Since the introduction of Dynamic Island on iPhone (starting with iPhone 14 Pro series and now standard on newer models), Apple has turned the notch into a smart, interactive information hub. While it natively shows music playback, timers, calls, and notifications, third-party apps can expand its capabilities significantly through Live Activities.

One excellent free tool that lets you monitor your network performance right in the Dynamic Island is Device Status⁺ (App Store link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/device-status/id6747854290).

What is Device Status⁺?

Developed by Space-Time Transformation Technology Co., Ltd., Device Status⁺ is a powerful system monitoring app categorized under Developer Tools. It requires iOS 17.0 or later and works on iPhone, iPad, Mac (M1+), Apple Vision Pro, and even Apple Watch.

The app provides a comprehensive, real-time overview of your device's health and performance, including:

• CPU usage
• Memory (RAM) consumption
• Storage usage and history
• Battery level, health, and capacity details
• Device temperature
• Uptime / boot time
• Various sensor tests (accelerometer, gyroscope, camera, Face ID, flashlight, haptic, etc.)
• Connectivity tools (Ping, DNS lookup, WHOIS)
• And crucially — real-time network upload and download speeds

Unlike many similar apps that lock core features behind heavy paywalls, Device Status⁺ offers most functionality for free, with optional in-app purchases (a lifetime unlock for $2.99 or an annual subscription for $0.99) mainly for supporting development.

How It Displays Network Speeds in Dynamic Island

The killer feature for many users is the network monitoring integrated with Live Activities and widgets.

After installing and granting necessary permissions, you can start a Live Activity that pushes real-time upload/download speeds directly to the Dynamic Island (and Lock Screen widgets when the phone is locked).

Typical display includes:

• Upload speed (↑) and Download speed (↓) shown clearly with units (e.g., KB/s, MB/s)
• Separate indication for Wi-Fi vs. Cellular data
• In some views, a mini curve graph visualizing speed fluctuations over time
• Floating window / PiP (Picture-in-Picture) support for a persistent, movable network speed overlay

Recent updates (e.g., versions around 1.5–2.0 in 2025) added/improved:

• Floating window specifically for network speed
• Long-strip PiP curve graph for network
• Fixed color display bugs for upload vs. download
• Better separation of Wi-Fi and cellular status

This means at a glance — without opening any app — you can see whether your current download is crawling at 200 KB/s or blasting at 150 MB/s, and spot if something is quietly uploading in the background.

How to Set It Up (Quick Steps)

1. Download Device Status⁺ from the App Store (free).
2. Open the app and allow any requested permissions (especially background refresh and network-related access).
3. Navigate to the network monitoring section or dashboard.
4. Start the network Live Activity (usually via a prominent “Start” or widget setup button).
5. Swipe to/minimize to home screen → the Dynamic Island now shows your live upload/download speeds.
6. Optionally add the app’s Lock Screen widget for when the device is locked.
7. Customize units or style if the app provides options.

Why Choose Device Status⁺ for This Purpose?

• High rating — 4.9/5 from users who praise its accurate readings, beautiful UI, no aggressive paywalls, and comprehensive info.
• Privacy-friendly — All data stays on-device; no cloud collection mentioned.
• Multi-device — Works beyond just iPhone (great if you have iPad or Mac too).
• Regular updates — Frequent fixes and additions (network curve PiP, temperature checks, better model support, etc.).

If you frequently download large files, stream 4K video, use tethering, or just want to keep an eye on sneaky background data usage, having upload/download speeds live in the Dynamic Island via Device Status⁺ is incredibly convenient.

Give it a try — it’s free to start, and many users call it one of the best system monitors available on iOS right now.