What Is Dynamic Island?

Q: Which iPhones have Dynamic Island?

Dynamic Island debuted on iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max in September 2022. It later expanded to iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max, then iPhone 16 and 17 lineups. Standard iPhone 14, iPhone SE, and earlier models do not have Dynamic Island.

Q: What does Dynamic Island do?

Dynamic Island displays Live Activities (sports scores, timers, ride status), call notifications, audio playback controls, AirPods status, Face ID prompts, and other system alerts. It expands when tapped to show controls and shrinks back to a small pill shape when idle.

Q: Can Dynamic Island be turned off?

Dynamic Island itself cannot be hidden because it surrounds the physical Face ID hardware. However, you can disable Live Activities for specific apps in Settings, or hide all activities behind the lock screen for privacy.

Dynamic Island is an interactive software feature on certain iPhone models that surrounds the camera and Face ID hardware cutout at the top of the display. Introduced with iPhone 14 Pro in September 2022, it blends the physical hardware cutout with on-screen content to show notifications, Live Activities, and quick controls.

How Dynamic Island Works

Older iPhones with Face ID had a static black notch at the top of the display. Dynamic Island replaces that fixed notch with a pill-shaped area that can grow and shrink dynamically. Apple uses precise software animations to make the digital pill feel physically connected to the camera hardware. When something happens (like a song starting or a timer running), the pill expands smoothly into a larger oval that shows the status, then collapses back when you're done.

What Dynamic Island Can Display

Live Activities: Sports scores, timers, ride-share status, food delivery tracking
Phone calls: Active call indicator with mute/end shortcuts
Audio playback: Now-playing controls when music or podcasts are running
AirPods: Connection status and battery level
Face ID: Authentication prompts
Charging: Battery percentage when plugged in
Privacy indicators: Camera and microphone in-use dots

Models with Dynamic Island

iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max (2022) — first generation
iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max (2023)
iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max (2024)
iPhone 17 lineup (2025)

Standard iPhone 14, iPhone SE, and any model older than iPhone 14 Pro do not have Dynamic Island.

Customization

Apps must explicitly support Dynamic Island via Apple's Live Activities API to display content there. You can disable specific Live Activities in Settings > Notifications > [App Name], and hide all of them from your lock screen via Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Live Activities.

Related Terms

Frequently Asked Questions

Which iPhones have Dynamic Island?

Dynamic Island debuted on iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max in 2022. It expanded to all iPhone 15, 16, and 17 models. Standard iPhone 14 and earlier do not have it.

What does Dynamic Island do?

It shows Live Activities, call notifications, audio playback controls, AirPods status, Face ID prompts, and other alerts that expand and collapse around the camera cutout.

Can Dynamic Island be turned off?

Not entirely, since it surrounds the physical Face ID hardware. You can disable Live Activities per app or hide all of them on the lock screen.

New iPhone, Bloated Camera Roll?

Swype Photo Cleaner makes it easy to start fresh. Swipe left to delete, right to keep.

Download Swype Free