Check Out the iPhone 14 Pro's Dynamic Island in Action

The new Dynamic Island is arguably one of the iPhone 14 Pro's most interesting features, so with the new iPhones now in the hands of customers, we thought we'd take a deeper look at the Dynamic Island, how it works, and what it does.


During the ‌iPhone‌ 14 rumor cycle, we knew that Apple was working on an alternative to the notch that incorporated a pill-shaped cutout and a hole punch cutout for the TrueDepth camera hardware, but what came as a surprise is the clever way that Apple has integrated this new space into the ‌iPhone‌'s interface.

Pixels around the ‌Dynamic Island‌ merge it into one pill-shaped area that changes size and shape to accommodate various types of alerts, notifications, and interactions, turning it into a kind of front-and-center information hub. It can do everything from showing you Maps directions to confirming Apple Pay payments, with a list of some of the possibilities below.

  • Expanded into a large rectangle to show upcoming Maps directions without having to open the Maps app.
  • Displaying Maps directions in a smaller pill-shaped interface for when you just need a quick glance at the next turn.
  • Square shaped for an ‌‌Apple Pay‌‌ payment confirmation.
  • Showing a music waveform and time remaining on a song that's playing.
  • Tracking the time of arrival of a Lyft.
  • Displaying privacy indicators when the microphone or camera is in use.
  • Displaying a small bar with the phone icon and the length of the phone call.
  • Displaying an AirDrop interface when transferring files.
  • Showing a timer.
  • Keeping track of sports scores.
  • Accessing music controls and a music player.
  • Showing AirPods connection status and battery life.
  • Displaying ‌‌iPhone‌‌ charging status and battery life.
  • Low battery alerts.
  • Turning the ‌iPhone‌'s silent mode on or off.

The ‌Dynamic Island‌ works with Live Activities, and right now you can test it out with the Timer and with live sports if you happen to be running the iOS 16.1 beta. Live Activities are going to launch in iOS 16.1. Developers can create experiences for the ‌Dynamic Island‌ too, so we can expect to see innovative apps that take advantage of the new interface.

You can interact with content displayed in the ‌Dynamic Island‌ by long pressing to get to a widget for expanded controls, or tapping to go right into the app.

The ‌Dynamic Island‌ is capable of displaying multiple functions at once, and when that happens, it splits into a larger pill-shaped area and a smaller circular area so you can see two things at once. You can swap between them and tap into them like you can with the standard ‌Dynamic Island‌ interface.

Make sure to check out our video to see ‌Dynamic Island‌ in action with all kinds of apps and functions, and if you have an ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro, let us know in the comments below what you think of the new interface.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...

Top Rated Comments

Graphikos Avatar
37 months ago

Explain to me why this feature exists, other than to have something stupid for the keynote and fanboys to fawn over.
It's an extremely well-thought-out UI and UX feature that cleverly hides a hardware-required cutout. It's very Apple and a really nice way to blur the lines of hardware and software. Once you use it, you'll love it.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blazerunner Avatar
37 months ago
If Samsung did this, it'd be called a gimmick.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shasta McNasty Avatar
37 months ago

Dynamic Island is the future of mobile computing.
This is what was said about the touchbar.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chrjy Avatar
37 months ago
I don't care what anyone says, I'm digging' DI...great little feature.

Oh, and always-on display is awesome and I didn't think I'd have much interest in it. So much better not having to touch or pick up my device to check notifications etc.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chrjy Avatar
37 months ago

If Samsung did this, it'd be called a gimmick.
Yep....because they don't have a large cutout. But I'm sure they'll figure out away to copy it with their hole punch.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chr1s60 Avatar
37 months ago

If Samsung did this, it'd be called a gimmick.
When Samsung does this, it'll be called a gimmick.

Fixed it for you.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)