An expense tracking app on Always-On Display: how Saldo works

Always-On Display, the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island

These names describe different parts of an iPhone. The Lock Screen hosts the Live Activity. Always-On keeps a dimmed version visible on supported models. Dynamic Island is a separate area at the top of the screen on compatible devices. Support for one does not automatically mean support for the others.

Saldo uses a Live Activity to present a short daily budget summary. It does not install a separate screensaver or force the display to stay illuminated. We checked the app’s implementation and Apple’s documentation on 20 October 2026. This guide describes an iOS feature rather than promising the same display behaviour on Android or in a browser.

Which spending figures does the view show?

Saldo’s view includes the workspace name, remaining allowance, spending included in the daily limit, the limit itself and the update time. A progress bar represents the share of the daily budget already used. If the limit is exceeded, the view highlights that overspend. It summarises one particular plan rather than showing every transaction.

For example, a PLN 150 daily limit minus a PLN 18 coffee and PLN 44 grocery purchase leaves PLN 88. Another expense excluded from the daily budget will not reduce that figure, although it still belongs in your financial history. The remaining allowance should therefore not be read as your bank balance or the total money available for the rest of the month.

How to enable the Lock Screen budget in Saldo

Open the Saldo iPhone app and choose the correct workspace. Open the daily budget details. If no limit exists, set an amount and currency first. Then enable “Show budget on Lock Screen.” The option requires a configured daily budget. When using it for the first time, check any permission messages as well.

Record a sample expense and return to the budget view to compare the result. Lock your phone and check the Live Activity. This short test can reveal the wrong workspace or an expense excluded from the limit before you rely on the summary during an actual purchase. Use amounts you can easily verify yourself.

• Check that iOS allows Live Activities for Saldo.
• On a model with Always-On, check its setting under Display & Brightness.
• Compare the workspace name, date and last update time.

When does the spending amount update?

Saldo sends the current budget state to the Live Activity while you use the app and refresh the daily budget. A locked phone does not independently analyse every payment. A purchase you have not recorded, or that is absent from the refreshed budget, may not be reflected in the amount on screen.

After roughly five minutes since the last data update, or earlier if the data expires, the view marks the information as stale and asks you to open Saldo. It keeps the last recorded amount with a corresponding label. Before a larger purchase, open the app, check for missing entries and refresh the view. A visible card alone does not establish that the number includes every recent purchase.

Why does the view disappear or the display turn off?

First check Live Activity permissions, Always-On settings and the latest daily budget in Saldo. Apple can switch off the dimmed display in situations including Low Power Mode, Sleep Focus or a phone lying face down. This does not necessarily indicate a problem with the app.

Live Activities also have a system-controlled lifetime. Do not treat the card as a permanent, round-the-clock widget. If it disappears, open Saldo and check the Lock Screen budget setting again. An iPhone without Always-On can still present a supported Live Activity when you wake the Lock Screen. Always-On is an additional display capability rather than a requirement to use the daily budget inside Saldo.

Build a useful habit without checking constantly

Keep the routine simple: record a purchase, check the allowance and carry on with your day. There is no need to watch the indicator every minute. Once a week, compare daily decisions with your category budgets and wider plan. A daily limit alone does not describe bills, larger purchases or longer-term goals, and unused allowance should not be confused with money already saved.

Remember that other people may see your Lock Screen. Before leaving the workspace name and amounts visible, decide whether you are comfortable with that information being shown. You can turn the feature off in Saldo when it does not suit the situation. Use the glanceable summary as a prompt for a decision and return to the app when you need the underlying financial detail.