New features coming to Apple's iOS this fall suggest Apple will continue to let users personalize their phones.
When iOS 14 came out, Douyin was filled with videos of various Phone interface customization techniques, provided by custom widgets and replacing icons through shortcuts. Everyone's aesthetic is different, and you might think these customizations are silly or gimmicky, or even ugly, but the success of these videos sends a powerful signal: People want to customize their devices.
This is an old story, dating back to the early days of the Mac. However, in modern times Apple has been reluctant to let users customize their devices. Yes, you can set your own lock screen and wallpaper, but beyond that, there's very little you can do.
But the iOS 16 Lock Screen, with its adjustable fonts, color overlays and custom widgets, suggests Apple may be entering a new phase. Apple seems to have taken note of the positive response to iOS 14 and decided to open up customer access a bit. The lock screen might just be the beginning.
Some options, but not many
Apple says the editable iPhone Lock Screen in iOS 16 is inspired by the face editor on Apple Watch. It's basically the same interface, with choices among a highly restricted set of options. The palette of colors and fonts is limited, much like the Apple Watch is limited to certain faces, colors, and complications. There are some widgets designed to lift directly from Apple Watch complications - but it's all free.
Apple will even analyze your photos and only provide effects it thinks are suitable for your chosen image. Another way to look at this is that Apple is helping to optimize photo effects to save you time. You might also consider blocking Apple from making choices you disagree with.
Interestingly, Apple has decided to selectively tie the lock screen to focus mode. When you change focus mode, your lock screen and home screen change as well. Apple is slowly improving on the idea of desktop themes. That is, within a system, your iPhone will look completely different based on some customizations.
This is interesting: iOS currently offers light and dark themes, and they look completely different from each other. These themes have nothing to do with the lock screen, home screen, or focus mode. However, it seems logical to create a broader thematic system.
Android 12 does what Android does when it introduces the concept of personalization and customization, basically letting users do whatever they want. Apple would never do that, mostly because it knows that complete freedom would lead to a whole host of problems—think desktop publishing in the 1980s, a mess filled with disastrous font choices and terrible design decisions. Right or wrong, Apple wants to save its users from their own bad decisions. One way it can do this is by carefully curating a bunch of theme options it considers acceptable, perhaps backed by some machine learning-based analysis that doesn't offer users what Apple considers wrong choices.
Who owns a CarPlay car?
The new CarPlay displayed by Apple at WWDC 2022 is said to take over all interface elements on the car. In Apple's demo of the new feature, Apple showed off images that suggested a bunch of different interface themes that users could switch between - all of which had a typical Apple look.
Do carmakers really want to give their car interfaces an Apple twist? Will they be forced to redesign their cars to match?
It turns out that customization can solve problems and create them. Let's say Apple is providing automakers with a basic automotive operating system, similar to Google 's Android Automotive. Automakers love Android Automotive because it's open source and customizable. Apple would never do this.
But what if CarPlay had customizable themes? If you are Volvo , you can add themes or even mockup-based designs that suit your corporate aesthetic. Maybe users can choose to switch to their own themes or those Apple-protected themes. Maybe Apple and Volvo will put up some guardrails to prevent users from going too far.
Apple gets message
When I look at the lock screen in iOS 16, I see a message that Apple has gotten: We want to personalize our devices, but aren't willing to do what Android does and let everyone Everyone has it.
instead will do it the Apple way. The company appears to be building a suite of themes that allow users to express themselves by choosing options, collections, and styles, rather than making decisions they may regret later.
With any luck, Apple's approach will continue to broaden and expand, and our devices will become more personal and customized with every operating system update.
