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Whether you've splashed out on one of the new iPhone 14 Pro models or you're debating the purchase, chances are you're a bit confused as to what the new Dynamic Island feature is and why it's worth the upgrade.

We've got everything you need to know about Apple's Dynamic Island feature, including how to use Dynamic Island and what it actually does. You'll even save on your next device by shopping refurbished iPhone models, including the iPhone 14 Pro. Keep reading to find out more!

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In this blog:

• What is Dynamic Island and which devices have it?
• What apps use Dynamic Island and how do you use it with apps?
• Dynamic Island tweaks since its release

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What is Dynamic Island and which devices have it?

The Dynamic Island feature is essentially Apple's workaround for the unsightly notch found on the top of most iPhone models.

This new notch is an oval-shaped cutout that sits at the top of the screen to hide the front camera and Face ID sensors. While the Dynamic Island actually takes up more space than the previous notch it's replacing, it's not just dead space at the top of your screen.

The Dynamic Island can show notifications, alerts, or real-time information from your apps without you having to open or touch anything. From AirDrop transfers and Apple Maps directions to incoming phone calls and Apple Music tracks.

You can expand the activity to see more details if you want more information from your Dynamic Island notifications. To do this, touch and hold the activity or swipe from the centre to the right or left side.

One thing to note is that you can't permanently turn off Dynamic Island. The black cutout is built into the hardware and the animations can't be disabled, so it's something to note if you don't like the idea of a bigger notch with animations and notifications.

Apple saved the Dynamic Island feature for its new Pro range, meaning it's only available on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models. So if you want to get your hands on it, you'll have to spend a few more pounds!

 

What apps use Dynamic Island and how do you use it with apps?

You may be wondering how to use Dynamic Island with your apps. While we can't go through each app and alert and describe how they all function with the Dynamic Island feature, we can give you a low-down of how Dynamic Island generally works.

When you have a timer active or you're listening to music, the Dynamic Island feature will act as a place to see status updates for that task as well as being a shortcut to interact with the app or alert directly from the Island.

For example, when listening to music, you'll be able to see the track you're playing and can either tap the activity to open up your music app or long-press the activity to bring up the Now Playing controls in a small pop-up tab.

And since the Dynamic Island feature is larger than the previous notch, it has room to fit two background activities simultaneously. So for example, if you're playing music and have an active timer on, you'll be able to see both your music track and your timer on the Dynamic Island and can interact with both!

Here's a list of all the current apps and alerts you can use with Dynamic Island:

Notifications/alerts:	Activities:	Audiobook/Music apps:	Calling apps:
Incoming calls	Ongoing calls	Apple Music	WhatsApp
Face ID	Timer	Spotify	Instagram
Connecting accessories	Google Maps	YouTube Music	Skype
Charging	Voice memo	Overcast	Google Voice
AirDrop	Screen recordings	Audible
Ringer/Silent mode	Camera and mic indicators	Soundcloud
Focus mode		Amazon Music
AirPlay		Pandora
Personal hotspot		NPR One

Dynamic Island tweaks since its release

Since the release of the Dynamic Island feature, there have been some improvements to how it works.

The first improvement was with the release of iOS 16.1 on 24 October 2022. Apple added to the Island's handy features by creating Live Activities. This works with apps to give you live updates via your Dynamic Island on your lock screen.

For instance, when using apps like Uber, you'll be able to track your driver's location on Dynamic Island without interacting with your phone.

Another improvement was made with the release of iOS 16.2 on 13 December 2022, which slightly changed the Dynamic Island's sizing on iPhone 14 Pro models.

On the 14 Pro models, the Dynamic Island was too small to show the battery, WiFi and signal icons while also showing your background app. With the new improvement, you can now see all three icons at the same time as your background app.

As the iPhone 14 Pro Max models have a bigger screen, this was solely an iPhone 14 Pro issue.

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