iOS 16.2 fixes an iPhone 14 Pro signal irritation

(Image credit: Luke Filipowicz / iMore)

The Dynamic Island is one of the best iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max features around, but if you had the smaller of the two you probably already noticed a problem — putting anything into that Dynamic Island means no longer seeing your signal strength.

Now, Apple has reportedly fixed that problem in the latest iOS 16.2 beta, with the release likely to be made available to the public in the middle of next month if reports are accurate.

Fun on Dynamic Island

9to5Mac reports that the change effectively sees Dynamic Island grow and shrink again whenever it's used with IOS 16.2 installed. Previously, it would expand to accommodate whatever app was using it and then leave only enough space for two icons — often the battery and Wi-Fi signal indicators. Now, it contracts to offer up enough space for an extra one.

"In keeping with the fluid vitality users expect from the Dynamic Island, this 16.2 behavior also features a very smooth animation," the report says. And it's true, with Dynamic Island offering up some of the best iPhone animations in the game.

Those with an iPhone 14 Pro Max don't have to worry about this because its 6.7-inch screen is so large that there's room for icons for days. But the smaller model suffered as a result.

iPhone 14 Pro dynamic island screenshots — (Image credit: 9to5Mac)

At least those waiting for iOS 16.2 to arrive won't wait long. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has already pointed to an expected release in the middle of December.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.