Check out a few Dynamic Island tidbits showing how the iPhone 14 Pro notch works in real life and what to expect from this cool new feature.
The recess becomes a dynamic island
For the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple has improved the notch to make it more functional and call it Dynamic Island.
While non-Pro models still have the old notch, both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro have a pill-shaped cutout at the top of the display for the TrueDepth camera parts and sensors, as well as a small circular cutout for the webcam.
Two separate cutouts become one thanks to Apple’s original iOS 16 software, which uses smooth animation to expand and contract the Dynamic Island area.
One or two applications can display various controls in the Dynamic Island area and provide quick access to key information. This allows you to access two apps at the same time through Dynamic Island using the main full-screen app.
For example, Dynamic Island can display a signal from the Music app along with a clock icon. Tapping the waveform expands the Now Playing controls, and tapping the clock icon shows your timers. Watch: Over 125 New Features in iOS 16
With the release of the first reviews of the iPhone 14 Pro, we have collected some interesting facts about Dynamic Island that were previously unknown, so sit back and read on…
Dynamic island in screenshots when used
As with the good old notch on the notched iPhone, Dynamic Island hardware doesn’t show up in screenshots taken when the feature is inactive. But if you take a screenshot of Dynamic Island while using it, it will be visible in the image, according to MacRumors.
The same is true if you take a screenshot when iOS displays privacy indicator dots for camera or microphone access in Dynamic Island. Youtuber Marques Brownlee says that an active Dynamic Island also appears in screen recordings.
There will be Dynamic Island games
WaterMinder and HabitMinder developer Chriss Smolka took to Twitter to share a Pong-like concept game that takes advantage of Dynamic Island. MacRumors believes that Apple will probably not allow such games in its App Store, but this example proves that developers are keen to add Dynamic Island functionality to their applications.
Who has an iPhone 14 Pro now? We need to test this on the device as soon as possible!
🏝️ Hit The Island is our game concept for iPhone 14 Pro, slow for now, but doing well 🙂 #iPhone14Pro #iOS16 pic.twitter.com/kWLU77gk6d
— Chris Smolka (@ksmolka) September 13, 2022
Applications compatible with Dynamic Island
The Verge reports that no third-party apps support Dynamic Island at launch. The only exceptions are audio apps that integrate with the Now Playing system feature that Dynamic Island supports, such as Spotify.
Third-party developers will be able to implement the Dynamic Island functionality when Apple releases the Live Activity feature in the iOS 16 update later this year.
System features that work with Dynamic Island
9to5Mac has listed all the system features that Dynamic Island supports at launch:
System alerts and notifications:
- Incoming call
- AirPods connected
- Face ID
- Apple Pay
- Car keys
- AirDrop
- Clock unlock
- Low battery
- Charger
- Silent ON/OFF switch
- NFC interactions
- Airplay
- Focus changes
- Labels
- Airplane Mode / No Data Warning
- SIM card alerts
- Accessories connect
- find my
Live activity:
- Current call
- shareplay
- Music/Now Playing Apps
- Timer
- Direction cards
- Voice notes
- Screen recording
- personal hotspot
- Indicators:
- Microphone
- Camera
Now playing:
- Spotify
- stapler
- Sound
- Amazonian music
- NPR One
- Overcast
- Pandora
- YouTube Music
- soundcloud
callkit:
- google voice
- Skype
Dynamic Island is currently exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro, but it will eventually come to all iPhone models, as will features like Face ID and Touch ID before it. Apple calls it “a new way to interact with iPhone”and it tells you everything you need to know.