iPhone 18 Pro Dynamic Island to Shrink, Add Third Live Activity - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iPhone 18 Pro Dynamic Island to Shrink, Add Third Live Activity

Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro will come with a narrower Dynamic Island that will allow it to display more Live Activities than the current iPhone 17 Pro, according to Bloomberg.

smaller dynamic island iphone 18 pro Filip Vabrousek

iPhone 18 Pro mockup by Filip Vabrousek

Mark Gurman reports that the new "smaller and improved" Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will allow users to "toggle between three live tasks" at the top of their screen.

Previously, the Dynamic Island could only display up to two Live Activities at a time. This design has been in place since the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, which launched in 2022.

Otherwise, Gurman says the look of the iPhone 18 Pro models is similar to the iPhone 17 Pro models, save for a new "burgundy red" color option replacing the popular Cosmic Orange. Sky blue and Silver have also been reported previously as potential color options.

Internal upgrades include a new A20 Pro chip manufactured using TSMC's 2nm process, longer battery life, a revamped vapor chamber cooling system, and a mechanical aperture lens that enables more precise depth of field and better low-light performance – though this latter feature may be exclusive to the larger iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event kicks off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time later today, and we'll have full coverage right here on MacRumors.

Related Roundup: iPhone 18 Pro
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 18 Pro Max Glacier Camera

Apple Says iPhone 18 Pro Max Users With AT&T Cellular Issue Need to Have Device Replaced

Friday October 2, 2026 8:21 pm PDT by
Apple today confirmed that a "small number" of iPhone 18 Pro Max users on the AT&T network have experienced an issue that causes the device to lose cellular service, thereby preventing phone calls, text messages, and data from working. Thousands of users complained about the issue across the Apple Support Community and other platforms. Apple said it released iOS 27.0.1 earlier this week and...
iPhone 18 Pro Max ATT

AT&T Acknowledges iPhone 18 Pro Max Issues: Update 'Immediately'

Thursday October 1, 2026 8:42 pm PDT by
In a text message sent to customers today, AT&T acknowledged that some iPhone 18 Pro Max devices on its network are experiencing cellular issues. AT&T said that customers should immediately update to iOS 27.0.1, despite the fact that many affected users have said that the update does not resolve the issues. There are now at least thousands of users that have experienced this problem,...
Face ID iPhone 18 Pro

Apple Confirms iPhone 18 Pro Bug Fix Update is Coming Next Week

Thursday September 24, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
Apple has confirmed to 9to5Mac's Benjamin Mayo that it plans to release a software update early next week with a fix for a Face ID issue affecting some iPhone 18 Pro users. Yesterday, we reported that Apple is testing iOS 27.0.1, which is likely to be the update with the...

Top Rated Comments

6 weeks ago

how does it become smaller AND show more?
The Dynamic Island is hardware+software. The whole Dynamic Island (cutout+software/display functions) can remain the same size or get larger while just the hardware (cutout) component shrinks.

A lot of reporting about the Dynamic Island conflates the hardware (pill-shaped cutout) with the entire Dynamic Island, which includes the software functions around the pill.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
6 weeks ago
how does it become smaller AND show more?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
6 weeks ago
Highly possible that this will be only for 18 Pro but will be disappointing if the option to have 3 live activities is not made available on the 17 Pro/Pro Max and older iPhones. See no reason why it cannot be done.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
6 weeks ago

I agree, I get frustrated when Apple touts something as an amazing revolutionizing "feature" only for the developers to never utilize it.
As a developer, the reason, in my experience, is that Apple either failed to properly document the APIs, choose APIs that were terrible (meaning that it takes so much code to support the features that it is not worth it), or failed to make the APIs work correctly.

It usually takes 2 to 3 years for new non-OS Apple features to work correctly. You see Apple just throws something together to make the Keynote and see if the new functionality sticks. If it does, then they move on, if not they may or may not work to improve it over the next few years.

It seems like OS code is done by quality engineers that seem to know what they are doing, but Apple's App APIs appear, because of their quality, to be done by foreign born teenagers that have never worked around or with a knowledge of usability and production quality software techniques.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
User 6502 Avatar
6 weeks ago

how does it become smaller AND show more?
It can show more only because the hardware cut out is smaller, so there are more pixels that can show actual information in the same pill dimension, as less of it is taken by camera and faceid array.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
6 weeks ago
The Samsung implementation is so much better because I can actually reach it with my thumb.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
iPhone Duo Launch Begins as First Orders Reach Customers
iPhone Duo Launch Begins as First Orders Reach Customers
2 hours ago
1Password for Agents Keeps Your Passwords Hidden From AI
1Password for Agents Keeps Your Passwords Hidden From AI
3 hours ago
iPhone Duo 24 Hours Later: Your Questions Answered
iPhone Duo 24 Hours Later: Your Questions Answered
3 hours ago
Apple's iWork Apps Get 'Intelligent Assistant' and iPhone Duo Support
Apple's iWork Apps Get 'Intelligent Assistant' and iPhone Duo Support
4 hours ago
Apple is Apparently Considering a Slightly Larger iPhone Duo
Apple is Apparently Considering a Slightly Larger iPhone Duo
4 hours ago
Giant iPhone Duo Displays Coming to Four Apple Stores
Giant iPhone Duo Displays Coming to Four Apple Stores
5 hours ago
Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store [Update: Back]
Apple Pulls Keynote, Pages and Numbers From App Store [Update: Back]
6 hours ago
Apple Updates More Apps With iPhone Duo Support
Apple Updates More Apps With iPhone Duo Support
7 hours ago
Apple Will Label Apps 'Made for iPhone Duo' in App Store
Apple Will Label Apps 'Made for iPhone Duo' in App Store
9 hours ago
Amazon Takes $49 Off iPad With Prices Starting at $399.99
Amazon Takes $49 Off iPad With Prices Starting at $399.99
10 hours ago
F1 on Apple TV Now Available in Dolby Atmos
F1 on Apple TV Now Available in Dolby Atmos
11 hours ago
Apple Reveals More Than 50 Apps That Will Be Updated for iPhone Duo
Apple Reveals More Than 50 Apps That Will Be Updated for iPhone Duo
11 hours ago
Apple Blocks Certificates That Could Help Attackers Fake Websites
Apple Blocks Certificates That Could Help Attackers Fake Websites
12 hours ago
Giant iPhone Duo Installations Spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue
Giant iPhone Duo Installations Spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue
13 hours ago
iPhone Duo 2 Prototypes Include Under-Display Face ID
iPhone Duo 2 Prototypes Include Under-Display Face ID
13 hours ago
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
17 hours ago
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
18 hours ago
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
18 hours ago
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
18 hours ago
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
19 hours ago
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
19 hours ago
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
20 hours ago
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
1 day ago
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
1 day ago
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
1 day ago
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
1 day ago
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
1 day ago
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
1 day ago
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
1 day ago