Apple Reportedly Overhauling Its Software Development Process Following Buggy Release of iOS 13

Apple is overhauling the way it develops and tests iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS in hopes that the new approach will improve the quality of each software platform over the long term, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

mac iphone ipad apple tv
The report claims the new strategy is already being applied to development of iOS 14 ahead of its release next year. The shift comes after the buggy release of iOS 13, which has already received eight updates with bug fixes and delayed features in the last two months, which is more than usual over that time.

The new process will see Apple implement "flags," allowing the company's software engineers to selectively enable or disable unfinished or buggy features in an isolated way to ensure that overall stability is not jeopardized. Flags are already commonly used by other tech companies like Google and Microsoft.

Apple has also considered delaying some iOS 14 features until 2021, according to the report, as part of its efforts to ensure the update is more stable. Apple is believed to have taken a similar approach with iOS 12, delaying some features until iOS 13, which contributed to iOS 12 being a rather stable update.

The changes were reportedly announced at a recent meeting with employees led by Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi.

In the meantime, Apple continues to test iOS 13.3, with a third beta released this week.

Related Forum: iOS 13

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Top Rated Comments

Lounge vibes 05 Avatar
73 months ago
Just stop with the huge yearly updates. Just add features when there ready. Maybe announce a year long roadmap of features, but slowly add them over a year, instead of trying to rush everything for September. Also, put macOS back on a 18 to 30 month upgrade cycle
Score: 110 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacFather Avatar
73 months ago
Deleted.
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Scottsoapbox Avatar
73 months ago
Didn't they already do that after buggy iOS 11?
How quickly organizations forget.
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fmcshan Avatar
73 months ago
This is a good and much needed change. Apple should release new features only when they are ready instead of packing them into larger updates that are full of bugs.
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tigres Avatar
73 months ago
Can we return Catalina? Embarrassing release.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GalileoSeven Avatar
73 months ago

Apple is going a massive culture shift in 2019. Listening to customers, fixing the MBP, pricing iPhone 11 right and now hopefully stabler software from next year.
They're just reactionary is all. They didn't make any move until after there was a massive outcry about it. If they start doing these things beforehand and stave off any issues/outcry, then we can call it a culture shift
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)