After the release of the latest iPhone 14 Pro series, it was just a matter of time until we saw Android get its own version of Dynamic Island the latest of which is called the dynamicSpot. Brands like Samsung ditched the notch in favor of circular hole-punch cutouts for their front-facing cameras. Apple may be fashionably late to this trend, with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max only transitioning to a pill-shaped cutout but boy, does it still manage to leave quite the impression.
Android developers have been quick to try replicating the software side of Apple’s implementation, and today we’re checking out how well an app called dynamicSpot manages to bring the Dynamic Island experience to Android.
Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro sure feels like it’s an appropriate name for what we get — the rectangular pill-shaped cutout in the display surrounding the selfie camera and Face ID hardware just sort of floats there like an island in a sea of pixels. When you tap a notification in the pill, it responds by animating and changing size, creating the illusion that the pill-shaped cutout physically expands (helping accommodate indicators for notification icons, ongoing background tasks, and incoming alerts). These effects are a visual treat on the OLED displays used by iPhones (not to mention scores of Android devices, mid-range, and flagship alike) since they’re capable of significantly deeper blacks than you’d get on an LCD.
Recently, Android theme developers have shown off what a Dynamic Island could look like on a Xiaomi phone. While promising, that was also a solution specific to one company’s devices, and last we checked, the theme was still waiting for approval. But XDA Developers managed to spot a new app in early access called dynamicSpot, and having taken a look at it ourselves, this could be the perfect solution if you’re longing for the Dynamic Island visual experience on Android phones — and specifically, those with center-aligned hole-punch cameras like the Google Pixel 6 or Samsung Galaxy S22 series. The app is the brainchild of developer Jawomo, also known for their Bixby button remapper app and the notification light app for OnePlus phones.
Once installed, the lightweight app creates a black pill-shaped bar that surrounds your screen’s camera cutout with icons for notifications. You can enlarge the island with a long tap on the pill, while a short tap connects you to the notifying app. If that sounds backward to you, a small IAP lets you change those interactions around. As you would with any other notifications on Android, you can swipe to dismiss. If the pill disappears before you access the alert, just open your trusty notification shade.
To get started with dynamicSpot, you’ll need to grant it permission for reading your notifications and drawing over other apps. We also suggest turning off power-saving restrictions, so the process isn’t killed in the background. The developer notes that the app doesn’t connect to the internet itself, which sounds good for privacy, but the absence of other permissions, like Bluetooth and GPS, means it loses out on the ability to display alerts when Bluetooth devices connect — a feature seen on the iPhone 14 Pro.
