Apple and Google have been learning from each other on UI design. Apple introduced Dynamic Island with the iPhone 14 Pro. Now, it looks like Google is trying to bring Dynamic Island to Android with Android 16.

Android 16 Could Show Notifications Like Apple's Dynamic Island

Google has been working on improving notifications with each new version of Android. Over the past few years, it has made notifications simpler, more dynamic, and less distracting. With Android 16, Google could introduce Rich Ongoing Notifications like Apple's Dynamic Island.

According to Android Authority, Google is testing a new API called Rich Ongoing Notifications with Android 15 QPR1 Beta 3. In the future, app developers will be able to use this API to display information in the pill-shaped area of ​​the status bar, including the app icon, custom background, text, and time.

While the API isn't yet open to third-party apps, Mishaal Rahman has found a way to model Rich Ongoing Notifications using the command line interface.

As you can see in the screenshot above, a taxi-hailing app could show how much time it will take for a taxi to arrive at the pick-up location, while an airline app could show how much time it will take for a passenger to board the plane.

Similarly, the Clock app could show a running stopwatch or how much time it will take for an alarm to go off.

Samsung will be rolling out a similar feature for One UI 7.0. As previously reported, One UI 7.0 will show pill-shaped notifications for ongoing events in the status bar, such as an incoming call and a running stopwatch.

Hopefully, Google will allow third-party apps to take advantage of Rich Ongoing Notifications on Android 16 and beyond because it's a great feature. Some Android users have been wishing for Dynamic Island-style notifications. Their wish may come true next year.