iPadOS 26 is an Absolute Mess

[Silly John Fatty]

You really have no choice. Except to sell your stuff and get iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. Send feedback to Apple.

Of course I have a choice. Typical American fatalism. I can protest and I can enact a change. And sometimes, when people are smart, many of them do that, and that's how the world runs. Of course I have already sent feedback to Apple!

It actually made the rest of the settings app better.

You may not like the changes but irrational they are not.

You need 1-2 more steps for many things that already existed before. That's not better, that's worse. It's not "form follows function" but "function follows form", and yes, that's irrational. It's not about liking it or not. It's less functional and its utility has decreased.

“We” like our devices. “We” like iOS and iPadOS 26. To out all of this negative stuff into a MR is too much negative emotional energy. It’s easier to love forward. People complain Apple has stagnated. Well here’s a real positive change and people are now complaining. Apple can’t please 100% of the users 100% of the time.

There's no real positive change here. It's a design update. A room filler because they had no other ideas. You know what's innovative? The way we'll use computers in the future. Which will be talking into the computer and saying "Do this" and it'll be done. No adjusting of windows. No clicking or fiddling with little stuff. No learning of thousands of useless features that change all the time and just waste your time. This will be the future of personal computers and you can't do anything about it. Apple's not doing it.

Well yeah. That’s the way I feel about my Apple devices. I use them to make things better easier faster for me.

That's why you like iOS 26 where many things take more steps. 😂

One doesn’t have to engage more to get utility from them.

Exactly. Sadly, I have to, because they incorporated more steps for the same things now. I wish I wouldn't have to use computers at all. But I do, because they simplify things. And I hate when they don't.

These theories are confused with social media.

These theories I mentioned are standard textbook Marketing theories from Philips Kotler, the #1 Marketing expert in the world who pretty much put in place modern Marketing, and obviously every large corporation follows these theories. Do you think Apple is a church or something? It's a big company, they want to make profit. And yes, they follow standard business theories. They want you to spend time with their devices, invest yourself in them, and engage with them. Nothing surprising here.

Then don’t. Spend as little or as much time as you want. Are you spending excessive time because you have an extra tap on the screen the now gives more options.

I'd love to spend as little time as I could, but it's difficult when you make people click 3 things that were previously 1 click. Do you know how quickly this accumulates over a day, a week, a year? Who is going to pay for this? Apple?

I dont know how people want to spend their time, that’s above my pay grade. But I am happy that Apple lets people move around virtual little icons and make them different colors and customize them to their hearts content. People should their time doing what they want.

Because you use these devices superficially, for looks. They're your home, not a tool for work.

And since you want to enjoy life more - how much time did you spend on this post?

Roughly 1 minute so far I'd say.

Well that's an absurd statement. I really liked how that got changed. It means my Settings app looks significantly more clean. I never got why this wasn't done intially. Android has been doing this for years and nobody complained.

You said it yourself: For you, it's about looks. Not about what it does. It needs to "look clean" for you. So basically you're trading utility for looks. That's fine. Apple should allow it, but not force it. Form follows function is my philosophy. Since iOS 26 doesn't do that, it's irrational by category.

Agreed. I'd even say that getting to app settings is actually easier in iPadOS 26. When in the app, just pull down the menu bar > [App Name] > [App Name] Settings. Or if you're using a keyboard, then use the "Command ," shortcut. Both of these will work with any app. No longer am I having to leave the app and hunt for it through Settings.

View attachment 2597642

Knowing your math is a clear advantage! Let's assume we're on the Home Screen and we want to go to Safari settings.

Pre iOS 26:

Step 1: Tap "Settings"
Step 2: Scroll down to "Safari"

iOS 26:

Step 1: Tap "Settings"
Step 2: Scroll down to "Apps" and click it
Step 3: Open it and scroll down to "Safari"

You see? One more step. Now let's try your in-app method.

Step 1: Open Safari
Step 2: Pull down menu bar
Step 3: Open Safari settings.

Do you understand? 3 > 2. It's very simple. Two is smaller than three. No big math here.

This applies to so many things in iOS 26. Just found another such case:

Previously, when I had a single tab open in Safari, I could still close it with a single click. Because the tab bar would appear even if only one tab was open. It was a setting that existed. Always show tab bar, or something like that. So you could press the little X on that tab and close it and return to your Safari home screen with all your book marks, etc.

So now this isn't possible anymore. You now have to press the two squares in the top right corner and then close the tab. Which means: 2 steps instead of 1 now.

Same with managing windows. Previously, you had three dots at the top of a window and you could decide to close it there. Now you have to tab for the three dots, which are now red, yellow, green (as on the Mac) to appear. So once more step. On top of that, these three buttons aren't in the center anymore, which means that for example in ChatGPT they cover the menu symbol on the left. Yup, can't access the menu symbol to see the list with my chats because the three colored buttons are in front of it. IT'S A MESS!

I've now delivered 5-6 examples in this thread and another for cases where you need more steps than you previously needed in iOS and iPadOS 26. I'm not sure why people are going wild. We're talking about simple maths and empirical facts here. People react with some weird kind of emotional protector role. Are these people married to Apple? Is Apple their child? It's a very strange, impulsive behaviour. There's no reason to protect Apple for adding steps to exisiting features. None. At all. Like, ever.

 

[I7guy]

Of course I have a choice. Typical American fatalism. I can protest and I can enact a change. And sometimes, when people are smart, many of them do that, and that's how the world runs. Of course I have already sent feedback to Apple!

Perfect Apple in my opinion sees all feedback and makes some adjustments as needed. Don’t know how they balance out “this sucks” vs “this is great.”

You need 1-2 more steps for many things that already existed before.

At the joy of making the overall workflow much more efficient. Does your overall workflow consist of tapping through settings menus testing every path? Because the extra 3 milliseconds to get to the apps whereby the settings app is overall better, seems like a good trade off.

That's not better, that's worse. It's not "form follows function" but "function follows form", and yes, that's irrational. It's not about liking it or not. It's less functional and its utility has decreased.

It’s better.

There's no real positive change here. It's a design update. A room filler because they had no other ideas. You know what's innovative? The way we'll use computers in the future. Which will be talking into the computer and saying "Do this" and it'll be done. No adjusting of windows. No clicking or fiddling with little stuff. No learning of thousands of useless features that change all the time and just waste your time. This will be the future of personal computers and you can't do anything about it. Apple's not doing it.



That's why you like iOS 26 where many things take more steps. 😂

Yes, because overall things flow better.

Exactly. Sadly, I have to, because they incorporated more steps for the same things now. I wish I wouldn't have to use computers at all. But I do, because they simplify things. And I hate when they don't.

You’ve only been documenting one step 🤣 whereby the entirety of the workflow is better.

These theories I mentioned are standard textbook Marketing theories from Philips Kotler, the #1 Marketing expert in the world who pretty much put in place modern Marketing, and obviously every large corporation follows these theories. Do you think Apple is a church or something? It's a big company, they want to make profit. And yes, they follow standard business theories. They want you to spend time with their devices, invest yourself in them, and engage with them. Nothing surprising

As I said these theories are confused with social media.

I'd love to spend as little time as I could, but it's difficult when you make people click 3 things that were previously 1 click. Do you know how quickly this accumulates over a day, a week, a year? Who is going to pay for this? Apple?

Sorry I’m having a hard time being in your ball court when your major use case is testing out settings clicks.

Because you use these devices superficially, for looks. They're your home, not a tool for work.

You’re in the valley of wrong here.

Roughly 1 minute so far I'd say.



You said it yourself: For you, it's about looks. Not about what it does. It needs to "look clean" for you. So basically you're trading utility for looks. That's fine. Apple should allow it, but not force it. Form follows function is my philosophy. Since iOS 26 doesn't do that, it's irrational by category.

Sure it needs to look good and function good. Form and function. iOS 26 does do that.

Knowing your math is a clear advantage! Let's assume we're on the Home Screen and we want to go to Safari settings.

Pre iOS 26:

Step 1: Tap "Settings"
Step 2: Scroll down to "Safari"

iOS 26:

Step 1: Tap "Settings"
Step 2: Scroll down to "Apps" and click it
Step 3: Open it and scroll down to "Safari"

You see? One more step. Now let's try your in-app method.

Step 1: Open Safari
Step 2: Pull down menu bar
Step 3: Open Safari settings.

Do you understand? 3 > 2. It's very simple. Two is smaller than three. No big math here.

The settings app is far better with this change. Efficiency overall is traded for a click.

This applies to so many things in iOS 26. Just found another such case:

Previously, when I had a single tab open in Safari, I could still close it with a single click. Because the tab bar would appear even if only one tab was open. It was a setting that existed. Always show tab bar, or something like that. So you could press the little X on that tab and close it and return to your Safari home screen with all your book marks, etc.

So now this isn't possible anymore. You now have to press the two squares in the top right corner and then close the tab. Which means: 2 steps instead of 1 now.

Same with managing windows. Previously, you had three dots at the top of a window and you could decide to close it there. Now you have to tab for the three dots, which are now red, yellow, green (as on the Mac) to appear. So once more step. On top of that, these three buttons aren't in the center anymore, which means that for example in ChatGPT they cover the menu symbol on the left. Yup, can't access the menu symbol to see the list with my chats because the three colored buttons are in front of it. IT'S A MESS!

I've now delivered 5-6 examples in this thread and another for cases where you need more steps than you previously needed in iOS and iPadOS 26. I'm not sure why people are going wild. We're talking about simple maths and empirical facts here. People react with some weird kind of emotional protector role. Are these people married to Apple? Is Apple their child? It's a very strange, impulsive behaviour. There's no reason to protect Apple for adding steps to exisiting features. None. At all. Like, ever.

The amount of time spent criticizing minor things in iOS 26, (and to be clear I think these are fine because overall to me it’s a net positive) will never be regained by your claimed work efficiency. That’s what I don’t understand. Anyway I thing sometimes criticism happen for criticism sake.

 

[BigBlur]

Knowing your math is a clear advantage! Let's assume we're on the Home Screen and we want to go to Safari settings.

Pre iOS 26:

Step 1: Tap "Settings"
Step 2: Scroll down to "Safari"

iOS 26:

Step 1: Tap "Settings"
Step 2: Scroll down to "Apps" and click it
Step 3: Open it and scroll down to "Safari"

You see? One more step. Now let's try your in-app method.

Step 1: Open Safari
Step 2: Pull down menu bar
Step 3: Open Safari settings.

Do you understand? 3 > 2. It's very simple. Two is smaller than three. No big math here.

I don't think many people are going to be staring at their Home Screen and think "I need to go make some changes in Safari" and that's it. They're likely already in Safari, encountered something that they want to change, and go back to the app. Let's assume we're already in Safari and want to access its settings.

(BTW, this "Apps" thing in Settings was actually introduced in iPadOS 18. You're just noticing it now?)

Pre iOS 18:
Step 1: Close Safari app
Step 2a: Swipe to the home screen containing Settings
Step 2b: Open Settings
Step 3a: Scroll down to Safari
Step 3b: Oh wait...scrolled too far...Safari isn't listed with the other apps at the bottom...need to scroll back up.
Step 3c: Tap Safari
Step 4: Make changes
Step 5: Swipe back to Safari app

iOS 18:
Step 1: Close Safari app
Step 2a: Swipe to the home screen containing Settings
Step 2b: Open Settings
Step 3: Scroll down to "Apps" and open
Step 4: Scroll down to Safari and open
Step 5: Make changes
Step 6: Swipe back to Safari app

iOS 26:
Step 1: Pull down menu bar
Step 2: Open Safari Settings
Step 3: Make changes
Step 4: Swipe back to Safari app, or tap Safari on the left side of the status bar

 

[notabitail]

I'd love to spend as little time as I could, but it's difficult when you make people click 3 things that were previously 1 click. Do you know how quickly this accumulates over a day, a week, a year? Who is going to pay for this? Apple?

Nobody is. It's not making a massive difference on the actual usability of the Settings app. If you think iOS is bad, Windows 10 is awful.

Because you use these devices superficially, for looks. They're your home, not a tool for work.







You said it yourself: For you, it's about looks. Not about what it does. It needs to "look clean" for you. So basically you're trading utility for looks. That's fine. Apple should allow it, but not force it. Form follows function is my philosophy. Since iOS 26 doesn't do that, it's irrational by category.

You're actually pretty wrong about that. Yes, I like my device to look nice. At the same time, I want it to work well and be able to utilize the functionality easily. My iPad does, despite that change. I practically never go into Settings to change the settings for an app. I do that more on Android than I ever did on iOS.

It also makes Settings significantly easier to see the options in the sidebar without scrolling through the half-a-bazillion apps I have installed. It's a change for the better. I bet iOS 18 die-hards will agree that it's a good change.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

At the joy of making the overall workflow much more efficient. Does your overall workflow consist of tapping through settings menus testing every path? Because the extra 3 milliseconds to get to the apps whereby the settings app is overall better, seems like a good trade off.

Again, you're coming back with this idea that visuals that are more appealing to your very personal, individual mind are "more efficient". Efficiency isn't about easing your mind in visual terms, it's something very concrete, specifically using the minimum resources to achieve the maximum output. It's not "the app looks visually appealing now, so it's efficient". Efficiency means achieving a desired result with minimal waste of time, effort or any other resources.

It’s better.

Neither empirically, nor theoretically.

Yes, because overall things flow better.

They flow better but you need more steps, more time, more effort and more energy to do them. 😂 Buddy I don't know what you're using your devices for, but it seems like it's more hobbies than work. If you came with this philosophy in a company here in Austria, you'd be straight up fired. Because that just sounds like massive underperformance. "No I didn't finish my task, but everything is visually accomodating now and I feel in the flow" Yeah, that sounds like the exit door is calling 🤪

As I said these theories are confused with social media.

These theories having nothing to do with social media. In the slightest. They have to do with customer product engagement. I don't know what it has to do with social media. It has nothing to do with it. It has to do with customers using a product physically and engaging with it and being invested in it as much as possible. It's a standard textbook theory that any big company that has products for end-users uses when the competitive advantage of said company lies in the marketing (like is the case with Apple). That's a very basic theory, because they want to tie the users. So they make users invest time in their products, for example re-learning muscle memory because they swapped buttons without it having functional reasons. It has customer investment and customer engagement reasons only.

More specifically, if you want to keep it textbook-clean, it's called behavioural switching costs. They create sunk cost in the form of your time and effort. This kind of friction is empirically proved to increase long-term commitment because you're now invested. It's a strategy of user lock-in to increase brand loyalty. And it has nothing to do "with social media" 😂

The settings app is far better with this change. Efficiency overall is traded for a click.

The aesthetic efficiency 😂 My car has the worst mileage ever, but it trades this for its good looks, that's why overall it is more efficient! You really must work at Apple or something. 😂 You're completely brainwashed… I HOPE you work at Apple, if not, I'd feel very, very sorry for you.

The amount of time spent criticizing minor things in iOS 26, (and to be clear I think these are fine because overall to me it’s a net positive) will never be regained by your claimed work efficiency. That’s what I don’t understand. Anyway I thing sometimes criticism happen for criticism sake.

Sometimes you have to be loud so that the giant hears you. You have to rant. It's the cost you pay. And you hope it pays off. Most of the times, it does. Look how many people complain about iOS/iPadOS 26. The rant online is massive. Apple even disabled comments on Youtube.

You must be American so you probably never learned this. We Europeans know this, that's why we have it good. It's normal for us and part of our culture. We complain, and we improve. Americans just accept it all. Someone with more money or authority will come and point at a blue car and say it's yellow and people will follow them and say "Yes, true, it's yellow". It's a nightmare.

I don't think many people are going to be staring at their Home Screen and think "I need to go make some changes in Safari" and that's it. They're likely already in Safari, encountered something that they want to change, and go back to the app. Let's assume we're already in Safari and want to access its settings.

(BTW, this "Apps" thing in Settings was actually introduced in iPadOS 18. You're just noticing it now?)

Pre iOS 18:
Step 1: Close Safari app
Step 2a: Swipe to the home screen containing Settings
Step 2b: Open Settings
Step 3a: Scroll down to Safari
Step 3b: Oh wait...scrolled too far...Safari isn't listed with the other apps at the bottom...need to scroll back up.
Step 3c: Tap Safari
Step 4: Make changes
Step 5: Swipe back to Safari app

iOS 18:
Step 1: Close Safari app
Step 2a: Swipe to the home screen containing Settings
Step 2b: Open Settings
Step 3: Scroll down to "Apps" and open
Step 4: Scroll down to Safari and open
Step 5: Make changes
Step 6: Swipe back to Safari app

iOS 26:
Step 1: Pull down menu bar
Step 2: Open Safari Settings
Step 3: Make changes
Step 4: Swipe back to Safari app, or tap Safari on the left side of the status bar

For me the shortest was:

> Settings
> Safari

And that's it. I don't mind the menu bar, it's actually good to have it. But they could have left the old Settings app. I know it's new in iOS 18 but there was no reason to change it except superficial visuals for people who like trading superficiality for functionality.

Nobody is. It's not making a massive difference on the actual usability of the Settings app. If you think iOS is bad, Windows 10 is awful.

You're actually pretty wrong about that. Yes, I like my device to look nice. At the same time, I want it to work well and be able to utilize the functionality easily. My iPad does, despite that change. I practically never go into Settings to change the settings for an app. I do that more on Android than I ever did on iOS.

It also makes Settings significantly easier to see the options in the sidebar without scrolling through the half-a-bazillion apps I have installed. It's a change for the better. I bet iOS 18 die-hards will agree that it's a good change.

It's not just the settings app, it's all the other things I mentioned too. Why invert the left and right buttons for screenshots, to cancel or save and delete? Does it have a function, apart from ruining your muscle memory and make you learn it again so you stay invested in the company and their products? No…

The cumulated cost is huge when you're a power user.

 

[I7guy]

Again, you're coming back with this idea that visuals that are more appealing to your very personal, individual mind are "more efficient". Efficiency isn't about easing your mind in visual terms, it's something very concrete, specifically using the minimum resources to achieve the maximum output. It's not "the app looks visually appealing now, so it's efficient". Efficiency means achieving a desired result with minimal waste of time, effort or any other resources.



Neither empirically, nor theoretically.



They flow better but you need more steps, more time, more effort and more energy to do them. 😂 Buddy I don't know what you're using your devices for, but it seems like it's more hobbies than work. If you came with this philosophy in a company here in Austria, you'd be straight up fired. Because that just sounds like massive underperformance. "No I didn't finish my task, but everything is visually accomodating now and I feel in the flow" Yeah, that sounds like the exit door is calling 🤪



These theories having nothing to do with social media. In the slightest. They have to do with customer product engagement. I don't know what it has to do with social media. It has nothing to do with it. It has to do with customers using a product physically and engaging with it and being invested in it as much as possible. It's a standard textbook theory that any big company that has products for end-users uses when the competitive advantage of said company lies in the marketing (like is the case with Apple). That's a very basic theory, because they want to tie the users. So they make users invest time in their products, for example re-learning muscle memory because they swapped buttons without it having functional reasons. It has customer investment and customer engagement reasons only.

More specifically, if you want to keep it textbook-clean, it's called behavioural switching costs. They create sunk cost in the form of your time and effort. This kind of friction is empirically proved to increase long-term commitment because you're now invested. It's a strategy of user lock-in to increase brand loyalty. And it has nothing to do "with social media" 😂



The aesthetic efficiency 😂 My car has the worst mileage ever, but it trades this for its good looks, that's why overall it is more efficient! You really must work at Apple or something. 😂 You're completely brainwashed… I HOPE you work at Apple, if not, I'd feel very, very sorry for you.



Sometimes you have to be loud so that the giant hears you. You have to rant. It's the cost you pay. And you hope it pays off. Most of the times, it does. Look how many people complain about iOS/iPadOS 26. The rant online is massive. Apple even disabled comments on Youtube.

You must be American so you probably never learned this. We Europeans know this, that's why we have it good. It's normal for us and part of our culture. We complain, and we improve. Americans just accept it all. Someone with more money or authority will come and point at a blue car and say it's yellow and people will follow them and say "Yes, true, it's yellow". It's a nightmare.



For me the shortest was:

> Settings
> Safari

And that's it. I don't mind the menu bar, it's actually good to have it. But they could have left the old Settings app. I know it's new in iOS 18 but there was no reason to change it except superficial visuals for people who like trading superficiality for functionality.

If you don’t like iOS 26 or acknowledge your “analysis” was incorrect, that’s your prerogative. iOS 26 and iPad os is a step up from iOS 18. You’re more than welcome to sell your current setup and return to iOS 17. There may be a market in iOS 17 devices.

You have enough free time to write up (incorrect) analysis of click throughs on iOS 26, but not enough time to retrain your muscles? For me it took a day or two. None of this tracks.

Trying not to get Apple confused here. One poster likes it the other does not. What is Apple to do?

 

[Silly John Fatty]

If you don’t like iOS 26 or acknowledge your “analysis” was incorrect, that’s your prerogative. iOS 26 and iPad os is a step up from iOS 18. You’re more than welcome to sell your current setup and return to iOS 17. There may be a market in iOS 17 devices.

You have enough free time to write up (incorrect) analysis of click throughs on iOS 26, but not enough time to retrain your muscles? For me it took a day or two. None of this tracks.

Trying not to get Apple confused here. One poster likes it the other does not. What is Apple to do?

Nothing of what I said was incorrect. Many others have stated it. This thread has almost 50 pages. And the title is "iPadOS26 is an absolute mess". Have you seen this for iOS 18? I just looked it up, I haven't.

I don't have enough free time, but I post here to increase the number of posts in this thread and make it stand out. Not everyone wants to accept to take "a day or two" to relearn things that are useless whenever Apples metrics tell them they need to increase user loyalty and increase behavioural switching costs. You're very naive thinking this is about technology, this is solely business matter.

 

[I7guy]

Nothing of what I said was incorrect. Many others have stated it. This thread has almost 50 pages.

50 pages of you’re right no you are wrong doesn’t count for analysis if the masses.

And the title is "iPadOS26 is an absolute mess". Have you seen this for iOS 18? I just looked it up, I haven't.

Hyperbole reigns supreme. It’s strictly anecdotal.

I don't have enough free time, but I post here to increase the number of posts in this thread and make it stand out. Not everyone wants to accept to take "a day or two" to relearn things that are useless whenever Apples metrics tell them they need to increase user loyalty and increase behavioural switching costs. You're very naive thinking this is about technology, this is solely business matter.

I can appreciate iOS 26 and the enhancements it brings over its predecessors. Whether one accepts some changes in menu items or not is irrelevant. They need to get over it. Apple is not going to change it. Again more ad-hominem attacks over a disagreement of an opinion.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

50 pages of you’re right no you are wrong doesn’t count for analysis if the masses.

Hyperbole reigns supreme. It’s strictly anecdotal.

I can appreciate iOS 26 and the enhancements it brings over its predecessors. Whether one accepts some changes in menu items or not is irrelevant. They need to get over it. Apple is not going to change it. Again more ad-hominem attacks over a disagreement of an opinion.

If I claim your opinion "Apple is not going to change it" is a fatalist American stance, then that’s not an ad-hominem attack, but just my personal observation and it’s my right to have this opinion.

Furthermore, saying such a thing is quite absurd, seen that Apple changes its software all the time. So this topic it’s not about whether Apple will change it, but how it will change it. That it WILL be changed, is definitive. That’s what they do for a living.

No one "needs to get over it", that’s just your personal opinion. Many people don’t get over it and shape the world. Others like you accept and follow. That’s fine, but you won’t stop people shaping the world. That’s absolutely impossible, even theoretically… the world is in constant change and people fight for changes at all corners. Of course people also fight about how computers are shaped. Every day. Every hour. Your whole "accept it you can’t do anything about it” stance is very amusing to me very and very far away from my day-to-day real life. I can’t even closely relate to it.

 

[I7guy]

If I claim your opinion "Apple is not going to change it" is a fatalist American stance, then that’s not an ad-hominem attack, but just my personal observation and it’s my right to have this opinion.

I don't think it's a fatalist American stance, the apple is doomed rhetoric is way past it's prime. IOS 26 is moving forward.

Furthermore, saying such a thing is quite absurd, seen that Apple changes its software all the time. So this topic it’s not about whether Apple will change it, but how it will change it. That it WILL be changed, is definitive. That’s what they do for a living.

IOS 26 is moving forward and of course apple tweaks things, but your biggest complaint, as if it's your #1 use case, is accessing the safari menu. That will not change.

No one "needs to get over it", that’s just your personal opinion.

As you have your personal opinion. People need to move on or not. Sell the device, go ios 18, go android.

Many people don’t get over it and shape the world.

But typically those people stand on a mountain of right.

Others like you accept and follow. That’s fine, but you won’t stop people shaping the world.

Ok. There is some difference between hyperbole and what we see here.

That’s absolutely impossible, even theoretically… the world is in constant change and people fight for changes at all corners. Of course people also fight about how computers are shaped. Every day. Every hour. Your whole "accept it you can’t do anything about it” stance is very amusing to me very and very far away from my day-to-day real life. I can’t even closely relate to it.

Ok. Apple is not rolling back ios 26 interface changes to ios 18. If you believe by posting critical assessments of ios 26, apple will fold, they won't.

 

[TigerMSTR]

It's been four months now, and people are still complaining about the OS release on social media. It's hard to say for certain, but I can't recall an Apple OS release getting such a negative public reception in at least 20 years.

 

[says_stuff]

I’ve also been reading how Apple is adding even more ads to the App Store, which honestly makes me wonder where this whole thing could lead. Like who knows, could OS level ads be next? And what does this all mean for us. I really hope this period isn’t indicative of a sharp turn toward lower quality .. choices purely for profit.

It’s kinda annoying that all of this seems to be happening right at the moment software and hardware are top of the market and people commit in droves to the ecosystem then that moment is precisely when the Apple becomes… ripe for picking (ads, etc).

I don't have enough free time, but I post here to increase the number of posts in this thread and make it stand out. Not everyone wants to accept to take "a day or two" to relearn things that are useless whenever Apples metrics tell them they need to increase user loyalty and increase behavioural switching costs.

You are absolutely correct for this friend + you are in the appropriate thread, so yeah i get what you are saying and i’m with you on this

 

[I7guy]

It's been four months now, and people are still complaining about the OS release on social media. It's hard to say for certain, but I can't recall an Apple OS release getting such a negative public reception in at least 20 years.

To me, Apple criticism never dies, it just gets recycled on the internet. It’s true apple in the past, at times, has done things that could have been handled better and those things persisted for a long time; eg battery throttling.

However I discount a lot of the iOS 26 criticism and that is just my opinion. I think it’s pretty solid.

 

[Luftkopf]

To me, Apple criticism never dies, it just gets recycled on the internet. It’s true apple in the past, at times, has done things that could have been handled better and those things persisted for a long time; eg battery throttling.

However I discount a lot of the iOS 26 criticism and that is just my opinion. I think it’s pretty solid.

It’s cool to not like Liquid Glass, but the criticisms are all so familiar, they get recycled every time Apple redesigns something. Despite the reverence Aqua’s skeuomorphism is held in now, it got all the same arguments. Fisher Price even got mentioned in complaints about OS X 10.0!

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

[says_stuff]

Because only shills like things, right? 😉

From my perspective, people that dislike these changes click on this thread and spend some time to type out their bad impressions on it, motivated by their need to either be heard or maybe even help sway some public pressure

in an effort to maybe not have their time and money investment wasted in a product that won’t suit them after updating.

So my only question is what motivates people that, in contrast, like these changes and are certain that they will inevitably happen, to come here and actually spend their time in this thread? Like if you won’t empathize with the people you respond to, why bother? I am genuinely asking because i do want to understand and empathize.

 

[Luftkopf]

From my perspective, people that dislike these changes click on this thread and spend some time to type out their bad impressions on it, motivated by their need to either be heard or maybe even help sway some public pressure.

So my only question is motivates people that, in contrast, like these changes and are certain that they will inevitably happen, to come here and actually spend their time in this thread? Like if you won’t empathize with the people you respond to, why bother? I am genuinely asking because i do want to understand and empathize.

For me, I see the narrative forming that the new OSs are the worst ever, with as hominem attacks on whoever was perceived to have been responsible, and I like to be the counter voice pointing out that these feelings are not universal. Some of us genuinely like it.

I get that the first implementation of Liquid Glass hasn’t been perfect, and the multitasking changes are surprisingly contentious, but it’s a great start! I don’t think it goes far enough! It needs more colour, I reckon.

There are some legitimate complaints to be levied against elements of xOS 26, but I don’t understand the visceral hatred and venom that you see.

 

[says_stuff]

I like to be the counter voice pointing out that these feelings are not universal.

Yes, that’s my question, though, why. For you the job is done, apple moves forward and in the right direction and they will no matter what, so why bother?

I don’t understand the visceral hatred and venom that you see.

Is this the answer to my question?

 

[Luftkopf]

Yes, that’s my question, though, why. For you the job is done, apple moves forward and in the right direction and they will no matter what, so why bother?


Is this the answer to my question?

I guess so? I can’t say I’ve done any thorough introspective analysis on why I post here. I don’t think xOS 26 deserves the pure venom it’s getting, so I guess I want to break up the whirlpool of hate, even if just a little.

 

[I7guy]

For me, I see the narrative forming that the new OSs are the worst ever, with as hominem attacks on whoever was perceived to have been responsible, and I like to be the counter voice pointing out that these feelings are not universal. Some of us genuinely like it.

I get that the first implementation of Liquid Glass hasn’t been perfect, and the multitasking changes are surprisingly contentious, but it’s a great start! I don’t think it goes far enough! It needs more colour, I reckon.

There are some legitimate complaints to be levied against elements of xOS 26, but I don’t understand the visceral hatred and venom that you see.

100% agree. iOS 26 isnt perfect, but imo it’s not as bad as made out to be here. And why the ad hominem attacks when one disagrees with an opinion.

This is a discussion forum and we are all here to discuss.

 

[says_stuff]

I guess so? I can’t say I’ve done any thorough introspective analysis on why I post here. I don’t think xOS 26 deserves the pure venom it’s getting, so I guess I want to break up the whirlpool of hate, even if just a little.

I do get your reason. Thank you for answering.

I hastily skipped in my post (and then edited too late for your answer) that these people are posting here probably

in an effort to maybe not have their time and money investment wasted in a product that won’t suit them after updating.

I’m pointing out adding this, related to how you said you don’t understand the hate, maybe this helps clear things up.

 

[thadoggfather]

100% agree. iOS 26 isnt perfect, but imo it’s not as bad as made out to be here. And why the ad hominem attacks when one disagrees with an opinion.

This is a discussion forum and we are all here to discuss.

iPadOS 26 feels much messier to me than iOS 26 ymmv

 

[BigBlur]

It's hard to say for certain, but I can't recall an Apple OS release getting such a negative public reception in at least 20 years.

I remember!

Many people criticized the refreshed UI in Big Sur, and that wasn't even nearly as drastic compared to Liquid Glass. There's quite a lengthy thread on that, very similar to this one.

Why is Big Sur so ugly?

This is all my option, but I've heard some hate on Big Sur here and there as well. My question is, why does Apple want to make Mac OS into IOS like seriously; I've always liked how good and "professional" OS X looked, but now it just looks so unprofessional... And when Apple pushes this update...

forums.macrumors.com

Ventura (revamped System Settings) and Catalina (dropped 32-bit support) have had a lot of criticism as well.

 

[richpjr]

100% agree. iOS 26 isnt perfect, but imo it’s not as bad as made out to be here.

Forums never reflect what the vast majority of people actually think about anything. They are filled with a tiny slice of people interested in some particular topic or people looking to complain about something.

 

[notabitail]

I remember!

Many people criticized the refreshed UI in Big Sur, and that wasn't even nearly as drastic compared to Liquid Glass. There's quite a lengthy thread on that, very similar to this one.

Why is Big Sur so ugly?

This is all my option, but I've heard some hate on Big Sur here and there as well. My question is, why does Apple want to make Mac OS into IOS like seriously; I've always liked how good and "professional" OS X looked, but now it just looks so unprofessional... And when Apple pushes this update...

forums.macrumors.com

Ventura (revamped System Settings) and Catalina (dropped 32-bit support) have had a lot of criticism as well.

Big Sur is actually pretty ugly in some parts, like the lock screen, compared to Catalina. They made it much better with Sonoma.

iOS 26 doesn't look to be as bad as some elements of Big Sur.

 

[JTK Awesome]

If you could go back to iOS 18 on iPad would you?

YES

I want back that iteration of Split View and Slideover.

26’s ham-fisted attempt at a more Mac-like OS makes the iPad almost unusable. I keep my iPP in single-window mode almost all the time.