |
| Resume | On a paused run, in place of Next, with Again and Decide later gone |
| Again, as a new run | On the card a finished run leaves for a few minutes |
Decide later leaves the step where it is, moves the run on past it, and puts a question about it in In hand: Now or Skip. Unanswered, the run comes back for it at the end. See Pause, Later and Last.
Back and Stop are never on a card. Stop is on the run's page.
Choosing them
Open the routine, then Settings. Under Live Activity, switch Next, Repeat (the Again button) and Decide later on or off. A run's own Settings has the same switches, for that run. A step can have its own: the step's Settings, Buttons on this step, Its own buttons.
Turn Next off for a step that something else finishes, such as a shortcut writing a value.
A red button was marked to think about first. A small badge means the Action button may do it too.
When it goes wrong
Next did nothing. The step is not finished yet. A notification says why, and the run stays where it is.
The card says Out of date. The step's timer ran out, or nothing has happened to the run for four hours. Open the app and the card is drawn again.
A press takes a few seconds on iOS 26. If the app was closed, iOS starts it first.
There is no card at all. See Nothing on the Lock Screen.