Apple’s OS Updates for 2025 Bring Sleek, Translucent New Designs

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, many of Apple’s operating systems are set to undergo significant design updates this year. Gurman has also reported in the past that iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 will come with new designs that are more translucent to create a glassy, polished look. This week, in his Power On newsletter, he said that while these visual changes would carry over to tvOS 19 for Apple TV and watchOS 12 for Apple Watch, he didn’t have any further details on what those changes would be.

Apple’s 2025 OS Updates, Including iOS 19 and macOS 16, Get Translucent Design Inspired by visionOS

The broad design revamp beyond just iOS appears to take cues from visionOS, the software used by Apple’s Vision Pro headset, which is set to see some design changes itself with the upcoming visionOS 3 release. Gurman added that Apple is working to implement a more unified and consistent aesthetic throughout all of its operating systems, with a special focus on its Mac and iPad platforms.

Consistent with that, Gurman previously reported that iPadOS 19 is all about closing the gap between iPads and Macs, with bolstered multitasking support, productivity features, and app window management. Consistently, leaker Majin Bu indicated that iPadOS 19 could include a macOS-like menu bar when you have the iPad attached to a Magic Keyboard, taking the divergence of the two devices to even blurrier territory.

Additionally, Gurman revealed that the codename for iOS 19’s new design is “Solarium,” referring to a glass-walled room that lets in sunlight. This name likely hints at the expected translucent menus and buttons across iOS 19 and other updated Apple operating systems, which Apple plans to announce at WWDC 2025. The developer conference will begin soon, with the keynote scheduled for June 9. Despite the current excitement around AI, Gurman believes these software redesigns will be the main attraction of WWDC this year.

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