iOS 16.1 Beta Makes Dynamic Island Easier to Access With Reachability Support - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iOS 16.1 Beta Makes Dynamic Island Easier to Access With Reachability Support

The first beta of iOS 16.1 seeded to developers and public testers earlier this week enables Reachability support for the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, making the new pill-shaped area easier to access with one hand.

iPhone 14 Pro Reachability Feature
Twitter account Tech-Up shared a first look at how Dynamic Island works with Reachability on the iOS 16.1 beta, as spotted by 9to5Mac.

Reachability is an optional feature that lowers the top half of the screen so it's within easy reach of your fingers. The feature can be enabled in the Settings app under Accessibility → Touch → Reachability. To use the feature, simply swipe down on the bottom edge of the screen. To return to a regular view, tap the upper half of the screen.

On earlier versions of iOS 16, the Dynamic Island does not work with Reachability and remains at the top of the screen while other content is lowered.


Dynamic Island can display system alerts for incoming phone calls, AirPods connected, Face ID, Apple Pay, AirDrop, AirPlay, car keys in the Wallet app, unlocking the iPhone with an Apple Watch, charging and low battery indicators, ring/silent mode, NFC interactions, Focus mode changes, Shortcuts, Airplane Mode, Find My, and more. It will also work with Live Activities in third-party apps when iOS 16.1 is released later this year.

Related Forums: iOS 16, iPhone

Popular Stories

iphone duo feature

Apple Says 'Reachability' Feature Coming to iPhone Duo Later This Year

Wednesday October 21, 2026 5:43 am PDT by
Apple plans to add Reachability support to the iPhone Duo in a software update coming later this year, according to WIRED's Julian Chokkattu. The feature will presumably be available on both the inner and outer displays, but the article did not say. Available on other iPhone models, Reachability is an accessibility setting that allows you to swipe down on the bottom edge of the screen to lower ...
Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display Dynamic Island Apple Music

Apple Brings Dynamic Island to Mac for the First Time

Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:28 am PDT by
Apple today introduced the Dynamic Island to the Mac for the first time with its new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, bringing Live Activities, Spotlight, and Siri AI together in an interactive area of the display. The Dynamic Island first launched on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max in September 2022. It replaced the notch with a smaller TrueDepth camera cutout surrounded by...
iphone 18 pro dynamic island live activity

iPhone 18 Pro's Triple Live Activity Support Comes With a Catch

Monday October 5, 2026 1:25 am PDT by
On iPhone 18 Pro models, Apple slimmed down the cutout where the Dynamic Island lives, allowing the latter to support up to three simultaneous Live Activities. But it turns out there's a catch. As noted by code explorer pdfu, the third Live Activity in iOS 27 is only ever a system activity, such as Now Playing or navigation – it can't be another app. So if you own a new iPhone 18 Pro and...

Top Rated Comments

Chrjy Avatar
54 months ago
Even more impressively, the entire camera and Face ID technology moves with it as well.....can't innovate, my ****!
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
54 months ago
Reachability is a sign that phones are too big.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
54 months ago
Now there’s both a dynamic and static island at the same time. The next update will add a third.

The more, the merrier.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
54 months ago
This almost seems like one of those "oh yeah...whoops" moments after shipping.

I don't know how they missed this because reaching the top of the phone is a big enough problem that they made Reachability. This has been a concern for a long time and one of the first concerns people had with Dynamic Island.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
54 months ago

I've always turned off Reachability. Dont like it
Yeah, but now when you turn it off, you lose a whole island.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
54 months ago
it’s the dynamic tectonic shift of dynamic island 😂
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Nearly Every M5 MacBook Air Now $200 Off on Amazon
Nearly Every M5 MacBook Air Now $200 Off on Amazon
11 hours ago
Apple's HomeView Ships With Six-Month-Old Software
Apple's HomeView Ships With Six-Month-Old Software
13 hours ago
Three New iPads Rumored to Launch in First Half of 2027
Three New iPads Rumored to Launch in First Half of 2027
13 hours ago
Apple Offers Steps to Fix Daylight Saving Time Bug on Apple Watch
Apple Offers Steps to Fix Daylight Saving Time Bug on Apple Watch
17 hours ago
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
1 day ago
Reminder: Apple's Big Discount on Beats 360 Ear Cushions Ends Today
Reminder: Apple's Big Discount on Beats 360 Ear Cushions Ends Today
2 days ago
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
2 days ago
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
2 days ago
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
2 days ago
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
2 days ago
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
2 days ago
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
2 days ago
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
2 days ago
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
2 days ago
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
2 days ago
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
2 days ago
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
2 days ago
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
2 days ago
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
2 days ago
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
2 days ago
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
2 days ago
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
3 days ago
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
3 days ago
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
3 days ago
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
3 days ago
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
3 days ago
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
3 days ago
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
3 days ago
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
3 days ago
Where Did All the iPhone Duos Go? Mostly to Apple's Stores
Where Did All the iPhone Duos Go? Mostly to Apple's Stores
3 days ago