It was already predicted that Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max will gain more functionality towards the end of the year. The latest iOS Beta and developer documentation gives a good idea of what will be available, including being able to run two Live Activities at the same time .
Apple released iOS 16.1 Beta 3 for developers earlier this week, and that update included support for Dynamic Island's Live Events , a feature Apple promised to arrive when it announced the iPhone 14 Pro . Live Events displays "up-to-date information" for any app that uses the API. From the notch area at the top of the screen, you will be able to follow your vehicle, your delivery on the way or the scores of the matches you are interested in. Dynamic Island is currently limited to only a few apps that use the Call Kit and Now Playing APIs .
Live Events will have three main modes of use: Compact, minimal and extended . According to the developer documentation, the system will use the compact presentation when there is one active Live Event, and the minimum serving (one on each side) when two are in use. You can tap on either side to fully open the corresponding app.
The last mod is the extended presentation, which opens up some space below the camera cavity for additional information. If you are currently using an iPhone 14 Pro, you may have seen it used with some apps like Timer. Just press and hold it to use it for the Live Event.
Dynamic Island isn't a huge innovation in terms of software capabilities, but it sure is Apple's smart way to use the screen area that houses the camera in a way that isn't just dead space. Apple encourages developers to "present only the most essential content" within a Live Event. It states that its users “ do not expect to get a lot of details or take action in a Live Event .” The company also encourages you to refrain from "displaying sensitive information" and "using Live Events to display ads or promotions".
This document is part of Apple's Human Interface Guidelines (HIG), which Apple introduced at its developer conference earlier this year. These guidelines contain recommendations to improve the experience users get from iOS apps.
New features will reach users with iOS 16.1, which is expected to arrive this year.
