Apple Updates iWork, iMovie, and GarageBand With Refreshed Icons and Designs for macOS Big Sur

Following today's release of macOS Big Sur, Apple has updated a number of its apps to support the new operating system version and upcoming Apple Silicon Macs.

iwork big sur icons
Apple's suite of iWork apps is among the updates, with Pages, Numbers, and Keynotes all sporting refreshed icons and a "refined new design on macOS Big Sur." Stability and performance improvements are also included. Alongside the updates on the Mac side, the iWork apps for iOS have seen minor updates for stability and performance improvements.

garageband big sur
GarageBand for Mac has also been updated with a new icon and refreshed macOS Big Sur design, among other improvements and additions.

- Refined new design on macOS Big Sur
- Improved performance and efficiency on Mac computers with Apple silicon
- Allows customisation of region colours in your tracks
- Adds 1,800 Apple Loops in a variety of genres including Hip-Hop, Chill Rap, Future Bass, New Disco, Bass House and more
- Adds over 190 instrument patches and 50 vintage and modern drum kits

Alongside GarageBand and the iWork apps, Apple updated its iMovie app for Mac with ‌Apple Silicon‌ support. No other new features are included.

Apple updated its professional video and audio apps, including Final Cut Pro and Logic, earlier today.

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Top Rated Comments

Quu Avatar
60 months ago
I don't understand why Apple is producing such poor quality icons all of a sudden. These just look so bad :/
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Princess Cake Avatar
60 months ago
So are we done with this flat cartoony nonsense? Can we go back to a visually pleasing skeuomorphism design language now?
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
swingerofbirch Avatar
60 months ago
You know how in movies/TV shows they sometimes make fake generic operating systems and applications and icons instead of using real world ones?

These look like that.

Like props for a TV show.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
60 months ago
There is nothing wrong with the icons. In fact, they are the same icons, just morphed into looking like iOS icons. That’s the part I don’t like, the uniqueness of macOS has been reduced and consumed into the universe of its mobile offspring. I missed the stand out uniqueness of photo realistic icons. It’s really what made OS X attractive. Seeing a representation of true life on screen.

Apple now considers that redundant and I believe it was Jony Ive who promoted this when explaining the abstract look of icons iOS 7 such as Game Center. Icons should hint what they do and at least with these three, you have an idea,

- the charts and cells in the background suggest this has something to do with numbers.

- the pen, quotation symbol and lines suggest this is a tool for writing.

- the podium and what looks like screens it slides is a program for preparing presentations.

I still do miss the unique icons from the old days though. The Adobe Photoshop 7 eye, the Quark Xpress lotus flower, the picture of the child at the beach in preview.




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Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thePhil907 Avatar
60 months ago
I love the overall look of Big Sur but those icons are butt.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BWhaler Avatar
60 months ago
I love, love, love iWork.

Those icons suck. They had better ones in some of the test versions. Such a shame.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)