Dynamic Island: A Closer Look at the iPhone’s Notch Replacement

When Apple introduced Dynamic Islandthe oddly named feature has sparked a flurry of opinions. Some said the name sounded like a weird tourist destination, while others said it lacked the sophistication of the names of other Apple features like AirDrop or FaceTime. Popular YouTuber MKBHD joked in a Twitter post that it was “the most Apple thing they’ve ever done”

Whatever you think of the title, Dynamic Island has managed to win over some fans (apparently some). Android users too). The pill-shaped neckline that graced 2022 fashion for the first time. iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Maxreplaced the much-maligned notch that housed the True Depth camera system needed for Face ID.

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Unlike the cutout, which was a static physical cutout, the Dynamic Island is an area on top iPhones a display that serves as an interactive hub and changes shape depending on the context. Inside the dynamic island, two discreet cutouts remain for the camera and sensors, but the area surrounding it provides an interactive canvas of sorts for various content.

Apple’s decision to add Dynamic Island as a proprietary iPhone feature marked a departure from rival Android phone makers. The latter decided to replace the cutouts on the screens of their devices with a hole-punch for selfie cameras. With Dynamic Island, Apple has found a way to use the area around the notch for system alerts, app control, and real-time activity tracking, among other features.

In standby mode, the dynamic island is a fairly unobtrusive black area that takes up about an inch of the screen, which is smaller than the previous mark. Depending on what apps you’re using, what background activities are running, and your iPhone’s system alerts, the dynamic island will take one of three shapes: a long oval, a large pop-up window, and a combination of an oval and a medium-sized circle.

When using one app like Apple Music, it becomes a long oval and shows the album cover on one end and the waveform of the song being played. In this state, if you tap on Dynamic Island, the Music app will open with the current song. If you tap and hold on the dynamic island, it will open in a large window that takes up the top of your iPhone, with mini playback controls. Likewise, if you receive a call, the pill-shaped cutout extends to display the caller’s information.

If you have two apps open at the same time, such as the Music app and Apple Maps, the dynamic island will appear as a lowercase “i” on the side. One app, Maps, has its own medium-sized oval that shows step-by-step directions. The second app, Music (in this case), sits on the right in its own circle and displays the album cover.

Because Dynamic Island integrates with third-party apps, it can also show real-time arrival estimates for your Uber as well as food delivery orders. When you press and hold the Dynamic Island, it physically grows in size. popup window to display this information.

Dynamic Island also provides visual feedback for privacy indicators (such as when the microphone or camera is active), AirDrop file transfers or Apple Pay transactions, and other system functions.

Here are some things that Dynamic Island can show:

• System alerts
• Turn-by-turn navigation using Apple Maps or Google Maps
• Contact information and call duration for telephone calls
• Battery percentage when your iPhone or AirPods are charging
• Find my alerts
• Screen recording duration
• Cover art when playing songs from Apple Music
• Payment by transit cards
• Live sports results
• Flight information
• Timer length
• Payments using Face ID
• Files sent using AirDrop
• Mute icon
• Live events for services like Uber

The ability to dynamically change the form and display relevant content improves the overall user experience. Since its launch, Apple has brought this feature to its base models, meaning the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus also feature a shape-shifting notch, in addition to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. If you want to know more about Dynamic Island, read our iPhone 14 Pro review and ours iPhone 15 reviews.