plenty of ways to change things without completely
upending the paradigm.
I’d love Apple to introduce a dynamic icon API so
that, for example, a weather app could change its icon
to match the forecast, or an email icon could show how
many unread messages you have. At the very least,
Apple should let developers define separate app icons
for Light and Dark mode.
If you drag down on the home screen, you enter
Spotlight search. Before you begin searching, Siri
suggests a row of app icons based on your common
use at the current time of day and location. Maybe this
should (optionally) reside on our home screens, now
that iPhones are so much taller?
And even if Apple is not going to let us hide apps in
an app drawer à la Android, it can at least let us position
app icons and folders wherever we want. Currently, you
can reorder them, but they always fill the screen from
the upper left – there’s no way to leave a blank space.- Notifications need an overhaul
Notifications have improved in iOS, but they’re still a bit
of a mess. When you dig into the Settings app to change
how apps notify you, you’re bombarded with options.
Where do you get alerts? What kind of banner style? Do
you want sounds? Previews? How about the little red
dot on app icons?
The average user doesn’t ever go here, and suffers
default settings for all their apps. Those who do
change things have too many options to choose from,
and they’re the wrong kind of options. I’d like to see
Apple reduce the choices for the many ways in which
plentyofwaystochangethingswithoutcompletely
upendingtheparadigm.
I’dloveAppletointroduceadynamiciconAPIso
that,forexample,aweatherappcouldchangeitsicon
tomatchtheforecast,oranemailiconcouldshowhow
manyunreadmessagesyouhave.Attheveryleast,
Appleshouldletdevelopersdefineseparateappicons
forLightandDarkmode.
Ifyoudragdownonthehomescreen,youenter
Spotlightsearch.Beforeyoubeginsearching,Siri
suggestsarowofappiconsbasedonyourcommon
useatthecurrenttimeofdayandlocation.Maybethis
should(optionally)resideonourhomescreens,now
thatiPhonesaresomuchtaller?
AndevenifAppleisnotgoingtoletushideappsin
anappdraweràlaAndroid,itcanatleastletusposition
appiconsandfolderswhereverwewant.Currently,you
canreorderthem,buttheyalwaysfillthescreenfrom
theupperleft–there’snowaytoleaveablankspace.
- Notificationsneed an overhaul
NotificationshaveimprovediniOS,butthey’restillabit
ofamess.WhenyoudigintotheSettingsapptochange
howappsnotifyyou,you’rebombardedwithoptions.
Wheredoyougetalerts?Whatkindofbannerstyle?Do
youwantsounds?Previews?Howaboutthelittlered
dotonappicons?
Theaverageuserdoesn’tevergohere,andsuffers
defaultsettingsforalltheirapps.Thosewhodo
changethingshavetoomanyoptionstochoosefrom,
andthey’rethewrongkindofoptions.I’dliketosee
Applereducethechoicesforthemanywaysinwhich