Design elements in iOS don't change frequently, and when they do, it's usually not much, but the upcoming iOS 18 software could have a significantly updated look, according to a well-placed source.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman (via 9to5Mac), Apple is “actually working on updating the design of iOS starting this year.” That doesn't give us many details to work with, but it does suggest that there will be noticeably different images.
Gurman, usually reliable when it comes to predicting Apple's moves, responded in part to rumors that iOS 18 would borrow some design inspiration from visionOS in the Apple Vision Pro. That “total overhaul” is not happening, Gurman says, although it looks like Apple might have made it part of the way to 2024.
New versions of iOS are usually unveiled at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, so we don't have to wait too long to see what Apple has been working on and how different it is in style from iOS 17.
An “ambitious and compelling” update
The biggest visual overhaul we've ever seen for iOS came with iOS 7, released in 2013: skeuomorphism (where digital elements are designed like their real-world equivalents) was out, and in came a much more modern look.
In the decade since, app icons and menus have been tweaked and tweaked, but there hasn't been what you would describe as a large-scale redesign. We'll have to wait and see what iOS 18 brings when WWDC 2024 begins.
Gurman has gone on record saying that iOS 18 will be an “ambitious and compelling” update, so it looks like there's a lot to look forward to. As with everything else in technology lately, generative AI is likely to play a big role, as Siri and iOS will be updated with some important new AI-powered capabilities.
According to Gurman, a visual update is also coming to macOS, although it will lag behind iOS: the updates Apple is planning for the macOS design are apparently still in the early stages and won't be completed until 2025 or 2026.
