How are we feeling about iOS 26?

[RockRock8]

I'm still on the fence about this glass thing, it sort of feels like they did it because they felt like it needed a change more than anything else. TBH I do prefer the old look but it's not a deal breaker or anything.

I mean, if you're hell bent on ignoring spatial computing which they said is the reason behind this design, then sure, it might seem arbitrary.

 

[Cmaier]

I don’t like that now if I want to print an email message I have to remember to scroll all the way to the bottom of the message to find the little “arrow” button, instead of it being visible at all times.

Stop hiding UI elements, Tim.

Maybe the new guy will fix that kind of stuff.

overall I do like the 26.x, though. It did make some things better from a UX perspective (more buttons look like buttons, etc.)

 

[RockRock8]

I don’t like that now if I want to print an email message I have to remember to scroll all the way to the bottom of the message to find the little “arrow” button, instead of it being visible at all times.

Stop hiding UI elements, Tim.

Maybe the new guy will fix that kind of stuff.

overall I do like the 26.x, though. It did make some things better from a UX perspective (more buttons look like buttons, etc.)

I'm confused. Can't you just print from the share sheet button?

Yeah I like that buttons look more like UI now, less like abstract symbols

 

[Cmaier]

I'm confused. Can't you just print from the share sheet button?

Yeah I like that buttons look more like UI now, less like abstract symbols

ain’t no share sheet button on iPadOS. It’s a curvy arrow button, and it’s on the content view, not in the chrome. So to get to it, if you have a long email, you need to scroll to the bottom of the email to see the left curvy arrow button.

In fact, iOS also doesn’t have the share sheet button, but at least it puts the left curvy arrow button in the chrome (in a floating toolbar on the bottom).

 

[dada_dave]

I don’t like that now if I want to print an email message I have to remember to scroll all the way to the bottom of the message to find the little “arrow” button, instead of it being visible at all times.

Stop hiding UI elements, Tim.

Maybe the new guy will fix that kind of stuff.

overall I do like the 26.x, though. It did make some things better from a UX perspective (more buttons look like buttons, etc.)

Yeah I recently upgraded and it seems ... okay so far, but there are a few hidden UI element things which really shouldn't be hidden that then pop out. Like I have no issue with hiding additional layers of UI complexity but at least on my 12 mini I don't know about anyone else (maybe larger phones its better), almost all the camera options even on the same "layer" are hidden - yes I understand that with lots options you might have to scroll, but I see two unless I start scrolling. That's a good example. The new Safari UI took some getting used to ... again ... but I'm almost adjusted to it already. Aesthetically yes, buttons that look like buttons is better. Overall the glass aesthetic looks fine, though I'm using the less transparent option for readability so I'm not sure that's Apple's "preferred" experience but at least at first glance the transparent option didn't look as legible.

So some wins, some losses and those losses can be improved in time. Overall the drama seems ... overstated, but then what else is new, especially in certain Mac online communities. To be fair to those communities, I haven't upgraded to Tahoe on the Mac (and iPad is too old I think). I understand macOS is where more people had issues with the new UI. But I suspect I'll probably find it ... at worst okay. To be fair, there were iOS versions I disliked a lot more at first (when they first when all flat, oof, that was rough - I like minimalism but yikes that was too much, especially the ... what is button anymore game).

 

[DT]

I don’t like that now if I want to print an email message I have to remember to scroll all the way to the bottom of the message to find the little “arrow” button, instead of it being visible at all times.

That's such an odd choice (in iPadOS vs. iOS), I can't believe that's by design, looks like an "oops" to me

 

[RockRock8]

almost all the camera options even on the same "layer" are hidden - yes I understand that with lots options you might have to scroll, but I see two unless I start scrolling.

Every time you open or switch modes, it shows there are more modes temporarily. It's clever.

The thing I love about spatial mode when it was introduced and now was and is the simplicity. Photo or video. So I liked they brought that to the camera app and I think that's why. They liked the simplicity too. It was getting to the point where there were more buttons everywhere all over the freakin screen

That's a good example. The new Safari UI took some getting used to ... again ... but I'm almost adjusted to it already.

Swipe up on the tab to access all tabs quickly. You can get the other UI styles back in settings if you really want too as well

Aesthetically yes, buttons that look like buttons is better. Overall the glass aesthetic looks fine, though I'm using the less transparent option for readability so I'm not sure that's Apple's "preferred" experience but at least at first glance the transparent option didn't look as legible.

You should give the original option a chance for a week. If you can't get adjusted to it after a week, then switch. But the clear is really the way to go.

So some wins, some losses and those losses can be improved in time. Overall the drama seems ... overstated, but then what else is new, especially in certain Mac online communities. To be fair to those communities, I haven't upgraded to Tahoe on the Mac (and iPad is too old I think). I understand macOS is where more people had issues with the new UI. But I suspect I'll probably find it ... at worst okay. To be fair, there were iOS versions I disliked a lot more at first (when they first when all flat, oof, that was rough - I like minimalism but yikes that was too much, especially the ... what is button anymore game).

I've seen direct astroturfing, and photo/video manipulation, and so combine that with typical attention seeking the hysteria around the new design is... literally just hysteria. I'm not saying everything is perfect and can't be improved, because that's not what design is. But the "omg this is so horrible" is a bunch of BS lol

 

[dada_dave]

Every time you open or switch modes, it shows there are more modes temporarily. It's clever.

The thing I love about spatial mode when it was introduced and now was and is the simplicity. Photo or video. So I liked they brought that to the camera app and I think that's why. They liked the simplicity too. It was getting to the point where there were more buttons everywhere all over the freakin screen

Hmmm I guess for me simplicity is showing more of what’s available rather than hiding it. I recognize that there are limits and layers of UI can be necessary but this feels too much hiding. Maybe I’ll change my mind.

Swipe up on the tab to access all tabs quickly. You can get the other UI styles back in settings if you really want too as well


You should give the original option a chance for a week. If you can't get adjusted to it after a week, then switch. But the clear is really the way to go.


I've seen direct astroturfing, and photo/video manipulation, and so combine that with typical attention seeking the hysteria around the new design is... literally just hysteria. I'm not saying everything is perfect and can't be improved, because that's not what design is. But the "omg this is so horrible" is a bunch of BS lol

While I can’t speak to that, generally people leave comments in the extremes. They either love something or hate it and hate is generally more common and generates more “interest” online, in some places more than others.

 

[RockRock8]

Hmmm I guess for me simplicity is showing more of what’s available rather than hiding it. I recognize that there are limits and layers of UI can be necessary but this feels too much hiding. Maybe I’ll change my mind.

You already understand to swipe across modes though, so I'm not sure what difference it makes at this point for you.

Hopefully you took me up on the Safari suggestion. Also if you long press any collapsed tab view in a tab view, you can easily slide over to the other tabs

 

[dada_dave]

You already understand to swipe across modes though, so I'm not sure what difference it makes at this point for you.

It’s more that I think it doesn’t look like what it’s trying to convey:

To me this looks like I have the option between photo or video only. Now I know that’s not true, that there are more options if I slide around, but it isn’t immediately intuitive that this isn’t just a toggle between these two options. And I don’t think that’s very good design.

Hopefully you took me up on the Safari suggestion. Also if you long press any collapsed tab view in a tab view, you can easily slide over to the other tabs

Aye. Thanks.

 

[RockRock8]

options if I slide around, but it isn’t immediately intuitive that this isn’t just a toggle between

It... is... that's why I mentioned the animation both when you open the app and when you switch modes lol.

Did you understand what I meant with tab views? Like if you're in Music, and the view collapses to where it's the tab button on the left, music middle, search right, press and hold the left tab and then slide to the tab you want. This is a shortcut so you don't press the tab to open the tab view entirely

 

[dada_dave]

It... is... that's why I mentioned the animation both when you open the app and when you switch modes lol.

If I open the camera app there is no such animation. However, even if there were that’s still not a good UI design in my opinion. Obviously if I am switching modes it pulls out … and then causes other UI elements to disappear. But by then I’m already using it. To me, a UI element should be obvious what it is and how to interact with it at all times not just at specific instances. Ideally I should be able to at a glance, whenever that glance happens, know what a UI element is and how it works.

Did you understand what I meant with tab views? Like if you're in Music, and the view collapses to where it's the tab button on the left, music middle, search right, press and hold the left tab and then slide to the tab you want. This is a shortcut so you don't press the tab to open the tab view entirely

Yes I understood.

 

[RockRock8]

Obviously if I am switching modes it pulls out … and then causes other UI elements to disappear. But by then I’m already using it. To me, a UI element should be obvious what it is and how to interact with it at all times not just at specific instances. Ideally I should be able to at a glance, whenever that glance happens, know what a UI element is and how it works.

I've seen the animation repeatedly so maybe that's a glitch. The point is you're aware of other options. You do the same actions you did before you updated: slide for another option. There is no problem here. You're sort of arguing to argue.

 

[dada_dave]

I've seen the animation repeatedly so maybe that's a glitch.

Quite possible, I’m on an old phone iPhone 12 mini, so it’s entirely possible that things aren’t working quite right. For instance, when I restarted the phone, it lost the wallpaper for some reason.

The point is you're aware of other options. You do the same actions you did before you updated: slide for another option. There is no problem here. You're sort of arguing to argue.

As for arguing to argue, I’m not the one who engaged here …

My point is considering someone who is unfamiliar with the iPhone, can they immediately point to an element and understand what it is. Yes playing with something they will get used to it but what is better? Something that is obvious with no mental friction or having something that adds just that little bit of mental friction?

This isn’t a deal breaker for me nor a casus belli. It’s just an example of an element of the UI that can be improved. For instance, if you do go to the end of the list the UI is better:

This tells you you've reached the end of the list on the right and the partially cutoff label hints at more to the left without making it look like a toggle. Of course this requires more space and the UI expands to accommodate it, but not that much more.

This is also better in that respect:

You can tell you are in a list with options to the left and right. I do get why they don't do that for the two "defaults". They want photo and video to both be clearly visible as those basic options are the two people will choose most often. But some indication that is there is a list visible at all times is, again, in my opinion, a better design. But I'm not professional app designer as some are on these forums who I'm sure can give their own more studied opinions on UI design than I.

Apple may feel that most people have gotten used to the iOS verbs that they don't need to do this, but I disagree. That kind of thinking is similar to, though not as bad as, the "everything is flat" extremism that stopped Apple from having clearly visible buttons (I will absolutely give credit here to iOS 26 for moving further away from that, that's an improvement). But I feel trying not hide things is generally better (no hard rules) or at least indicate that something is hidden (and not just when you open the app). In macOS I'm the guy who likes the scroll bar always on screen, though I admit the same is not true (were it an option) for the smaller screen and touch based UI of iOS. That's where I'm coming from.