Android 16 could steal the best part of iPhone's Dynamic Island

Google Play logo on an android smartphone with corner hole punch camera
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

In 2022, with the launch of the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple finally did something about its much mocked camera notch. By switching to a floating ‘Dynamic Island’ for the camera, the company was able to make a UI virtue of something that was previously just a bit awkward. With some neat animations, the camera notch seems to grow and shrink to show notifications as it comes in.

A GIF showing Apple Pay on the iOS Dynamic Island

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The best Dynamic Island apps combine with ‘Live Activities’ to show real-time information about an app you’re running in the background. Apple Music, for example, shows a preview of the song you’re listening to, which opens wider to offer playback controls with a long press. It’s not limited to first-party apps, either, with the likes of Citymapper, United Airlines, Uber and Spotify all making use of the discreet homescreen widget.

The Dynamic Island on an iPhone 14 Pro Max

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

It sounds like something similar will be coming to an Android device near you very soon. While digging through the Android 15 QPR1 Beta 3 release, Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman was able to discover something called Rich Ongoing Notifications — an API that allows apps to put more than just an icon in the status bar to provide extra useful contextual information.

While the API isn’t available to Android apps yet, Rahman was able to use some hidden commands to generate a mockup of how he imagines the feature to be used, by drawing in app icons, text and background colors of his choosing. Here, for example, is how he envisages it working for Uber:

A mockup of how Rich Ongoing Notifications might look.

(Image credit: Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority)

Granted, that's not as swanky as Dynamic Island, but it is just a mockup, after all.

Nonetheless, assuming this is how the feature will be implemented — and if it isn’t abandoned between now and the release of Android 16 — it’s easy to assume this is a direct response to the success of Dynamic Island on iPhone.

But as Mishaal points out, that’s not entirely fair to Google, as the earliest implementation of this — a block in the status bar showing the length of ongoing phone calls — was added in Android 12’s second beta, over a year before Apple unveiled Dynamic Island. You can see it in the first and second pictures in the X post embedded below.

While the feature is hidden away inside an Android 15 beta, Rahman believes this is more likely to arrive with Android 16 next year. That’s for practical reasons: Android 15 has reached Platform Stability and started rolling out to Pixel devices earlier this month, so it seems unlikely Google would want to add a whole new API at this point of its life.

But that doesn’t mean we’re necessarily a year away from seeing this. As reported earlier this month, it’s rumored that Google may be mixing things up next year with an Android 16 release in Q2, rather than the usual Fall window.

TOPICS
Alan Martin

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.

Read more
android 16 logo on a samsung galaxy smartphone
One of Apple’s most controversial AI features could be coming to Android phones
Google Maps
Google Maps just got a huge iPhone-inspired upgrade with Android 16 beta — here's how it works
Now Bar vs. Dynamic Island
I just tried Samsung Galaxy S25 Now Bar vs. iPhone 16 Pro Dynamic Island — here’s the winner
OnePlus Open held in the hand.
Android 16 could bring triple-app multitasking — what you need to know
A render of the iPhone 17 Pro Max
iPhone 17 Pro Max just tipped for very welcome design upgrade
android 16 logo on a samsung galaxy smartphone
Android 16 could come with this key navigation change — and another new volume slider
Latest in Android Phones
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge next to Galaxy S25 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs. Galaxy S25 Plus: Everything we know so far
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs S25 Plus vs S25
Satellite messaging on Google Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25 just landed on 3 more carriers
back of Iris Pixel 9a
The Google Pixel 9a is lacking one of the Pixel 9’s best safety features — here’s what we know
vivo x200 ultra camera array
Vivo’s next premium phone could have a camera unlike anything we’ve seen before — here’s how
Google Pixel 9a with thumbs up and thumbs down icons
Google Pixel 9a — 5 reasons to buy and 3 reasons to skip
Pixel 9 Pro XL held in the hand with price drop badge.
Not a typo! This epic deal makes the flagship Pixel 9 Pro XL the same price as the budget Pixel 9a
Latest in News
Apple Watch Series 10
Future Apple Watch models could get a surprising new feature — what we know
iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 16 Pro Max in hand showing displays
Forget iPhone 17 — iPhone 18 could get this huge upgrade
The new Husqvarna iQ series robot lawn mower.
Husqvarna’s new robot mowers offer GPS for less
Rendered images of rumored foldable iPhone.
Foldable iPhone report just revealed key details — here's what we know
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Sunday, March 23 (#651)
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #385 (Sunday, March 23 2025)