iPhone After Darkish: iOS 18 Brings New Tinted Icons and Residence Display screen Tweaks

Apple launched darkish mode again in 2019 with iOS 13, however yesterday it expanded your choices with the introduction of iOS 18. Whereas removed from the one customization choices, the brand new “darkish look” headed to iPhone and iPads later this yr (and at the moment in developer beta) helps you to slap on a recent coat of paint on your private home display screen with only some faucets. 

The brand new function means that you can add a tint of shade to your private home display screen widgets and icons, which is paying homage to Android’s Materials You design, however approaches it another way. Some might say this was the better method to go (we’ll clarify), however we’ve got our doubts that anybody is complaining about extra customization in iOS. 

We’ll have to get our arms on iOS 18 earlier than we will make any judgments, however up to now, it seems like a easy and straightforward method to give your iPhone or iPad a customized look. 

For extra on Apple’s WWDC bulletins, do not miss Apple’s finest new iPhone and iPad options have been manner overdue and Apple’s RCS assist in iOS 18 will get its first look. 

Apple’s new darkish mode will simply seize your temper

You’d assume we would be over getting enthusiastic about darkish mode issues at this level, however Apple proved us fallacious as we speak. Now when customizing your private home display screen, you will have 4 choices to customise the look of your apps and widgets: automated, darkish, mild and tinted. It wasn’t instantly clear from the keynote if automated mode will change the look of your private home display screen based on a set time or between dawn and sundown, the place darkish and lightweight choices are pretty easy. 

From what I may inform, the brand new tinted choice, nonetheless, seems essentially the most dramatic and thrilling. Apple demonstrated that once you select the tinted choice, you’ll be able to set a particular shade tint to be added throughout your complete residence display screen. You may as well simply let your iPhone do all of the work, too and let it choose a shade out of your wallpaper to grow to be the tint shade. 

Sure, it does sound a bit like Materials You on Android, however there’s a distinction between Google’s method and Apple’s. The place iOS 18 seems like it can add a wash of shade to your complete residence display screen, Google requires builders to assist app icons to be themed, and there are nonetheless tons of apps that do not assist it but. 

In distinction, Apple seems to have made darkish look and tint a system-level customization choice that you simply your self can select and apply throughout backgrounds. Whereas there could also be exceptions, from what I noticed within the keynote, the impact seems nice. 

The brand new tinted may be seen as a bit peculiar. Did Apple simply pull it is Coloration Filter accessibility function to the entrance of the house display screen and referred to as it a day? Appears just a little… simple? However once you have a look at how Android’s Materials You-themed icon assist goes, nicely, it is onerous to not see the good thing about Apple’s method. That is additionally along with the power to create your individual icons via the shortcuts app — Perhaps Google may study a factor or two right here. 

My staff and I must wait to get our arms on the beta to see if this tint extends to simply a few of your apps as Google’s Materials You does, however even when it not, that is certain to be a individuals pleaser for many who are thirsty for extra residence display screen customization. 

For extra on Apple, make sure to take a look at all the AI bulletins from Apple at WWDC 2024, how iOS 18 will make your messages extra expressive.