Widgets and Live Activity
Trace includes home screen widgets, a Lock Screen Live Activity, and a Control Center widget so capture status is always accessible.
Home Screen widget
Add a Trace widget to see capture status and request counts at a glance without opening the app.
- Long-press the Home Screen.
- Tap Edit → Add Widget.
- Search for Trace and select a widget size.
- Tap Add Widget.
The widget updates automatically when capture state changes.
Live Activity
When capture is running, Trace shows a Live Activity on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island (on supported devices) with real-time capture status.
The Live Activity dismisses automatically when capture stops.
Control Center widget
Trace adds a toggle to iOS Control Center so you can start and stop capture without leaving the current app.
To add the Trace control:
- Open Settings → Control Center.
- Scroll to More Controls and tap + next to Trace.
The control shows capture status and toggles capture with a single tap. It also provides a Clear Requests action to flush captured data without stopping capture.
Home screen Quick Actions
Long-press the Trace app icon on the Home Screen to reveal shortcut actions:
| Action | What it does | |---|---| | Start Capture | Starts the VPN tunnel and begins recording traffic (shown when capture is stopped) | | Stop Capture | Stops the VPN tunnel (shown when capture is running) | | View Last Session | Opens the app and selects the most recent capture session | | Export Data | Exports the last session as a HAR file in the background and shows a notification when done |
Quick actions are unavailable until onboarding is complete.
Deep links
Trace responds to the trace:// URL scheme for automation and shortcuts:
| URL | Destination |
|---|---|
| trace://capture | Opens the Network tab |
| trace://tools | Opens the Tools tab |
| trace://settings | Opens the Settings tab |
| trace://favorites | Opens the Network tab and shows Favorites |
| trace://lastSession | Selects the most recent capture session |
Tips
- Use the widget to confirm capture is active during automated test runs.
- Use the Control Center toggle to start and stop capture without interrupting your workflow.
- The Export Data Quick Action is useful for scripted workflows — it runs in the background and sends a local notification with the exported file count.