Inside the iPhone’s Dynamic Island: Apple’s Notch Replacement Has Many Uses

When Apple introduced Dynamic Island, the oddly named feature drew a flurry of opinions. Some said the name sounded like a strange tourist destination, while others said it lacked the finesse of other Apple feature names like AirDrop or FaceTime. Popular YouTuber MKBHD joked in a Twitter post that it “the most Apple-esque thing they’ve ever done.”

Whatever you think of the name, the Dynamic Island has won over some fans (even some Android users, apparently). The pill-shaped notch, which first graced 2022’s iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, replaces the much-discussed notch that housed the True Depth camera system required for Face ID.

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Unlike the notch, which was a static physical cutout, the Dynamic Island is an area at the top of the iPhone’s display that serves as an interactive hub, changing shape depending on the context. Within the Dynamic Island, two discreet cutouts remain for the camera and sensors, but the surrounding area is a sort of interactive canvas for different content.

Apple’s decision to add Dynamic Island as a now-signature feature on the iPhone marked a departure from its rival Android phone makers, which have opted to replace the display notches on their devices with punch-hole selfie cameras. Through Dynamic Island, Apple found a way to use the area around the notch for system notifications, app controls and live activity tracking, among other functions.

When not in use, the Dynamic Island is a fairly unobtrusive black expanse of screen real estate that’s smaller than the previous notch. Depending on what apps you’re using, what background activities are running, and iPhone system notifications, the Dynamic Island morphs into one of three shapes: a long oval, a large popup window, and a medium-sized oval/circle combo.

When using a single app like Apple Music, it turns into a long oval, displaying album art on one side and a waveform for the currently playing song. In this state, tapping the Dynamic Island will open the Music app for the currently playing song. Pressing and holding the Dynamic Island will bring up a larger window across the top of your iPhone with mini playback controls. Likewise, when you get a call, the pill-shaped cutout will elongate to reveal information about the caller.

If you have two apps open at once, like Music and Apple Maps, Dynamic Island looks like a lowercase “i” turned sideways. One of the apps, Maps, has its own medium-sized oval to show turn-by-turn directions. The second app, Music (in this case), is in its own circle on the right — with album art.

Because Dynamic Island integrates with third-party apps, it can also show a real-time estimated arrival time for your Uber and delivery orders. When you press and hold Dynamic Island, a pop-up window will appear displaying that 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, among other system functions.

Here are some of the things Dynamic Island can show:

• System Alerts
• Turn-by-turn navigation with Apple Maps or Google Maps
• Contact details and call duration for telephone calls
• Battery percentage when your iPhone or AirPods are charging
• Find my notifications
• Duration of the screen recording
• Cover art when playing songs from Apple Music
• Payments with public transport card
• Live sports results
• Flight information
• Timer length
• Payments with Face ID
• Files sent with AirDrop
• Mute icon
• Live activities for services like Uber

The ability to dynamically change shape and display relevant content improves the overall user experience. Since launch, Apple has trickled down the feature to its base models, meaning the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus also get the shape-shifting notch, joining the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. If you’re interested in learning more about Dynamic Island, check out our iPhone 14 Pro review and our iPhone 15 reviews.