Although the question is quite absurd, in recent months several users have really asked us why on Android smartphones it is possible to install an application that allows you to have the dynamic island as on the iPhone 14 Pro while on previous iPhones it is not possible?
The answer will be absolutely obvious to 99% of our readers. Of course, 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” that has been transformed into a function thanks to the software, but it does nothing more than cover two holes (one circular and one pill-shaped) inside the screen.
Previous iPhones have a Notch that, 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. That alone would be enough to answer the question, but we already know that some people would not be satisfied with the answer.
For this reason, we point out that from today there is a tweak available that can be installed on all previous iPhones, without the use of Jailbreak but through a procedure that could still expose users to security problems.
The Tweak is called DynamicCow and activates the dynamic island on smartphones that do not have it. The usefulness of all this? It’s almost zero, but if you want to try the effect, then we give you the information you need to install it. We warn you that the process is full of steps and is not super immediate.
Guide: How to Install a Fake Dynamic Island on Older iPhones
Warnings: To succeed in this endeavour, we need to install the AltStore (an alternative App Store) on our iPhone. In doing so, you could expose your iPhone to potential security issues, so consider 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 in full screen but will add an icon within the top bar (right) of the screen.
2. Tap on the Alt Store icon and choose Install Mail Plugin. It will prompt 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 Mail app plugin on your Mac, open the Mail app > File > Settings > Manage Plugins and make sure the plugin is enabled. In my case it was installed but without the activation checkmark. Make sure the checkmark is on before continuing.
4. Now tap 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 the email and password of your Apple ID needed to generate a developer profile to authorize the running of the app.
5. The procedure will take a few seconds, after which you will end up with a new icon on your iPhone’s Home screen.
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’s Settings > General > VPN and device manager. In the “Developer App” section you will find your email. Click and then choose “Authorize”.
7. Go back to the HomeScreen and open AltStore: it will now work perfectly. Go to the “Settings” section and log in with your Apple ID details here as well.
<img class="size-large alignnone lazy" src="data:;base64,” data-src=”https://www.ispazio.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_0206.jpg” /><img class="size-large alignnone lazy" src="data:;base64,” data-src=”https://www.ispazio.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/IMG_0207.jpg” />8. At this point we download the DynamicCow application in .ipa format from this GitHub page.
9. If you’re on Mac, the fastest way to transfer the app to iPhone is to put the .ipa file inside an iCloud Drive folder.
10. Let’s go back to the iPhone and the AltStore app. Go to the My Apps section and click the “+” button at the top left. Choose “Browse” and you’ll see all the contents of your iCloud, as if it were Apple’s Files app. Navigate to the folder where you moved the .ipa file and click it to install it.
Finally we can open the DynamicCow application and choose the layout of the dynamic island to be used between 14 Pro (on models with a smaller screen) and iPhone 14 Pro Max (on Plus models with a larger screen).
Now on your iPhones there will be the dynamic island running exactly like on the newer models but this tweak obviously cannot solve the problem of the Notch which will inevitably cover a huge part of the area where the dynamic island is displayed, showing so much black that it cuts the top of the screen.
In the screenshots the result will be excellent but in the actual use we do not find any use.
Important: If you have tried this app and now you want to uninstall it, you need to follow these steps:
- Open the DynamicCow app and click on the “Disable” button (it’s very important).
- Only now can you proceed with the deletion of the app! If you don’t follow the first step, the dynamic island will continue to be shown on the screen even without the app controlling it.