Customisation on the iPhone for almost forever has been limited to mostly changing a home screen and lockscreen wallpaper for years now, with almost nothing else in the OS able to be changed despite at least some minimum user outcry and the constantly customisable and more varied approaches that Android users got. The iPhone instead stayed predictable both reliably and annoyingly so. Apple of course touted reasons for this, ranging from ease of use and software consistency to it simply being the “iPhone way”. And it’s been a very well established way as well. Everyone knows you can’t change menus, custom ring tones, icon packs/icons or anything else about the general look outside of the aforementioned wallpaper.

That all started to change around the time of iOS 14, where whether on purpose or not, Apple opened a can of worms with their iOS 14 widgets. Due to their customizable nature they became a hack-ey way for users to essentially make their iPhones look and act different. We wrote all about it and why even then we though Apple needed to give people some wiggle room and iOS 16 seems to be the culmination of Apple noticing that need for change. The iOS 16 lockcreen additions are honestly cool, with the dynamic bokeh effect of the clock going behind your picture, widgets being at the top and transparent and an improvement to notifications where they just pop up at the bottom of your screen. It’s a classic Apple approach of doing a long existing thing differently, and it really works. And Apple knew people would get excited from it from the moment it introduced iOS 16, which is exactly what it wanted.

After all iOS updates ,more than any other OS updates have essentially become a key part of internet culture, despite again, being just another boring software update. Think about it who outside of tech nerds gets hyped when there’s a new Windows, Linux or even MacOS update? Android updates sometimes get some attention, but hype around those dies out due to only specific phones getting them and months apart as well. Apple’s delivery on iOS seemingly instantly all around the world makes everyone remember “hey, I’m part of the iPhone community and we just got a new thing to be happy about”. It’s a way of keeping users happy that they’re within the Apple ecosystem. And for the most part, it tends to work. But Apple has also noticed that each update has to have a defining feature, one that bridges usability and the aesthetics of iOS. In iOS 13 that was dark mode, in 14 that was widgets, 15 didn’t really have a huge feature and that’s probably why there was less mainstream hype about it. But by then I’m near certain Apple had already started working on iOS 16, and they knew because of 14, customization was the key.

So far that customization is mainly focused on the lockscreen, but I think this might just be the beginning for Apple. It seems they’ve finally gotten to a point where they realise the thing they rejected for years helps create a better user experience and publicity for them as well. Which is kind of ironic because, I mean, everyone has been saying this for years Apple, just listen to your customers every once in a while. This of course doesn’t mean Apple suddenly allows launchers, custom icon packs or the myriad of crazy ways Android let’s you change up your phone and how it works and looks. But if it even strives for say, a Windows 10 Mobile level of customization, it probably would have done more than enough for users(again, RIP Windows Phone).

That being said, this is Apple we’re talking about, basically kings of using every little step forward as an excuse to rest on their laurels probably for another year or so. Simply put, don’t be surprised if the next big customization features come in iOS 18 or so. But the fact that Apple is making moves like this anyway is still huge in our book. Or at the very least a big win for more user friendly features. And that’s enough to put a smile on our face. Let’s hope it’s not just a fluke and Apple actually follows through on this iOS customization wave.

Related Stories: