Why I Dislike the iPhone Dynamic Island 

Published: Nov 04, 2025, 6:20 PM 

Alright, despite what some of my critics might claim, I haven't been actively using an iPhone since the iPhone 13 era, which means I missed out on the Dynamic Island introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro. Sure, I know how it works and have reviewed a few iPhone models since then, but nothing compares to using it as my primary device.

Over the past month, I decided to put my SIM card into the iPhone 16 Pro Max, lured in by its Liquit Glass software and unique titanium body. However, I’ve come to realize that I really dislike the Dynamic Island.

The Widget Functionality is Backwards
On the surface, the Dynamic Island seems like a clever idea. It adds a form of multitasking to the iPhone, which lacks it. You can have various active widgets displayed as tiny icons next to the selfie camera and Face ID sensors. For example, when music is playing, the Dynamic Island shows a little audio wave. You can tap and hold it for expanded multimedia controls, but tapping it once takes you to the full-screen music app instead.

Wait, what? I thought the purpose of the Dynamic Island was to make things quick and simple. Ideally, a single tap should bring up the widget, while a tap and hold should take you to the full app. Why do I need to hold my finger down for quick access to controls?

Avoiding the Dynamic Island with My Thumb

iOS has a convenient feature that lets you tap the top of the screen to quickly return to the top of a long webpage or document. However, this becomes tricky with an active widget on the Dynamic Island. If I accidentally tap it, I won't return to the top; instead, I'll switch apps due to the design. 

Annoying Fingerprints on My Selfie Camera

It’s frustrating to have an interface element right where I don’t want to touch. While it’s easy to clean off, I don’t appreciate constantly smudging my selfie camera lens. The Dynamic Island is slightly wider than the Face ID cutout, allowing for corner taps, but let’s be honest: my finger often lands directly on the lens. Great… 

Samsung Got It Right

Samsung introduced the Now Bar with One UI 7, which clearly takes inspiration from the Dynamic Island, but it’s implemented better. On the lock screen or always-on display, the Now Bar moves to the bottom, making it easier to access with one hand. When unlocked, it sits in the top left corner, away from the selfie camera. A single tap on the Now Bar expands the active widget, offering quicker access, and tapping again opens the app – a much more intuitive approach. 

Is There Hope for Apple to Redesign It?

Apple is generally resistant to changing user experience elements. It avoids creating friction in the OS experience, which is why outdated features like "shake to undo" still exist, even though there's a more modern method. So, my hopes for a redesign of the Dynamic Island are very low. It is what it is, and while it doesn’t ruin the experience, I find it puzzling that it was designed this way initially. The concept of quick-tap multitasking on the iPhone is definitely appreciated, though.