By Bob Poláček, updated
Dynamic Island
The Dynamic Island is the black pill around the iPhone’s front camera that grows to show live information, such as a timer, a delivery or a call. A Live Activity is what an app shows in it and on the Lock Screen.
By Bob Poláček, updated
Dynamic Island on iOS and Android
Also called Live Activity. The same idea in each system, with the values Appetite UI gives it.
| iOS | Android (Material 3) | Appetite UI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Dynamic Island and Live Activities | No equivalent | iOS / Dynamic Island, with System and Expanded sets |
In the kit
As the Appetite UI file draws it.
In practice
The island has four presentations: idle, minimal, compact and expanded. An app designs its compact and expanded layouts; the system decides when each one shows.
Appetite UI draws the Dynamic Island as one black pill in three sets: the four presentations of one activity, the system presentations and the expanded layouts. Android has no counterpart.
| State | Size | Radius | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idle | 125 × 37 | 18.5 | The sensor cutout at rest |
| Minimal | 170 × 37 | 18.5 | An attached pill with a detached 37 capsule |
| Compact | 201 × 37 | 18.5 | A leading icon and a trailing label around the cutout |
| Expanded | 371 × 130 | 44 | Title, subtitle, trailing value, progress and times |
Questions
How big is the Dynamic Island?
Appetite UI draws it at 125 by 37 at rest, 201 by 37 compact and 371 by 130 expanded on a 393 point iPhone. Apple publishes the 44 point corner radius of the expanded card and lets it grow between 84 and 160 points tall.
What is a Live Activity?
A Live Activity shows a task that is under way, such as a delivery, a ride or a match score, on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. The app designs its compact, minimal and expanded layouts.
Sources
The pages the facts above rest on.
- Apple Human Interface Guidelines: Live Activities, read October 13, 2026