iOS 17 Speculation Thread

[Hitmanbbq59]

I know it is supposed to be a maintainable year, but a few obvious features would be nice…

1. Customizable Lock Screen toggles (bye bye useless camera button)
2. Grid app switcher on iOS (like iPadOS)
3. Number Row above keyboard
4. Updated control center (maybe macOS)
5. Dynamic Island Notifications (Should have been this way already)
6. Split View
7. Interactive widgets


My stretch feature would be macOS icons…but one can dream.

 

[Kal Madda]

I know it is supposed to be a maintainable year, but a few obvious features would be nice…

1. Customizable Lock Screen toggles (bye bye useless camera button)
2. Grid app switcher on iOS (like iPadOS)
3. Number Row above keyboard
4. Updated control center (maybe macOS)
5. Dynamic Island Notifications (Should have been this way already)
6. Split View
7. Interactive widgets


My stretch feature would be macOS icons…but one can dream.

I’m really hoping for the new macOS icons on iOS and iPadOS. Also a more capable status bar on iPadOS and a few refinements to Stage Manager would be pretty nice. Not sure all of that will happen this update, but it would be great if some of that will come.

 

[Helmsley]

I really hope Apple Music is given a proper EQ, or even a dynamic EQ. The current list of EQ presets are garbage.

 

[Joseph C]

- Bug fixes and speed improvements throughout the system
- Interactive widgets (at least for certain things like player, timer apps)
- Refreshed icons systemwide (more detail/macOS depth)
- New Control Center (similar to macOS style)
- Updates to the first party apps (Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Phone, Music, etc)
- Contacts merged into all-new Phone app
- More Lock Screen fonts/options
- Dynamic wallpapers which change throughout the day (like macOS)
- Journal app with tight integration with Photos, Weather, Health etc
- Expiring message and voice note transcription features in iMessage

 

[Populus]

I know its early, but we are just over 3 months until iOS 17 betas start, lets use this thread to speak about things we would like and wish in the upcoming update.

For me its Split screen, New home page with new UI including 3d icons with shadows, interactive widgets.

OMG just 3 months?? Time flies indeed.

Glad you opened the thread, I’m taking my seat here.

I’m not betting for new features yet, but I think new icons are coming, like you said. On the latest iOS 16.4 beta, there’s a new iCloud informative screen with slightly different icons, and the messages one has that 3D effect just like the macOS one.

Yeah, hopefully the Home Screen gets a bit refreshed, and please I really wish they finally make widgets interactive again, you know, with actual buttons and not being the widget just a huge app icon.

 

[Populus]

iOS 17 Concept. Emoji Bar! Makes it so much easier to use emoji's.

Please don’t be mad at me, but I personally don’t want that space filled with buttons, because in certain circumstances I accidentally push the language selection and the dictation ones. I have to go to the settings and disable them.

But hey, as long as they are optional, I’m good with it, it’s just I think Apple leaves an empty space there for a reason (accidental touches).

 

[Kal Madda]

OMG just 3 months?? Time flies indeed.

Glad you opened the thread, I’m taking my seat here.

I’m not betting for new features yet, but I think new icons are coming, like you said. On the latest iOS 16.4 beta, there’s a new iCloud informative screen with slightly different icons, and the messages one has that 3D effect just like the macOS one.

Yeah, hopefully the Home Screen gets a bit refreshed, and please I really wish they finally make widgets interactive again, you know, with actual buttons and not being the widget just a huge app icon.

That sounds awesome! I’m really hoping for the new app icons! Can you share a screenshot of the new page you discovered? Where can it be found? That sounds like it could definitely be a hint that new icons are coming! 👍🏻

 

[Kal Madda]

That sounds awesome! I’m really hoping for the new app icons! Can you share a screenshot of the new page you discovered? Where can it be found? That sounds like it could definitely be a hint that new icons are coming! 👍🏻

OMG just 3 months?? Time flies indeed.

Glad you opened the thread, I’m taking my seat here.

I’m not betting for new features yet, but I think new icons are coming, like you said. On the latest iOS 16.4 beta, there’s a new iCloud informative screen with slightly different icons, and the messages one has that 3D effect just like the macOS one.

Yeah, hopefully the Home Screen gets a bit refreshed, and please I really wish they finally make widgets interactive again, you know, with actual buttons and not being the widget just a huge app icon.

I actually found screenshots in a video, so I’m going to share them in this thread, thanks for the tip! 👍🏻

 

[Kal Madda]

Looks like new app icons might be coming! 👍🏻. These macOS style app icons were found in iOS 16.4 beta! 👍🏻

 

[nortonandreev]

According to a few leakers its mostly a maintenance release to add stability and an awful lot of polish to iOS. Apparently, the big update to iOS will come next year with the shift to focus on AR. Again, just rumours.

These are the rumours every year. I haven't heard a single year when someone has said "massive changes are coming to iOS this year".

 

[sniffies]

Yup, sometimes it feels like it's been a "maintenance" release for the last 10 years. I'm starting to hate that word.

 

[Ctrlos]

A ground-up UX rebuild would be nice. iOS16 is iOS1 stretched over a larger canvas. From an ergonomics POV too many interactions involve the top third of the screen. I would bet serious money a good percentage of dropped, broken iPhones are people using their phone one-handed (the way its meant to be used) and trying to overstretch their thumb. Thus:

- Mandate all new apps should have no interactive elements in the top 1/3 of the screen.
- Make better use of the multitasking screen by:
-- Moving notifications to the bottom that can be expanded by swiping upwards emulating the lockscreen
-- Moving control center to the RH-side of the topmost app
- Thus the notification shade and top-control center would go.
- Lockscreen camera gesture would summon control center. Camera has a button.
- Adopt the universal screen-edge 'back' gesture from Android
- Let icons sit anywhere on home screen

 

[Cobold]

- Adopt the universal screen-edge 'back' gesture from Android

Could you please explain what that is? I don’t have an recent android device around, just an old Android 9 Xiaomi…

You already can swipe from the left screen edge in 98% of the apps to go back (also in setting etc.).

Besides, I doubt there will be huge changes as they are focusing on AR gimmicks this year around.

 

[ADrunkenMarcus]

Some additional security features would be beneficial, perhaps (I'm not an expert!) something like:

• ensuring that nobody with the device PIN (only) could access the Apple ID and alter the password without an extra security step in the way;
• ensure you need the OLD password to change your iCloud password.

 

[Ac1d 8urn]

• ensure you need the OLD password to change your iCloud password.

Kind of unbelievable that this is still missing tbh. I can't even change my reddit password without putting in the old one, but Apple just... skipped this step 🤷‍♀️

 

[TimFL1]

Ich würde mir ein Safari-Widget wünschen
Dann endlich komplett von dem Google Suche Widget weg.

Wozu? Spotlight ist doch auch Safari suche + mehr & ist viel zugänglicher als ein Widget.

EN: Why? Spotlight scratches that itch (+ more) and it‘s as accessible as a potential widget (even more so).

 

[ADrunkenMarcus]

Kind of unbelievable that this is still missing tbh. I can't even change my reddit password without putting in the old one, but Apple just... skipped this step 🤷‍♀️

It's mad.

And screen time restrictions can be bypassed, too, if the user knows the device passcode (see: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...our-entire-digital-life.2381922/post-32032933).

 

[alanvitek]

Probably no major UI changes - maybe iOS 18 for that. I’m not sure they’ll bring the macOS style of stuff to iOS… from a design point of view I feel like they’re intentionally not homogenizing the visuals 1/1 in order to keep the product lines separated.

Welp, I stand corrected it seems. New icons suddenly seem likely and I’m a bit surprised!

Curious to see if/how they’ll position that at WWDC

 

[sorgo †]

Welp, I stand corrected it seems. New icons suddenly seem likely and I’m a bit surprised!

Curious to see if/how they’ll position that at WWDC

YESSSSS!!!!!! I’m so excited for iOS 17 now 🥺🙏

FINALLY!

 

[Martinpa]

Don’t know how much they can control this, but I’d love for them to crack down on in-app advertising. The touch target to close down an ad shouldn’t be so precise that you end up clicking the ad and opening the App Store or a webpage even though your finger was clearly on that darn X. Alternatively, maybe just the ability to determine for each app if they are allowed or not to open another app. Three options to either always allow, ask every time or never allow would be great. I’m just tired of ads that automatically open a webpage in safari that I then have to close, and then swipe back to my previous app.

 

[JPack]

Who the heck is calling it a maintenance release?

Apple to Allow Outside App Stores in Overhaul Spurred by EU Laws

Apple Inc. is preparing to allow alternative app stores on its iPhones and iPads, part of a sweeping overhaul aimed at complying with strict European Union requirements coming in 2024.

www.bloomberg.com

 

[sorgo †]

Who the heck is calling it a maintenance release?

Apple to Allow Outside App Stores in Overhaul Spurred by EU Laws

Apple Inc. is preparing to allow alternative app stores on its iPhones and iPads, part of a sweeping overhaul aimed at complying with strict European Union requirements coming in 2024.

www.bloomberg.com

So not looking forward to this crap. Screw the nanny state

 

[redbeard331]

Not sure why people would want macOS icons as they are the same as iOS but a few of them have little shadows. We need something truly new that moves away from the overall bland and white flat look that started with iOS 7.

And sooo many third party apps just lazily copied this design and use hideous flat white boring icons that haven’t changed in years. Just compare the current instagram icon to the original, they didn’t even try. There are some really good ones, and those are the ones I keep on my homescreen, all the ugly crap gets tossed into a folder or the App Library.

 

[sorgo †]

Not sure why people would want macOS icons as they are the same as iOS but a few of them have little shadows. We need something truly new that moves away from the overall bland and white flat look that started with iOS 7.

And sooo many third party apps just lazily copied this design and use hideous flat white boring icons that haven’t changed in years. Just compare the current instagram icon to the original, they didn’t even try. There are some really good ones, and those are the ones I keep on my homescreen, all the ugly crap gets tossed into a folder or the App Library.

Thank you for speaking truth to power concerning Apple’s most stale n’ stagnant mobile OS ✊

 

[Kal Madda]

I noticed a design decision regarding the iOS app icon for the new Apple Music Classical app. Unlike the standard iOS Apple Music app icon and most other iOS app icons, it uses a neumorphic design. I think this is possibly another sign that neumorphic app icons might be coming soon! 👍🏻