iOS 17.1 Beta Gives Reachability a Black Background on iPhones With Dynamic Island - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iOS 17.1 Beta Gives Reachability a Black Background on iPhones With Dynamic Island

Starting with the first iOS 17.1 beta released last week, Reachability now has a solid black background on all iPhone models with the Dynamic Island, instead of a blurred view of the device's wallpaper. This minor change means the Dynamic Island no longer appears twice on the screen when Reachability is being used.

ios 17 1 reachability

Image Credit: throwmeaway1784

iPhone models with the Dynamic Island include the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

On older iPhone models without the Dynamic Island, Reachability still shows a blurred wallpaper as the background on the first iOS 17.1 beta.

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.

iOS 17.1 is expected to be released in late October. Last week, we outlined other new features in the first beta for Apple Music, AirDrop, and more.

Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Popular Stories

Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple Says CarPlay Ultra is Coming to These Vehicle Brands

Thursday May 21, 2026 11:53 am PDT by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly a year later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. CarPlay Ultra...
Apple Event Logo

Apple to Release These 15 New Products Later This Year

Friday May 22, 2026 6:36 am PDT by
April and May have been relatively slow months for Apple this year, but there is a lot to look forward to heading into WWDC 2026 and beyond. Apple is expected to release at least 15 more products later this year, with some of them held up until the more personalized version of Siri launches. Beyond the usual annual updates to iPhones and Apple Watches in September, Apple's all-new smart...
imac video apple feature

Apple Released Two New Accessories This Month

Friday May 22, 2026 12:24 pm PDT by
May has been a quiet stretch in terms of new Apple products, but the company did release two accessories on its online store this month. First up was a new Pride Edition Sport Loop for the Apple Watch. The band features a rainbow design with 11 colors of woven nylon yarns. U.S. pricing is set at $49. The band is part of Apple's 2026 Pride Collection, which also includes a new Pride...

Top Rated Comments

vegetassj4 Avatar
35 months ago
They should leave it and call it a feature: Dynamic Archipelago
The most dynamic islands we've ever had on an iPhone
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
35 months ago
I remember when the iPhone X came out and it was against developer guidelines to try to hide the notch by turning it black… how times have changed.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
35 months ago
the mere existence of reachability proves that phones are too big
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FreakinEurekan Avatar
35 months ago

What if you use reachability is used with Facetime call, is it gonna show a fake green LED indicator?
It's not a green LED. There's actually active OLED elements between the cameras in the middle of the Dynamic Island - so it's a real green light, in a fake dynamic island ;)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
35 months ago
What if you use reachability is used with Facetime call, is it gonna show a fake green LED indicator?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zach-coleman Avatar
35 months ago
I’m shocked this didn’t get implemented when they added the DI to reachability in 16.1. It always looked odd.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)