While the iWork suite still hasn't seen an update for iOS 26, Apple has issued a minor update to GarageBand for iPhone and iPad for the first time in a year.
Apple doesn't make many updates to GarageBand in general, with relatively few changes over the years. However, the November 3 update is a tiny bit more significant than usual.
The update in the App Store brings GarageBand on iOS to version 2.3.18. The notes that accompany the update simply state that it "includes stability improvements and bug fixes," just as it has done for the four previous updates.
However, while the notes don't state the change, users of the app will quickly spot that the icon has been updated too.
The previous icon of a white guitar silhouette on an orange starburst-style backdrop is out. What's replaced it is an image of a guitar with starburst orange colorings on a black background.
The guitar is also no longer a block of white with colored details. Instead, the Gibson ES-style body looks more like the real thing, complete with a dark fret board, light pick-ups, and visible strings.
It is a dramatic change for the music app's icon, and could be a sign of things to come. Apple generally left the icon styles of its apps alone, aside from shifting to the Liquid Glass style, so GarageBand's change may signal updates to other Apple apps in the near future.
