Rumor: Apple working on iOS 18 redesign, but it won't look like visionOS

Apple is continuing to work on refreshing the interface of iOS 18, with macOS to come, but they won't look like the new visionOS interface.

Apple's annual operating system updates usually incorporate some tweaks to the interfaces, but bigger changes are on the way. For iOS 18 and a future macOS release, there will be quite a few design alterations.

Writing in Bloomberg's "Power On" newsletter on Sunday, Mark Gurman says Apple is working to bring an updated design to iOS, most likely before the end of the year as part of iOS 18.

At the same time, Apple is also overhauling the interfaces of macOS. However, since work has only really started fairly recently, the changes won't be released until 2025 or 2026.

As for what kind of design changes to expect, Gurman warns that it probably won't involve any of the UI elements incorporated into Apple's newest operating system, visionOS. Using glass textures and 3D buttons, the aesthetic is said to be specifically meant for visionOS alone, since it is meant to work with passthrough video.

Users have to be able to "see" real-world elements through the glass panes, which does apply to the Apple Vision Pro, but not to iOS on an iPhone.

The changes in iOS 18 have been previously described as "ambitious and compelling," with numerous new features on the way. Development of the operating system has already faced a one-week pause, triggered by a need to squash bugs.