What happened to Apple's legendary attention to detail?
6 months ago
- #User Experience
- #Apple
- #Design
- Apple's attention to detail has declined over the past 8-10 years, with recent updates like Mac OS 26 and iOS 26 exacerbating issues.
- The Reminders app on Mac OS repeatedly asks for location permissions without a 'Don't Ask Me Again' option, disrupting user flow.
- Inconsistent placement of search bars across Apple apps like Finder, Notes, Maps, and Contacts complicates user experience.
- Mac OS X lacks a standard tab design, with variations in apps like Dictionary, Keychain, Calendar, and Activity Monitor.
- iOS 26's Files app has visibility issues in dark mode, with missing folder names and barely visible UI elements.
- The share sheet in iOS 26 displays broken app icons, and enabling 'reduced transparency' mode fixes some issues but introduces others.
- Third-party browsers like Vivaldi and Safari suffer from WebKit-related bugs in iOS 26, including autofill bar jumps and viewport issues.
- iMessages in iOS 26 introduces background images that make text hard to read, and the input field is difficult to locate.
- The App Library in iOS 26 has unreliable app icon visibility, making it less functional.
- Apple's design inconsistencies and poor QA in iOS 26 and Mac OS 26 reflect a broader decline in user experience and accessibility.