I use a launcher called Niagara Launcher on my Android phone. It’s incredibly simple.The launcher is just an alphabetical list of apps. There are a few spots for favorites on your home screen, as well as a lone widget. It’s fast and easy to use if you know the name of what you’re looking for. Still, sometimes I wish I could have more customization. I almost want to be able to just swipe between a grid and a list layout with ease. Perhaps sort by recently used, or filter based on notifications. I would like it to do more.
It appears that’s exactly what iOS 14 will introduce. Leaks suggest the new homescreen will have lists, along with sorting and filtering options, on top of the grid view we’ve come to know and love.
The new view could make iPhones a little less static and boring, and it may speed up your interactions with the device. This will be the 14th version of iOS, and it may represent the most drastic change to the homescreen interface since the first iPhone.
Leaked Code Tells All
9to5Mac got their hands on some leaked iOS 14 code. Perhaps due to the source of the leak and the legality involved, they’ve neglected to share the code itself. However, they’ve reported on it. 9to5Mac has combed through publicly available beta code before to find secrets of upcoming Apple operating systems, but this time they’ve got leaked source code. We can trust 9to5Mac not to be dishonest about this discovery, they’ve been nothing but reputable in the past.
According to the leaked code, iOS 14 will be the first to bring us new options for the homescreen, they’re certain of it. That appears to be a dynamic list view mode.
iOS 14 List View
The new list view for iOS 14 will operate a lot like the list view on watchOS. That is, it won’t necessarily be the only way to view your apps. This way, for the users who love what they have, nothing will change. But if they want to try something new, now they’ll have an option.
The list view will come in a few shapes and sizes. There will be Siri suggestions, like search currently has. This analyzes your use of your phone (locally) and shows you apps that you might want to use. There will also be views for apps that have unread notifications, or apps you’ve recently used. The idea will be to make your apps easy to find, even if you’ve hidden them in a folder or on your nth page of apps.
Finally Some Change
iOS is stale. Everything Apple has added to the homescreen has been small tweaks. Folders were perhaps the biggest item. We still don’t have homescreen widgets, blank pages (that don’t require creativity), or dynamic pages of apps. We have views we can access that have these things, but it’s not the same as having it “at a glance.” People want something more, they want their smartphone to act intelligently. They want the iPhone to be exciting again.
Part of the problem comes down to something else we’ve heard may change: the hardware. The iPhone hardware is largely unchanged since the iPhone 6. Sure, the screen has gotten bigger, the back has become glass, and the camera bump is bigger than ever. But, in the end, the buttons are in the same place, the antenna breaks are the same, and the same awful rounded edges are still present. The root design elements are unchanged. Even as a stainless steel variant, the iPhone has felt fragile and cheap for years now. However, the iPhone 12 could finally change that with a fresh new design. What better time than now to revamp the tired old homescreen as well?
Sources:
- iClarified (Concept Images and Video)
- Chance Miller, 9to5Mac