Six Apple apps that need a makeover in iOS 16

The run-up to Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference is always full of rumors and speculation. But so far this year there have been few leaks and most of what has come into the public eye has been on the vague side. Take, for example, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who is normally very good, who said last week—without explanation—that iOS 16 would include some “fresh Apple apps.”

Let’s assume for a moment that this isn’t just a revival of 90s jargon and the apps in question aren’t “funky fresh,” but the company plans to release new and/or updated versions of some of its built-in apps. on iOS. That certainly sounds promising and, as you might imagine, I have some ideas as to what exactly that could (or should) entail.

Weather

It’s time, Apple. After 12 years, the iPad deserves a Weather app. I know it’s not the most exciting development, but come on, you already provide the home screen widgets with updated interfaces that are almost apps in their own way. And I find it hard to believe that Apple has spent so much money on Dark Sky not to use it on all of its platforms. (While we’re at it, some integration on the macOS side, especially like, say, a Mac-esque menu bar widget wouldn’t hurt either.)

The Weather app has always been a quirky absence on the tablet. Did Apple think that people who use the iPad don’t care about the weather because they mostly use the device indoors? Anyway, the most recent version of Weather on the iPhone showed that the company could rival the best of what third parties have to offer, so let’s finally bring the iPad kicking and screaming into the modern era. Just in time for summer!

Wallet

In recent years, Apple has increasingly come into contact with payment systems with Apple Pay and the Apple Card. Even the recent minor iOS 15.5 update made the interesting change of adding send and request payment buttons to the Wallet app, functionality previously buried in Messages. But one aspect of finance is still missing: analysis and budgeting tools.

Yes, if you have an Apple Card, you can see that wash of colors that tells you which areas you spend your money on or export your transactions as documents to import into another tool. But it would also be helpful if the company could provide more substantial tools for financial health so consumers can understand exactly where their money is going.

Think less of a wallet and more of a ledger. Apps like Mint and Personal Capital have a lot of traction in this space, but if Apple is serious about expanding the way it works with money — and it’s already announced it will open access to Tap to Pay in the coming months — then it can be valuable if Apple offers a more holistic view that helps consumers manage that money responsibly.

Email, Phone, Messaging, Calendar

The advantage of built-in apps on the iPhone is that they meet the needs of most people. E-mail? I get it. Phone? To check. Messages? Yes. Calendar? Secure. These apps — and for the most part the tasks they perform — are deeply mundane. And yet that mundaneness also means that users rely on it to get things done. They are essential. This creates a tricky balance because you don’t want to change them for the change, but you also don’t want to let them stagnate to the point where they feel archaic.

Foundry

Mail and Calendar are a good example of two apps that have barely grown in recent years and as a result are teetering on the brink of antiquity. As third-party email apps push the boundaries (if you’ll excuse the phrase) with features like intelligent filtering, snooze reminders, and more, Mail has finally managed to add multicolored flags.

Likewise, Calendar, which is about as bare-bones an app as you’ll find on the platform, has finally added the ability to recognize video calls (two years after the pandemic), but could endure to reappear. see how it displays events on multiple calendars, or improve natural language processing, or add support for scheduling events between multiple parties.

Finally, Messages, one of Apple’s most popular apps, should improve cross-platform compatibility with Android (rather than penalize iOS’ own users by showering them with a torrent of messages about people liking a message), better Implement spam filtering for unwanted text messages (via SMS or iMessage), and extend the handy tapbacks with any emoji.

These things may not be sexy, but they are potentially big quality of life improvements for the public using these built-in apps – which is probably the majority of iOS users, as many don’t bother trading them in for third-party ones. party apps.