All the Design Changes Rumored for iOS 19 So Far

Apple is going to unveil iOS 19 in just about two months at its June WWDC event, and rumors suggest that it's going to bring a big change to the iPhone's design. It's been described as the most notable design overhaul since iOS 7, so it should be an exciting update.

iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements
We've rounded up everything we've heard so far about the design changes coming to iOS 19.

  • visionOS-like design with translucency - iOS 19 is inspired by visionOS, which has an emphasis on translucency and UI elements that kind of fade into the background to put the focus on content. iOS 19 could lean heavily into that translucency, with Apple also opting for a floating look for navigation bars, windows, and other parts of the UI.
  • A glassier look - Remember the Aqua Mac interface? iOS 19 has been described as having glass effects or as being glossy, with menu elements that can "reflect" light based on ‌iPhone‌ tilt.
  • Subtle lighting effects - The "glassy" look involves subtle lighting changes, such as a slight glint for some UI elements when you move the ‌iPhone‌. The Flashlight and Camera controls on the Lock Screen reportedly have a glass-like sheen that shimmers with movement, for example.
  • More rounded, expanding buttons - Along with a soft, floating look, navigation bars and buttons could have more rounded edges that blend better with the content behind them. In the Photos app, for example, photos could be full screen with controls in a slimmed down menu bar at the bottom rather than a full navigation strip. Haptic Touch menus, Control Center options, and permission prompts apparently have more rounded corners, too.
  • Pill-shaped tab bars - Many apps like the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV, ‌Photos‌, Phone, and more have been described as having pill-shaped tab bars at the bottom for accessing controls. There's also less transitioning. Search, for example, doesn't have its own dedicated interface, and instead expands out from the tab bar.
  • Round app icons, maybe - Leaker Jon Prosser says that Apple is going to make the ‌iPhone‌'s icons rounder, though he is unclear if they will be entirely circular or some kind of cross between a circle and the current squircle.
  • Simplified navigation and controls - Apple wants to make it easier to navigate through apps, System settings, and more, so expect a more streamlined experience.
  • Cross-platform cohesiveness - These design changes aren't just coming to iOS - iPadOS and macOS will also get the same overhauled look, so it will be less jarring going from a Mac to an ‌iPhone‌ and vice versa.

Read More

We're keeping track of the iOS 19 rumors in our dedicated iOS 19 roundup, which also has details on Apple Intelligence features, new app capabilities, compatibility, and more.

Popular Stories

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
Liquid Glass General Feature

Apple Shares Liquid Glass Design Gallery

Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences. The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
airtag purple

Apple's Website Lists AirTag 4-Pack at Shockingly Low Price [Updated]

Friday November 7, 2025 6:40 am PST by
Apple's online store in the U.S. is suddenly offering a pack of four AirTags for just $29, which is the same price as a single AirTag. This is likely a pricing error, and it is unclear if orders will be fulfilled. Apple has not discounted the AirTag four-pack in any other countries that we checked. Delivery estimates are already pushing into late November to early December, suggesting...
ikea smart home devices

IKEA Debuts 21 HomeKit-Compatible Smart Bulbs, Sensors, and Controls

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:08 pm PST by
IKEA today announced the upcoming launch of 21 new Matter-compatible smart home products that will be able to interface with HomeKit and the Apple Home app. There are sensors, lights, and control options, all of which will be reasonably priced. Some of the products are new, while some are updates to existing lines that IKEA previously offered. There are a series of new smart bulbs that are...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on MacBook, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
Apple fitness plus feature

Future of Apple Fitness+ 'Under Review'

Sunday November 9, 2025 5:30 am PST by
The future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review" amid a reorganization of the service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ remains one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue. Nevertheless, Fitness+ has a small, loyal fanbase that...
maxresdefault

In-Depth iPhone Battery Experiment Pits Slow Charging Against Fast Charging

Friday November 7, 2025 1:19 pm PST by
HTX Studio this week shared the results from a six-month battery test that compared how fast charging and slow charging can affect battery life over time. Using six iPhone 12 models, the channel set up a system to drain the batteries from five percent and charge them to 100 percent over and over again. Three were fast charged, and three were slow charged. Another set of iPhones underwent...
apple watch se 3 always on

Apple to Remove iPhone-Apple Watch Wi-Fi Sync in EU With iOS 26.2

Thursday November 6, 2025 4:37 am PST by
Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report. Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...

Top Rated Comments

Reason077 Avatar
8 months ago
visionOS has good reasons for it’s translucent UI elements and glass pane effects.

But in a phone UI, elegant simplicity really is better than flashy effects. Shiny glass UI elements may be pretty, but they distract from content. Go too far and they become garish.

Let’s hope Apple keeps things simple and subtle!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
8 months ago
what about actual new features. and this is just a paint job, where as mark said its more than just a paint job
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0049190 Avatar
8 months ago
From what I’ve read so far I don’t see any signs of a major design overhaul. I hope the keynote in June will reveal a lot more interesting changes.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
StellarVixen Avatar
8 months ago
IMHO, a welcome departure from the boring, flat and unintuitive design that has overstayed its welcome (if it was ever welcome, I’ve been waiting almost 15 years for it to go away).
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arthurgd3 Avatar
8 months ago

visionOS has good reasons for it’s translucent UI elements and glass pane effects, but iOS can’t say the same.

Elegant simplicity really is better than flashy effects when it comes to UI elements. Let’s hope Apple keeps things simple and subtle!
The line between form and function is always a fine one and a lot can be subjective as to what is the better route to take but I'm also someone that gets tired of the same design for too long regardless of how much I may have liked it or have found value in it when it was introduced so I'm all for this revised look until this too gets to the point of stagnant.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
niseilat Avatar
8 months ago
The Home Screen is going to be paginated vertically instead of horizontally
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)