iOS 19 rumors suggest huge redesign on the way - great news for iPhone 17
Apple might give the iPhone's software a major redesign this year with new icons, menus, and more, loosely inspired by visionOS.
📱 Apple is rumored to give iOS 19 a major redesign
✨ It could be even bigger than iOS 7 was in 2013
🥽 The new design might be loosely inspired by visionOS
💻 Apple will also reportedly update macOS and iPadOS with similar redesigns
📅 We expect iOS 19 to be announced this June at WWDC
Apple is rumored to be working on one of the biggest iOS upgrades since iOS 7. According to a report from Bloomberg, iOS 19 will introduce a major redesign for the iPhone’s software, complete with a look inspired by visionOS on the Apple Vision Pro. In addition, Apple is rumored to be working on a similar redesign for iPadOS and macOS, the latter of which will get the biggest upgrade since macOS Big Sur in 2020.
iOS 19 could be more “cohesive” with Apple’s other software
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says in his report that Apple will launch the biggest redesign since iOS 7 with iOS 19, as the software introduces a slew of new app icons, menus, windows, system buttons, and more. Apple will reportedly base a lot of the design language off visionOS, at least loosely. That means we can expect more rounded iconography, more depth, more shadows, and more springy animations throughout iOS.
Gurman doesn’t detail exact changes being made, but the generalized comments in the report seem to suggest that the system will look drastically different than iOS does today. That’s a big deal; we’ve been dealing with the same general look and feel of iOS since the days of iOS 7, and over 10 years later, it makes sense to see Apple working on a complete redesign.
Apple is also working on similar redesigns for iPadOS and macOS, both of which will reflect the same visionOS-like user interface. The goal here is for a “more consistent” approach to interface design across Apple’s devices, as well as simpler ways to navigate and control the device you’re using.
Notably, Gurman doesn’t mention the Apple Watch or Apple TV in his report, which seems to suggest neither watchOS or tvOS will be treated to the same redesign.
Regardless, a visual upgrade for iOS will be a good addition to an otherwise boring release cycle for the iPhone. We expect the company to announce the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Air later this year, and besides the addition of huge camera bumps, not much will be changing. The 17 Air will technically change a lot with its ultra-thin form factor, but the other iPhones? Not so much.
Of course, iOS 19 will be coming to more iPhones outside of this year’s latest (including the iPhone 16e which we just reviewed), so you won’t need to buy a shiny new phone to take advantage of the update. However, it’ll help in marketing materials to see something other than the same app icons we’ve been using for the past 12 years.
Apple will also rely on the new design to distract users from the lack of major Apple Intelligence features. While the company is bound to release more with the next version of iOS, the major Siri upgrade Apple has been promising since iOS 18’s introduction might not ship for another year, so anything to keep eyes off of where Apple has fallen flat will be important.
We expect iOS 19 to be announced this June during WWDC. Later in September, we’ll likely get the next round of iPhones.
Max Buondonno is Editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.