Dynamic Island Is One of the Most Helpful Parts of Your iPhone and It's Right Under Your Nose
Whatever your thoughts on the name, the iPhone's Dynamic Island has managed to win over fans (apparently even some Android users, too). The pill-shaped cutout and alert interface replaced the much-maligned iPhone notch that housed the True Depth camera system required for Face ID.
Unlike the notch, which was a static physical cutout, the Dynamic Island is an area on top of the iPhone's display, which serves as an interactive hub and shape-shifts depending on the context. Within the Dynamic Island, two discreet cutouts remain for the camera and sensors, but the surrounding area is an interactive canvas of sorts for various content.
Apple's introduction of the Dynamic Island in 2022 for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max was greeted with a combination of excitement, curiosity and laughter. The feature, which surfaces up system alerts and shows live updates on apps running in the background, was overshadowed by its name.
On social media, people poked fun at the name Dynamic Island saying it sounded like an offbeat tourist destination. Apple enthusiasts worried that name didn't have the finesse that other Apple feature names, like AirDrop or FaceTime, had. Popular YouTuber MKBHD even offered a backhanded compliment in a post on Twitter that said it was "the most Apple thing they've ever Appled."
By adding the Dynamic Island as a now-signature feature on the iPhone, Apple marked a departure from its rival Android phone makers. The latter opted to replace the screen notches on their devices with hole-punch cutouts for the selfie cameras. Through the Dynamic Island, Apple found a way to use the area around its cutout for system alerts, app controls, and tracking live activities, among other functions.
When idle, the Dynamic Island is a fairly unobtrusive black area that takes up about an inch of screen real estate, which is smaller than the previous notch. Depending on what apps you're using, any background activities running and iPhone system alerts, the Dynamic Island will change into one of three shapes: a long oval, a large pop-up window and a combination of medium-sized oval and circle.
When using a single app like Apple Music, it becomes a long oval and shows an album cover on one end and a waveform for the song being played. In this state, if you tap on the Dynamic Island, it'll open the Music app to the current song. If you press and hold on the Dynamic Island, it'll pop out into a larger window spanning the top of your iPhone with mini-playback controls. Likewise, if you receive a call the pill-shaped cutout lengthens to display caller information.
If you have two apps open at once, like the Music app and Apple Maps, the Dynamic Island will look like a lowercase letter "i" on its side. 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 off to the right in its own circle -- displaying the album artwork.
Because it integrates with third-party apps, the Dynamic Island can also show a real-time estimate for your Uber's arrival as well as food delivery orders -- and when you press and hold on the Dynamic Island, it'll physically size up into a pop-up window to show that information.
The 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 the Dynamic Island can show:
System alerts
Turn-by-turn navigation with Apple Maps or Google Maps
Contact information and call length for phone calls
Battery percentage when your iPhone or AirPods are charging
Find My Alerts
Screen recording duration
Cover art when playing songs from Apple Music
Transit card payments
Live sport scores
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 enhances the overall user experience. Since its launch, Apple has trickled down the feature to its base models which means the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus also feature the shape-morphing cutout in addition to the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. If you want to learn more about the Dynamic Island, read our iPhone 14 Pro review and our iPhone 15 reviews.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Digital Trends
18 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
iOS 26 will go back to the basics with four upgrades that you'll love
In just two days from now, Apple will take the stage at WWDC 2025 and showcase the big yearly upgrades for its entire software portfolio. I am quite excited about the platform-wide design update and a few functional changes to iPadOS, especially the one targeting a more macOS-like makeover for the iPad's software. Of course, analysts will be keenly watching for Apple's next moves with AI, but it seems some of the most dramatic features have been pushed into the next year. Apple can afford some of those delays, as long as the company serves enough meaningful updates to its user base. Apple won't exactly be running dry on AI, though. Recommended Videos The chatter about the company opening its small language models to developers has stirred quite some excitement in the community of app builders, and some caution, too. Ahead of the event, however, Bloomberg has shed some light on what we can expect from the company's announcement package next week, and it seems iOS 26 will hog the limelight this time around with a focus on the core in-house experiences. Here's a quick rundown of those rumored tweaks and why they matter to an average iPhone user: Phone I recently wrote about how Google and Android have taken a crucial lead over Apple and iPhones when it comes to user safety and security at a fundamental parameter — calling. Thanks to AI, Google has steadily added scam detection and anti-phishing tools within the pre-installed Phone app on Android phones. The likes of Samsung and OnePlus have also pushed AI within their respective dialer apps that use AI for call transcription, translation, and summarization. On Pixels, you get perks like call screening, Hold for Me, Call Notes, and Live Captions. At WWDC 2025, Apple might finally begin its catch-up journey. As per Bloomberg, the default Phone app pre-installed on iPhones is getting a few long-overdue feature updates. 'Apple is introducing a new view that combines favorite contacts, recent calls and voicemails into a single, scrollable window,' says the report. AI will also find a place within the app. Apple is reportedly adding live translation for phone calls. This is a feature that is already available on OnePlus and Samsung phones, so Apple isn't really doing something revolutionary, but the feature is still a savior. I am hoping that Apple does a better job making the translation process seamless, natural-sounding, and, if possible, reduces the latency. Camera There is a perception that I get to hear and see almost on a weekly basis. 'iPhones are just better for clicking pictures and taking videos.' It's not a misplaced notion, but not without its own nuances. Phones like the Oppo Find X8 Ultra, Google Pixel 9 Pro, and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra offer their own set of superior benefits and features. But there is one area where Apple clearly needs some work, and that's making the camera app a little more interactive and user-friendly. Over the years, Apple has added a whole bunch of advanced features such as LOG video capture and 120fps Dolby Vision. However, a healthy bunch of granular controls are hidden in the Settings app. While switching between two apps is a hassle in itself, the lack of a proper Pro mode and the inability to customize the camera feature UI — something you can do on Android phones — is a crucial miss. In iOS 26, Apple could finally address that glaring hole. As per Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the iPhone's default Camera app is eyeing a revamp that focuses on simplicity. Separately, Jon Prosser, who's had a mixed track record with Apple leaks, claims that the using a system of expanding-collapsing boxes, Apple will consolidate the Photo and Video controls at the bottom of the screen. Using these boxes, users will be able to access the core tools available for each capture mode, alongside crucial adjustments such as exposure value. I am hoping that Apple finally offers a mode where more pro-level controls are available, somewhat like the excellent Kino app. Messages The situation with Apple's Messages app is not too different from the Phone app. Despite commanding a loyal user base worth millions of users, Apple hasn't given it many meaningful upgrades over the years. Android, on the other hand, has made steady progress with advanced AI-driven features in tow. At WWDC 2025, Apple is expected to announce a few upgrades headed to Messages. Users will finally be able to start polls in the app, a feature that has been available in competing communication apps for years. The company will also allow users to set custom backgrounds for their chats, following in the footsteps of Instagram DMs and WhatsApp. 'The backgrounds will sync between devices, including those of other users, meaning that you and the people you are chatting with have the same look,' says the Bloomberg report. On the more practical side of things, live translation is coming to the Messages app. This is a massive leap, especially for multilingual users. For a huge chunk of iPhone buyers in non-Western markets, chat apps are home to texts in English and multiple local languages. I deal with messages sent in at least three languages on a daily basis. With live translation coming into the picture, it would be extremely convenient to view the translated version without the hassle of switching back and forth across a translation app. I hope Apple also adds a voice translation facility to the whole stack, instead of focusing just on texts. Shortcuts The Shortcuts app on the iPhone is a powerful tool for setting up automations and routines. There's a whole community of ardent fans out there who build innovative shortcuts and share them publicly as iCloud links. But for an average iPhone user, creating these shortcuts is not an easy task due to the complicated workflow. Apple is expected to introduce an upgraded version of the Shortcuts app that will leverage AI models. 'The new version will let consumers create those actions using Apple Intelligence models,' says a Bloomberg report. I am not entirely sure, but if there's a text-to-shortcut approach involved, it would make the whole exercise a lot easier for users. Imagine telling Siri something like, 'Create a shortcut that automatically converts selected images into a PDF and sends it as an email.' Apple is expected to open its in-house AI models to developers for integrating within their apps, which could ultimately help users easily create cross-app shortcuts, as well. I am quite excited for this overhaul, and hope Apple creates something like the 'apps' system Google offers on Android phones, which allows Gemini to handle tasks across apps using natural language commands.
Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
Samsung Confirms Upgrade Choice—Galaxy Users Must Now Decide
This decision defines the future of your phone. Republished on June 7 with reports into Google's new decision for Android users. A timely warning from Samsung this week, which neatly sets out the biggest upgrade decision now facing Android users. As whispers start to spread suggesting a disconnect between Samsung and Google at the heart of Android, this is critical. We're talking AI and the new features and offerings now hitting phones and PCs at breakneck speed. This is where Galaxy has an advantage, Samsung says, 'in privacy-first, AI-powered experiences' which can 'protect you in the era of AI.' The question the Galaxy-maker asks in its latest post is the right one: 'This level of personalization' brought by AI 'can be incredibly helpful, but the more your phone knows, the more there is to protect. So, what's keeping all that personal data secure?' Samsung's answer is Knox. 'Every Galaxy device is protected from the chip up by a multi-layered approach, which includes on-device personalization, user-controlled cloud processing, and ecosystem-wide protection through Samsung Knox Matrix.' This is Samsung's secure ecosystem that is the closest replica to Apple's securely walled garden currently available on Android. 'At the core of this system is Samsung Knox Vault, Samsung's hardware-based solution for your most sensitive information.' Knox is not new and neither is the concept of hardware-enabled Galaxy data security. What is new is segmenting sensitive the latest AI-related data from the rest, and securing that alongside the more traditional PINs, passwords and credit card numbers. 'Location service metadata from your most personal photos,' Samsung says, 'could easily give away the exact location where the image was taken.' And there's not much data more sensitive than who did what, where and when. 'In the era of AI, personal information like your home address, face clustering ID, person ID, pet type, scene type and more need to be encrypted and stored in a safe location. These things aren't just files — they are deeply connected to your daily life.' It's unclear exactly what is being or will be segmented and how this plays into the various opt-ins that Samsung has added to distinguish between on-device and cloud AI, between what is only within your secure enclave and what is outside. But it's difficult not to read this push as a play against the latest announcements from Google and the cloud-based AI that will now run riot across sensitive data, including emails and even cloud data storage. Yes, there are always opt-outs, but it's all or nothing for users who want AI but are not yet worrying about privacy. 'As Galaxy AI becomes more useful,' Samsung says, 'it also becomes more personal — learning how you use your device and adapting to your needs… Knox Vault is more than a security feature, it's Galaxy's promise that no matter how advanced your devices become, or how much AI evolves, your privacy is secured.' Google, meanwhile, will not make this decision easy for Samsung user. No one is rolling out new smartphone AI innovations faster, and it will always overshadow what can be done if users take a privacy-centric, device-only approach. Per Android Police, the latest update is 'Google's Gemini replacing Google Assistant as the default AI assistant, taking on all digital assistance responsibilities as Assistant is phased out later this year. Gemini is gaining 'Scheduled Actions,' allowing users to automate recurring tasks and information delivery at specific times.' This is the stepping stone to so-called Agenctic AI on phones, where monitoring data and events and activities enables an agent to make decisions autonomously on a smartphone owner's behalf. This next step, with 'Scheduled Actions streamlining routines [and] offering personalized updates,' is just the start. As Mashable says, 'When combined with computer vision, which is what allows a model to 'see' a user's screen, we get the agentic AI everyone is so excited about… Agentic AI tools could order groceries online, browse and buy the best-reviewed espresso machine for you, or even research and book vacations. In fact, Google is already taking steps in this direction with its new AI shopping experience.' Allowing AI access to smartphones with all the data and insight they contain, pushed this to a level even beyond Windows's controversial Recall. It's decision time.
Tom's Guide
2 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
5 features iOS 26 needs to steal from Google to catch up on AI
I've been enjoying Google's AI features on my Pixel phones for the last couple of years. Starting with the Pixel 8 Pro and proceeding with the Pixel 9 Pro, Google has proven to me that its AI features in its Pixel phones are unmatched — and Apple's in trouble if it doesn't catch up. With WWDC 2025 right around the corner, it's Apple's chance to redeem itself by introducing more Apple Intelligence features for what's presumably going to be the next iteration of its phone software: iOS 26. While there's been a handful of useful AI features, such as Visual Intelligence and Photo Clean Up to name a few, iPhones could still stand to get more. In fact, there are a number of Google AI features I think Apple needs to copy that could boost the iPhone experience. I'm not saying outright steal the same exact features, but at least come up with something similar — or if not, better one. If there's one AI feature that Apple desperately needs to copy from Pixel phones, it has to be none other than Call Screen. Not only is it one of the most underrated AI features I've tried in any phone, but it's also one of the most helpful. Call Screen allows Pixel phones to take incoming calls on your behalf, using Google Assistant to listen to callers and then provide you with contextual responses on your phone to choose. Think of it like an actual assistant who's fielding the call for you and relaying your response. I can't tell you how many times it's been such a lifesaver when I'm stuck in a work meeting. Although it technically debuted with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the cross-app actions function migrated to Pixel phones and it shows the impressive abilities of AI. While Apple Intelligence can call on Siri to perform simple actions, it doesn't have the ability to connect with third-party apps — which is exactly what makes cross-app actions such a big game changer with Pixel phones. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Through simple voice commands, it can work with several apps to complete a certain request. For example, you can ask Gemini on a Pixel phone to summarize an email or find a nearby restaurant that's pet friendly and add a calendar appointment for it. Another feature that debuted with Samsung and eventually made its way to Pixel phones is Circle to Search. Apple currently doesn't have anything like it, although you could argue that Visual Intelligence can effectively function in almost the same way. With Circle to Search, it's a quick and convenient way to perform searches directly on-device, from whatever app you're using. When activated, you simply circle or select what you're looking at on your phone's screen to perform a search — which could result in answering a question, performing a general Google Search, identifying something, and even finding deals on a product. One AI feature I've come to appreciate as a photo editor is the Pixel's Reimagine tool, which allows me to select parts of a photo and transform it into something else through a text description. The closest Apple Intelligence feature to this would be Image Playground, but that generates images from scratch through a text description — it doesn't work with existing photos. Reimagine helps to make existing photos look better, whether it's to change up the scene entirely or make minor edits. I personally love being able to select the sky in my photos and change it up to something else, or using Reimagine to insert different elements with realism. Even though it could benefit from a few enhancements, Pixel Screenshots can be better at helping you recall information you might forget — or need to remember for later on. It's exclusively available on the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold and lets you use the screenshot function and AI to recall details in them. For example, if you screenshot a pizza recipe you want to try for later, or the details about an upcoming party you're going to, Pixel Screenshots will allow you to perform a search to find the exact details about it. Apple doesn't have a comparable AI feature, but wouldn't it be neat if Apple Intelligence could recall the most obscure (or detailed) information that you go through on your iPhone.
