Software redesigns are often a polarizing affair. No matter how a company approaches the task, the final product will always please some people, while displeasing others. However, this fact has hardly ever hindered tech giants from tinkering - or 'innovating', as they call it - and the same is expected for this year's iOS 19 and macOS 16 operating systems. As multiple sources have pointed out, including the reliable Mark Gurman, iOS 16 is likely to receive a major redesign this year, which will include design elements borrowed from Apple's VisionOS - the operating system that powers the Vision Pro.
The same applies to the upcoming macOS 16, internally code-named "Cheer", which is also borrow inspiration from VisionOS. We have witnessed hints of this in iOS 18 already, which includes round icons in the control center, as opposed to its predecessor's square icons with rounded edges. Interestingly, Gurman did not confirm whether all app icons will switch to a round shape, which will be quite interesting since older macOS and OS X versions, all the way to Catalina, boasted round app icons. Of course, design changes are often cyclic, especially in the case with Apple. Moreover, increased translucency should also be prevalent throughout macOS 16 and iOS 19 - yet another design choice that is likely to be divisive in nature. Either way, both iOS 19 and macOS 16 are expected to debut in the summer at WWDC 25, which means we don't have much waiting to do before being granted a sneak peek into the future of macOS and iOS.
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The same applies to the upcoming macOS 16, internally code-named "Cheer", which is also borrow inspiration from VisionOS. We have witnessed hints of this in iOS 18 already, which includes round icons in the control center, as opposed to its predecessor's square icons with rounded edges. Interestingly, Gurman did not confirm whether all app icons will switch to a round shape, which will be quite interesting since older macOS and OS X versions, all the way to Catalina, boasted round app icons. Of course, design changes are often cyclic, especially in the case with Apple. Moreover, increased translucency should also be prevalent throughout macOS 16 and iOS 19 - yet another design choice that is likely to be divisive in nature. Either way, both iOS 19 and macOS 16 are expected to debut in the summer at WWDC 25, which means we don't have much waiting to do before being granted a sneak peek into the future of macOS and iOS.
View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source
