# How to Implement Dynamic Island for iOS — and Live Notifications + Now Bar on Android (Native iOS → Cross-platform (Flutter) → Android / Samsung Now ## Short Summary * **Native iOS:** Use ActivityKit / Live Activities to support Dynamic Island. [Apple Developer](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/activitykit/displaying-live-data-with-live-activities) * **Cross-platform (Flutter):** Use the [`live_activities`](https://pub.dev/packages/live_activities) package to bridge native Live Activities on iOS and RemoteViews on Android. * **Android (Samsung One UI / Now Bar):** Add Samsung-specific notification extras and request Samsung whitelisting — One UI honors these only for approved apps. --- ## 1\. Native iOS — Dynamic Island & Live Activities ### What is Dynamic Island? Dynamic Island is Apple’s pill-shaped, interactive area around the iPhone’s front cutout. It surfaces **Live Activities** — real-time content such as media playback, timers, rides, and small interactions. Live Activities let your app push ongoing, updatable content to the **Lock Screen** and **Dynamic Island**. ![A_Guide_to_Dynamic_Island.jpg (1600×960)](https://www.otofly.co/cdn/shop/articles/A_Guide_to_Dynamic_Island.jpg?v=1705299600&width=2048 align="left") ### Requirements * **Apple Developer Program:** Paid/professional account required to add entitlements and distribute apps using Live Activities. * **Entitlements:** Enable **Live Activities** and **Push Notifications**. * **App Group:** Create an App Group to securely share state between your app and the Live Activity extension. * **Provisioning Profiles:** Include all entitlements. ### High-Level Implementation 1. Add an **Activity Extension** using ActivityKit (iOS 16.1+). 2. Design your Live Activity UI using **WidgetKit + SwiftUI** (iOS 17+ adds interactivity). 3. Start, update, and end a Live Activity from your app or server using **ActivityKit APIs**. ### Tips & Best Practices * Use App Groups for secure data sharing. * Use push tokens for server-driven updates (recommended for long-running activities). * Test on real devices; Dynamic Island is hardware-specific. * The **iOS Simulator** supports this feature on **iOS 18+**. * Include clear privacy statements if user data is displayed in the Island. --- ## 2\. Cross-Platform (Flutter) — Achieving the Same UX ### Why Use a Flutter Bridge? Flutter developers want **native performance** and proper platform integration. The [`live_activities`](https://pub.dev/packages/live_activities) plugin provides bindings to iOS ActivityKit (Dynamic Island) and Android RemoteViews, enabling a similar **live notification experience across platforms**. ### Flutter Setup * Configure your Flutter app for **iOS native changes** (App Group, entitlements, provisioning). * Add the [`live_activities`](https://pub.dev/packages/live_activities) package from pub.dev. ### Important Notes for iOS via Flutter * Enable **Live Activities entitlement**, configure **App Group**, and use a proper provisioning profile signed by a **Professional Apple Developer account**. * The plugin calls native APIs, but entitlements and provisioning must be configured in **Xcode**. ### Android Support via Plugin * Supports **Android RemoteViews notifications**. * **Samsung Now Bar** requires additional Samsung-specific metadata and whitelisting. * Test on **real devices/emulators** and include the required extras. --- ## 3\. Android — Live Notification & Now Bar (Samsung One UI) ### What is Samsung Now Bar / Live Notifications? Samsung One UI 7 introduces **Live Notifications** and the **Now Bar**, interactive, persistent UI areas for ongoing activities (music, timers, rides). One UI reads **special metadata** and **notification extras** from your app’s ongoing notification. Only **whitelisted apps** are honored. [![samsung_one_ui_7_live_notifications_and_now_bar-001.png (1200×335)](https://akexorcist.dev/content/images/2025/06/samsung_one_ui_7_live_notifications_and_now_bar-001.png align="left")](https://akexorcist.dev/live-notifications-and-now-bar-in-samsung-one-ui-7-as-developer-en) ### Manifest Meta-Data Add this inside `` in `AndroidManifest.xml`: ```xml ``` This signals One UI that your app supports ongoing activity extras, but **Samsung must approve your app**. ### Notification Extras Example ```kotlin val extras = bundleOf( "android.ongoingActivityNoti.style" to 1, "android.ongoingActivityNoti.primaryInfo" to "Track name or title", "android.ongoingActivityNoti.secondaryInfo" to "Subtitle or artist", "android.ongoingActivityNoti.secondaryInfoIcon" to Icon.createWithResource(context, R.drawable.ic_music), "android.ongoingActivityNoti.chipBgColor" to context.getColor(R.color.chip_background), "android.ongoingActivityNoti.chipIcon" to Icon.createWithResource(context, R.drawable.ic_chip), "android.ongoingActivityNoti.chipExpandedText" to "AppName", "android.ongoingActivityNoti.actionType" to 1, "android.ongoingActivityNoti.actionPrimarySet" to 0, "android.ongoingActivityNoti.nowbarPrimaryInfo" to "NowBar title", "android.ongoingActivityNoti.nowbarSecondaryInfo" to "NowBar subtitle" ) val notification = NotificationCompat.Builder(context, CHANNEL_ID) .setContentTitle("Playing") .setContentText("Song name") .setSmallIcon(R.drawable.ic_notification) .setOngoing(true) .setExtras(extras) .build() NotificationManagerCompat.from(context).notify(ONGOING_ID, notification) ``` ### Important Android Notes * For call-like UIs, use `Notification.CallStyle.forOngoingCall(...)` for proper system semantics. * Android 16+ has platform Live Updates; Samsung’s One UI implementation may differ — always test on devices. --- ## 4\. Samsung Whitelist: How to Enable Your App 1. Prepare a **demo build** with metadata and example notification extras. Include a **signed APK**. 2. Record a **demo video/GIF** showing the behavior on One UI 7. 3. Contact **Samsung Developer Support** via developer.samsung.com with your whitelist request: * Package name * Signed APK * Demo video * Notification extras payload * Privacy statement ### Template Email ```plaintext Subject: Request: Whitelist com.example.myapp for One UI Live Notifications / Now Bar Hello Samsung Developer Support, We request whitelisting for package com.example.myapp so that One UI honors Live Notification / Now Bar extras. Attachments: signed APK, demo video, notification extras payload, privacy policy. Use case: media playback requiring lock-screen quick controls and Now Bar metadata. Please advise next steps or documentation for whitelisting. Thanks, — Your Name / Company ``` --- ## 5\. Developer Certificates, App Groups, and Why They Matter ### Apple (iOS) * **Paid Apple Developer Program:** Required to distribute apps, enable Live Activities entitlements, and create provisioning profiles. * **App Group:** Secure container for sharing data between app and Live Activity extension — required for real-time updates. ### Android * **Signing key / Play Store:** Use your release key to sign the APK for Samsung requests. * **Samsung partner / whitelisting:** May require business/partner information if feature is gated. --- ## 🚀 Final Thoughts Dynamic Island and Samsung Now Bar represent a new era of **context-aware, always-on user experiences**: * Apple’s Live Activities are officially supported and straightforward to integrate. * Samsung’s Now Bar is in limited rollout but demonstrates the future of Android notification design. Whether you’re building a **music app, fitness tracker, or ride-sharing platform**, these features keep users engaged without opening the app — enhancing **usability, engagement, and real-time interactivity**. ![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1761212038340/d7859ecc-651f-4cbd-b929-c3843f31a539.jpeg align="center")