Although the question is quite absurd, in recent months several users have actually asked us why it is possible to install an application on Android smartphones that allows you to have the dynamic island like on iPhone 14 Pro while on previous iPhones it is not possible?
The answer will be absolutely obvious to 99% of our readers. Obviously the dynamic island is an evolution of the Notch, which has become smaller and has been moved. In reality, the dynamic island is a "defect" which was then transformed into a function thanks to the software but does nothing but cover two holes (one circular and one pill-shaped) present inside the screen.
Previous iPhones have a Notch which, depending on the model, covers a more or less large surface and under that black area there are no screen pixels, so it is not possible to show anything or interact with graphic information in that area. This would already be enough to answer the question but we already know that someone would not be satisfied with the answer.
For this reason, we point out that a tweak is now available that can be installed on all previous iPhones, without using Jailbreak but through a procedure that could still expose users to security problems.
The Tweak is called DynamicCow and goes to activate the dynamic island on smartphones that do not have it. The use of all this? It's almost zero but if you want to experience the effect, then we provide you with the information you need to install it. Be warned that the process is full of steps and isn't super straightforward.
Guide: How to Install a Fake Dynamic Island on Older iPhones
warnings: To succeed, you need to install theAltStore (an alternative App Store) on our iPhone. Doing so may expose your iPhone to potential security issues, so think carefully before proceeding.
Requirements:
An iPhone with iOS 16.0 installed or at most iOS 16.1.2
Procedure:
1. Let's start by installing the AltStore on our iPhone: download the Alt Server application on our computer and install it. On Macs, the app will not open full screen but will add an icon to the top bar (right) of the screen.
2. We touch the Alt Store icon and choose Install Mail Plugin. It will ask you to restart your Mac's Mail app when it's done. This is a critical step otherwise the installation will fail.
3. After installing the Mac Mail App Plugin, open Mail app > File > Settings > Manage Plugins and make sure the plugin is enabled. In my case it was installed but without the activation check. Make sure this is checked before continuing.
4. Now press again on the Alt Server icon at the top of the screen and, with an iPhone connected via Lightning cable to the computer, select "Install AltStore" > The name of your iPhone. Here it will ask you for your Apple ID email and password needed to generate a developer profile to authorize the app to run.
5. The procedure will take a few seconds, after which you will find yourself with a new icon on the Home screen of your iPhone.
6. If you try to open the AltStore now you will find that the app will crash immediately. In fact, you need to authorize its operation: Open the iPhone Settings > General > VPN and device management. In the "App developer" section you will find your email. Click and then choose “Authorize”.
7. Go back to the HomeScreen and open AltStore: now it will work perfectly. Go to the "Settings" section and log in here too with your Apple ID data.
8. At this point we download the DynamicCow application in .ipa format from this GitHub page.
9. If you're on a Mac, the fastest way to transfer the app to your iPhone is to put the .ipa file inside an iCloud Drive folder.
10. Let's go back to the iPhone and the AltStore application. Enter the My Apps section and click the "+" button at the top left. Choose "Browse" and you will see all the contents of your iCloud, as if it were Apple's Files app. Enter the folder where you moved the .ipa file and click it to install it.
Finally we can open the DynamicCow application and choose the dynamic island layout to use between 14 Pro (on models with a smaller screen) and iPhone 14 Pro Max (on Plus models with a larger screen).
In the screenshots the result will be excellent but in actual use we do not find any use.
Important: If you have tried this app and now want to uninstall it, you have to proceed as follows:
- Open the DynamicCow app and click on the “Disable” button (it's very important).
- Only now can you proceed with deleting the app! If you don't follow the first step, the dynamic island will continue to show on the screen even without the app controlling it.
