This Android app brings the ‘Dynamic Island’ to Android

Although Apple’s iPhones didn’t shake things up too much this year, the iPhone 14 Pro models’ fancy new ‘Dynamic Island’ has definitely caught the attention of smartphone users.

If you want to get a taste of what it’s like to use the Dynamic Island, but don’t want to shell out the money for an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max — or if you just don’t want to give up your Android phone — then good news for you. A new app called ‘dynamicSpot’ has arrived on Android that mimics the behaviour of the Dynamic Island, turning your phone’s camera cut-out into an interactable notification bubble.

Like the Dynamic Island, users can tap the dynamicSpot to open a notification in its respective app — like a text in Messages, or music in Spotify. Moreover, you can press-and-hold on the dynamicSpot to get a larger preview with music controls.

The best part is it requires virtually no effort to set up dynamicSpot. To use it, simply head to the Play Store and grab the app, then follow the set-up steps. The app guides you through each step, which includes selecting which apps will utilize the spot (you can just select them all, or pick a few you want to use), enable notification access, and the permission to draw on screen so dynamicSpot can appear over top of other stuff.

Boom, that’s it! And, for the privacy-conscious out there, dynamicSpot says the app doesn’t have internet access, so it doesn’t collect or share any data.

There are other features as well for those interested in customizing the experience. For example, you can tweak the dimensions of the pop-up, allow two pop-ups at once, enable options to clear it with a swipe, and more. You can also have the pop-up appear for various battery events, like when you plug the phone in to charge. And, if you want, you can unlock a few extra features for $6.49.

The app is still in beta, so expect some issues. In my brief time with it, it seemed to work okay but was a tad janky at times. You can download dynamicSpot for free on the Play Store.