Apple is set to unveil iOS 15 on June 8 during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). There's a lot of speculation about what this next version of iOS will bring to the table but, above all else, it's the perfect opportunity for Apple to go all-in with iPhone customization. Especially given recent moves from Google with Android 12, there's never been a better time for iOS to get more personal than ever.
In a lot of ways, Apple got on the right track for this with iOS 14. Last year's update added the ability to hide home screens, use home screen widgets, organize apps with the App Library, and even create custom app icons using Siri Shortcuts. Not only did this make iOS a lot more functional than it's previously been, but it also allowed users to finally give their handsets a unique identity. Rather than every iPhone being endless home pages of app icons, people can now tweak and customize their setup to be a reflection of themselves — albeit still in a more limited sense than what Android offers. Nonetheless, it was a step in the right direction.
iOS 15 is now set to be unveiled in just a matter of days and, among things like a redesigned lock screen and improved notifications, Apple would be smart to take its customization efforts a step further. Widgets and a proper apps page were huge moves forward compared to previous iOS versions, but in the grand scheme of things, that's just a small sliver of what Apple could do. Android has offered third-party icon packs, customizable accent colors, custom fonts, and even home screen launcher replacements for years. While Apple certainly isn't expected to adopt all of those things in one fell swoop, pushing the brakes on customization after making so much progress last year would be a massive step backward.
Apple Can (And Should) Give iPhones More Customization Tools
Some iPhone users might find it difficult to imagine what expanded customization could look like in iOS 15, but one concept render makes it clear that Apple could integrate these things fairly easily. The folks at 9to5Mac imagine a new Appearance shortcut in the Settings app, and from there, Apple could house all of its personalization controls in a Style page. Here, users would be able to quickly switch between iOS's light or dark theme, select a custom accent color, and apply an icon pack that's been downloaded from the App Store. It's all fairly basic stuff, but it shows how an Apple approach to deeper smartphone customization could work. None of this would really change anything about the core functionality of iOS. Instead, it would simply allow users to throw on a different coat of paint whenever they want. Features like this would seem completely out of left field for Apple just a couple of years ago but, considering everything the company delivered with iOS 14, this no longer seems that far from reality.
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That's a good thing, too, because Google is going full steam ahead this year with its own customization offerings. The big focus for Android 12 is the new 'Material You' design language. After applying a new wallpaper, Android 12 analyzes all of the colors in it, determines the primary and accent ones, and then applies those throughout the entire operating system — including everything from accent colors, app icons, first-party Google apps, and even third-party apps that add support for the feature. Apple just started to catch up to Android on the customization/personalization front. Considering how much of a focus this is for Google with Android 12, Apple really can't afford to sit this year out without making more progress here.
Will any of this actually make its way into iOS 15? Who knows?! iOS rumors are often very hit-or-miss, meaning it's difficult to say until Apple actually shows off the new software itself. What can be said, however, is that all of this would go a long way in making iOS 15 every bit as exciting as iOS 14 was. Apple changed a lot of core functionality of the iPhone last year, and for the most part, it was all for the better. If the company can just give users more granular control over how some of those things look, iOS 15 keep folks talking for another year to come.
