Handy reference for the glyphs Apple uses in menus and documentation for various keyboard buttons.

Press ⌘⌥↑ or ⌘⌥↓ to cycle through Tab Groups without touching the sidebar.

Let users tile up to 4×4 apps on a single desktop, snapping windows to quadrants/thirds with keyboard shortcuts.

Apple should release a mid-range external display in the $1,000-1,500 price range, similar to their classic Thunderbolt Display. The current Studio Display at $1,599+ is too expensive for many users, leaving a gap between third-party displays and Apple's premium offerings.

A more affordable Apple display would bring the design aesthetic, build quality, and seamless macOS integration that made the original Cinema and Thunderbolt displays so popular.

Spatial-audio head-tracking already works with iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Extend the same immersive surround experience to Apple TV so movies follow head movement when wearing AirPods Pro / Max.

Provide an option to expand the dock to 5-6 icons (similar to iPad) or auto-fit based on screen size.

Provide a TV-ML API so Plex can register Up Next progress and appear in Apple TV app alongside Apple content.

When a full-screen video starts, Night Shift should pause until playback stops to preserve color accuracy.

Restore grid-based Spaces overview with drag-to-arrange desktops and Exposé per-grouped-app windows for power users.

Let's face it—Stage Manager was a flop, as proven by the new windowing system in iPadOS 26. Apple clearly recognized that the confusing, overlapping window management introduced with Stage Manager didn't serve users well and has moved toward a more traditional approach.

The original Spaces provided a clean, grid-based overview where users could see all their virtual desktops at once and drag applications between them intuitively. Exposé showed all windows for an application in a clear, organized layout. These interfaces were predictable, discoverable, and efficient for power users who needed serious multitasking capabilities.

Instead of forcing experimental interfaces that confuse rather than clarify, Apple should return to the proven paradigms that made Mac productivity legendary.

Allow shortcuts to surface lightweight toaster prompts inside the active app (like Siri Suggestions) without taking over the whole screen.

Add on-device speech-to-text transcription for new and existing recordings, with searchable text and share/export options.

Add When I use my Mac / When I use my iPad triggers so reminders surface only on the specified device.

Improve motion detection so Raise to Siri triggers every time without awkward pausing and shouting.

The ability to add Shortcuts to Control Center exists but has been unreliable since its introduction. The feature frequently stops working, shortcuts disappear from Control Center, or fail to execute when tapped.

Fix the existing functionality so users can consistently access their shortcuts from Control Center without the feature randomly breaking.

Relevant reddit threads:

• Can't add shortcuts to control center
• Some help with the control center in iOS 18
• Shortcuts not working in lock screen control

Why the App Library Needs Love

iOS 14 introduced App Library, tucked all the way to the right of the Home Screen. Most casual users never swipe that far; power-users complain it’s half-finished.

From Apple’s own docs:

“Your apps are automatically sorted… The apps you use most frequently will automatically reorder…”

Great in theory. In practice? I still search or swipe through folders.

Two concrete fixes

1. Not on Home Screen – a smart bucket for orphaned apps.
2. Ability to promote any Home-Screen folder into App Library (and drop an App Library Folder widget back onto the grid).

Concept video (1 min)

Figma prototype & screenshots

Add a dedicated section in App Library labeled "Not in Home Screen" to easily view all apps that exist only within the App Library and aren't placed on any home screen pages.

From iOS 15 wishlist.

Enable developers to offer upgrade pricing for major app updates, allowing users to purchase significant new versions at a discount from the full price while maintaining their purchase history and app continuity.

Currently, the App Store's subscription-only model for ongoing revenue forces many developers into subscription models even when their apps don't naturally fit that pattern. This creates a poor user experience and limits developer flexibility.

Read more about the challenges with subscription-based apps: Subscription-Based Apps

Traditional upgrade pricing would:

• Allow developers to offer major updates as paid upgrades
• Let users choose between keeping their current version or upgrading
• Provide a middle ground between one-time purchases and recurring subscriptions
• Reduce the pressure to move apps to subscription models unnecessarily

Even after an app is owned, display its current price (useful when recommending to friends or buying for family).

Bring Apple Pencil hover & handwriting features to future Pro iPhones for precise editing and markup.

When the eraser tool is currently active and you tap a color with Apple Pencil, automatically switch back to the pen/drawing tool. This would create a more intuitive drawing workflow.

From iOS 15 wishlist.

Add automatic toothbrushing detection and tracking to Apple Watch, similar to handwashing detection. This would help users maintain better dental hygiene habits and track oral care routines.

From iOS 15 wishlist.

Provide a less-intrusive way to switch Focus modes (e.g., a pull-down list in Control Center) and expose Focus selection as a first-class Shortcuts action.

Re-introduce the Wish List feature so users can bookmark paid apps/games for later purchase and receive price-drop alerts.

Re-introduce the iconic Cover Flow browsing mode for albums in the Music app with modern Metal-powered fluidity.

Enable standard copy (⌘C) / paste (⌘V) actions for calendar entries to duplicate meetings across days or calendars.

Add quick buttons (5, 15, 30 min) and custom offset picker when creating events instead of scrolling wheel.

Let users drag an event to a new date in month view or sidebar agenda to quickly move without edit sheet.

Allow cardholders to pick a statement due-date that aligns with pay periods, like traditional credit cards.

Expose watch-face switching as a Shortcut action with triggers for time of day or geofence.

Redesign the app-picker sheet with search and pin-favorites when opening a file from the Files app.

Color or shade alarm rows differently based on morning vs evening times to avoid 7 PM/7 AM mistakes.

Display circular avatars beside names in the main Contacts list for quicker visual scanning.

Allow users to customize the icons that represent different Control Center pages, replacing the generic dots with meaningful symbols that reflect each page's content.

Currently, Control Center uses simple dots to indicate different pages, making it difficult to quickly identify which page contains specific controls. Users must memorize the order or swipe through pages to find the controls they need.

Proposed improvements:

• Custom icons per page: Let users choose from SF Symbols or create custom icons for each Control Center page
• Automatic suggestions: Suggest icons based on the most prominent controls on each page (e.g., music note for media controls, house for HomeKit)
• Color coding: Allow different colors for different types of controls
• Quick visual identification: Icons would make it instantly clear which page contains the desired controls

Examples:

• Music page: 🎵 or speaker icon
• HomeKit page: 🏠 or house icon
• Accessibility page: ♿ or accessibility symbol
• Custom app page: App's icon or user-chosen symbol

This would significantly improve the usability of multi-page Control Center setups and make customization more visually coherent.

Allow users to hide or permanently delete individual Fitness/Activity award badges to keep the Awards pane tidy and relevant.

Let's be frank—if you competed with an ex-partner, you don't want to see that shared achievement badge every time you open the Fitness app. Seeing awards or suggestions related to an ex could be triggering, and Apple should prioritize letting users remove things they don't want to see rather than forcing permanent reminders of past relationships.

When you routinely leave an AirTag-enabled item somewhere, the Find My app constantly suggests adding a Left Behind alert. We need a way to delete or mute these suggestions so they don't clutter the notification stack.

Let's be frank—if you shared location tracking with an ex-partner, you don't want to see persistent suggestions about their location or shared items every time you use Find My. Seeing awards or suggestions related to an ex could be triggering, and Apple should prioritize letting users remove things they don't want to see rather than forcing permanent reminders of past relationships.

Allow granular control to grant a family member access to certain rooms or accessories only on specified devices.

Enable multi-select gesture and drag songs/albums into playlists or queues, matching Files app behavior.

Allow the built-in mics on AirPods Max to function for calls/gaming even when the headset is connected via the analog cable.

Add Face ID sensors to MacBook and Studio Display so login, 1-Password AutoFill, and Apple Pay work hands-free.

A foldable iPhone that expands to iPad mini size when unfolded. When closed, it functions as a regular iPhone, but when opened provides larger screen real estate for reading, media consumption, and productivity tasks.

One device instead of needing both an iPhone and iPad mini.

Implement iOS-style notification grouping (by app, thread, or time) in macOS Notification Center so banners don’t flood the list.

Let iPad Pro act as a portable HDMI monitor for consoles/cameras, using the USB-C port with a capture accessory, displaying low-latency full-screen video.

Update: This is now sort of possible with a workaround! You can buy a $20 capture card and download an app to use your iPad as an external display for gaming consoles. It runs through the OS and is a bit of a pain, but it works. Read more about this setup on Tom's Guide.

Allow an HDMI-in dongle so users can overlay PlayStation/Switch gameplay in a PiP window while using Apple TV native apps.

Some Focus modes exist solely for automation triggers and never need manual selection. Provide a Hide from list toggle so they don’t clutter the Focus picker.

Require biometric unlock when opening the Hidden album to safeguard sensitive images.

When a user sets a room or home wallpaper in one device’s Home app, propagate that choice to all other devices.

Timers should be synchronized across all HomePods in a household. Any HomePod should answer “How much time is left?” regardless of where the timer was created. Optionally choose which rooms hear the alarm.

Redesign Scenes & Automations setup with list views, bulk select, and Shortcuts-like loops so complex home flows take fewer taps.

When composing a new message, allow ↑/↓ keys to move through auto-complete suggestions for contacts just like in Mail.

When adding recipients in the To: field, the up/down arrow keys should move through autocomplete results without requiring the mouse.

Provide an option to sort the conversation list so any chat with unread messages floats above read threads.

Provide a swipe or long-press option to flag any message thread as Unread so it remains highlighted until I come back and reply.

Add a Mark as Unread swipe action so users can return to messages later without losing the blue unread dot.

Allow users to compose a message and set a future send time, similar to Mail’s Send Later.

Allow SF Symbols to be used on websites and non-Apple platforms, expanding beyond the current restriction to "mock-ups of user interfaces for software products running on Apple's iOS, iPadOS, macOS and tvOS operating systems."

The current licensing terms severely limit SF Symbols' utility, preventing their use in web interfaces, documentation sites, and cross-platform applications. This restriction forces developers and designers to find alternative icons that lack the visual consistency and recognition of Apple's carefully crafted symbol system.

Benefits of web licensing:

• Websites about Apple products could use recognizable iconography (like this very site!)
• Developer documentation and tutorials could use consistent symbols
• Cross-platform apps could maintain visual consistency across all versions
• Web apps that complement iOS/macOS apps could share the same visual language

Many developers already love SF Symbols for their quality, consistency, and comprehensive coverage. Making them available for web use would extend Apple's design influence while supporting the broader developer ecosystem that builds around Apple's platforms.

Current limitation example: This Apple tips and wishlist website would be significantly more polished with SF Symbols for categories like Photos 📸, Safari 🧭, Settings ⚙️, etc., but licensing prevents their use in web contexts.

Extend locked-notes feature to support large PDFs and voice memos inside the note.

Just like AirPods, Bluetooth Magic accessories should instantly follow the user between nearby Macs, iPads, and Apple Vision Pro without manual re-pairing.

Add UI to adjust rules (from, to, subject) for smart mailboxes directly on iPhone/iPad.

Provide Snooze until … to hide an email and resurface it at chosen date/time, synced across devices.

User-created smart mailboxes should appear on iOS and be editable just like on macOS.

Allow creating a Family group without auto-enabling location sharing for every member; let users opt-in individually.

Let's be honest—the reason I want this is because I HATE the way my family members name their devices, and they keep devices on their list that they no longer own. I want to control if I see this crap on a person-by-person basis rather than being forced to see "Mom's iPhone (2)", "Dad's old iPad", and other poorly-named or outdated devices cluttering my Find My interface.

Add a context-menu action in the TV app to toggle Watched/Unwatched status for any episode so backlog management is possible.

When moving from room-to-room, playback should seamlessly hand off between the nearest HomePod / AirPlay 2 speaker so music literally follows the user throughout the house.

Restore star-rating slider in Now Playing or long-press menu so users can quickly assign ratings without diving into sub-menus.

Let users set a friendly name for every custom watch face so Shortcuts and Focus automations can reference them unambiguously.

Allow users to assign custom names to Control Center pages such as "Media", "HomeKit", "Accessibility", or "Work" for better organization and potential Shortcuts integration.

Currently, Control Center pages are identified only by their position and generic dot indicators, making it difficult for users to remember which page contains which controls, especially when using multiple customized pages.

Benefits of named pages:

• Better organization: Clear identification of each page's purpose
• Shortcuts integration: Enable Shortcuts actions to show/hide specific named pages
• Accessibility improvements: VoiceOver could announce page names instead of "page 1 of 3"
• Visual consistency: Names could appear in editing mode or as tooltips

Related improvements: This feature would complement other customization requests across Apple's ecosystem:

• Name Apple Watch faces - for organizing watch face collections
• Name home screens - for organizing app layouts

Together, these naming capabilities would create a consistent pattern of user-controlled organization across iOS interfaces, making complex customization setups more manageable and intuitive.

Allow users to give each home screen page a custom name such as "Work", "Smart Home", "Games", etc. This would enable better organization and potential Shortcuts actions to hide/show specific named home screens.

From iOS 15 wishlist.

Expand iCloud Keychain into a full app supporting categories, attachments, secure sharing, and cross-platform browser extensions.

When a Shortcut is launched via an NFC automation, pass the scanned tag’s NDEF data (or UID) into the workflow so conditional logic can branch by tag.

When Calendar or Focus detects that a scheduled meeting call has ended, the system should prompt (or auto-resume) any music/podcast that was playing beforehand.

Apple’s keyboard should surface a single-tap “Paste” key (similar to the cut/copy keys that appear after a long-press). This would dramatically speed up day-to-day text entry on iPhone, especially when working one-handed.

When I initiate a call on one device, media playing on my other Apple devices should automatically pause/fade until the call ends.

Address random hangs, blank cards, and long compile times when editing large shortcuts.

When exporting a photo from the Photos app, preserve Live Photo motion, bursts, and metadata instead of flattening to static JPEG.

Expose the same rule-builder UI from macOS so users can edit criteria on mobile.

Require biometric auth when opening the Hidden album, just like Locked Notes.

Allow users to keep one Photos Library on Mac with the option to mark only selected albums for iCloud Photos sync, reducing cloud storage costs while retaining access to recent shots on mobile.

Let users keep one Photos Library on Mac while choosing which albums/years sync to iCloud, freeing local space but retaining Live/Burst metadata on export.

Smart Albums (rule-based) created on Mac should appear on iOS, and rules should be editable on iPhone/iPad.

Smart Albums created on Mac should appear (read-only at minimum) on iPhone/iPad.

Enable pinch-to-zoom gesture from any home screen to access the grid view of all pages without requiring "jiggle mode" activation. This would make page management much more intuitive and accessible.

From iOS 15 wishlist.

Provide an action that lists notes within a specified Notes folder (including sub-folders) for workflows that organize content.

Add actions to get/set Finder-style color tags and custom tags on files within iCloud Drive.

Let users choose which sections (Listen Now, Browse, Radio, etc.) appear in the Music app’s bottom tab bar and reorder them.

The inline audio scrubber in iMessage attachments and the Files app is clunky and lacks speed control, skip-silence, and background playback. Replace it with the modern Now-Playing UI used elsewhere in the system.

The iOS27 redesign buries third-party apps in a nested list. Bring them back to the root Settings view or offer a toggle.

Long-pressing a notification should offer Remind me later which creates a Reminder linked back to the originating app item.

Apple should green-light and produce a second season of Defending Jacob.

Provide OFX/Direct Connect or secure API integration so budgeting apps like Quicken, Credit Karma, Lunch Money, and Monarch Money can auto-import Apple Card, Apple Savings, and Apple Cash transactions instead of manual CSV uploads.

Update: Apple now supports some third-party financial app integration! Monarch Money can sync Apple Card, Cash, and Savings transactions, but the current implementation requires launching the app on one of your devices for the sync to work.

True server-side sync that works without device intervention is still needed for seamless financial management across all budgeting platforms including Quicken, Credit Karma, and Lunch Money.

Extend the existing browser/mail default mechanism so users can pick third-party Maps and Calendar apps system-wide.

Update: iOS 18.2 significantly expanded default app support! You can now set defaults for email, messaging, calling, call filtering, browser, passwords, and keyboards. However, Maps and Calendar default apps are still not supported.

Originally requested in 2020 wishlist where browser and mail defaults already existed, but Maps, Calendar, and text editor defaults were still needed.

Expand SharePlay to support locally stored video files so friends can watch personal content in sync.

When sharing a Shortcut that calls other personal Shortcuts, include the dependencies automatically so recipients install everything in one tap.

Expose Orientation Lock (and other quick toggles) as on/off actions in Shortcuts.

Expose the system’s background ambient sounds (rain, ocean, dark noise, etc.) via a Play Ambient Sound action so automations can start/stop focus audio.

Expose an action to write NDEF data to tags and supply raw payload when invoked by an NFC automation trigger.

Expose granular system toggles (Keyboard Clicks, Auto-Lock, etc.) as actions so automations can adjust settings contextually.

Let users open multiple Shortcut editors side-by-side for referencing/dragging between workflows.

Add the ability to append photos to existing notes via Shortcuts actions. Currently, there's no way to add photos to notes through Shortcuts, which is an oversight in the Notes app's Shortcuts integration.

From iOS 15 wishlist.

Provide Shortcuts with their own persistent data store for reliable cross-device syncing. This should be an OS-level feature rather than relying on third-party solutions like DataJar, which has unreliable iCloud syncing.

While apps like DataJar provide key-value storage for Shortcuts and support text, numbers, booleans, lists, dictionaries, and files, a native Apple solution would offer better integration and more reliable synchronization across devices.

From iOS 15 wishlist.

Allow large IF, REPEAT, and MENU blocks to be folded/collapsed for easier navigation in long workflows.

Provide a management screen to revoke app authorizations that a Shortcut once requested but no longer references.

Provide an action that outputs all user playlists (with IDs) so workflows can pick and play them dynamically.

Allow creation of parameterized Shortcuts that can be reused within other Shortcuts, similar to how app-provided actions work. When sharing a Shortcut, all required utility Shortcuts should be automatically bundled together.

This would enable utility Shortcuts designed specifically for invocation from other Shortcuts, greatly improving maintainability of complex automations.

From iOS 15 wishlist.

Extend the Handoff Playback action so audio can move between any AirPlay 2 speaker pair (currently limited to HomePod ↔ Apple TV).

Add a Menu builder UI with rich text, SF Symbols, and sections so prompts look polished without hacks.

Allow the Set Playback Destination action to receive a list of speakers so multi-room setups can be configured programmatically.

Provide an action that targets an existing chat by ID/recipient list instead of launching a new compose window.

Add a Switch block that branches on a variable’s value, with fall-through default option—cleaner than stacked IFs.

The Wait action should accept decimal values (e.g., 0.5 s) for fine-grained automation timing.

Within each app’s settings pane, display its on-device storage usage and provide a Clear Cache control.

Display the enrolled-finger name in a small toast when Touch ID authentication occurs (useful for diagnostics).

Note: iOS has displayed which finger was used for Touch ID authentication for a long time. This wishlist item is specifically about bringing this existing iOS functionality to macOS.

Allow users to chain tasks ("Turn on the lights and set a 10-minute timer") in a single Siri sentence.

Encourage remaining major providers to integrate their catalogs and Up Next status with Apple’s TV app.

Allow third-party apps to create live animated small widgets, matching the capabilities Apple provides for its own Clock app.

Currently, Apple's Clock app features a live animated second hand in its small widget that updates in real-time, but third-party developers cannot access the same APIs to create similar live animations in their small widgets. This creates an unfair advantage for Apple's first-party apps and limits innovation in the widget ecosystem.

Third-party developers should have access to:

• Real-time animation APIs for small widgets
• The ability to update widget content more frequently when appropriate
• The same level of system integration that Apple's own apps enjoy

This would enable:

• More engaging and useful third-party widgets
• Better user experiences across the widget ecosystem
• Fair competition between first-party and third-party apps
• Innovation in widget design and functionality

Add sorting options (alphabetical, by type, etc.) instead of only distance-based sorting. The current distance sorting is really annoying because the list keeps updating while you're looking at it—if you're tracking AirTags and a few are nearby, you can easily tap the wrong item as the order constantly changes.

Providing options to sort alphabetically or by other stable criteria would fix this usability issue and make Find My much more reliable to navigate.

Allow users to append the target device name in the wake phrase so the correct device responds when several are nearby.

When buying from App Store on web/iOS, offer checkboxes for each iPhone/iPad/Mac signed into Apple ID and push app to selected devices.

Enable side-by-side app windows when the device is in landscape on large-screen iPhones.

Allow controlling playback on any other device logged into the same Apple ID (similar to Spotify Connect), including volume and queue.

Create a standalone Touch ID sensor that connects via USB-C or wirelessly to work with any external keyboard, allowing users to have biometric authentication without being forced to use Apple's Magic Keyboard.

Currently, Touch ID on Mac is only available on Apple's built-in keyboards (MacBook) or the Magic Keyboard, forcing users who prefer mechanical keyboards, ergonomic layouts, or other third-party options to sacrifice biometric convenience. This hardware restriction appears designed to drive accessory sales rather than serve user needs.

A standalone Touch ID reader would:

• Enable biometric authentication with any keyboard setup
• Support multiple finger enrollments like existing Touch ID implementations
• Work seamlessly with existing Touch ID APIs and authentication flows
• Allow placement anywhere on the desk for optimal ergonomics
• Provide the same security and convenience benefits regardless of keyboard choice

This would restore user choice in peripherals while maintaining Apple's security standards.

Community Innovation: Enthusiasts have already demonstrated the viability of this concept by hacking existing Touch ID hardware to work as standalone devices, showing there's both demand and technical feasibility for official Apple support.

Simplify moving individual Safari tabs between profiles with drag-and-drop, quick actions, or keyboard shortcuts instead of the current multi-tap process through menus.

Smart playlists that reference other smart playlists should sync to mobile, and users should be able to create/modify smart rules on iOS.

Provide multiple-caret editing in all Cocoa text views (Option+click) mirroring Sublime/VS Code multi-cursor functionality.

Allow third-party apps to create resizable Control Center widgets that can expand and change their interface, matching the capabilities Apple reserves for its own connectivity, music, and home platters.

Currently, Apple's built-in Control Center modules can dynamically resize and transform their interfaces:

• Connectivity platter expands to show detailed Wi-Fi/Bluetooth options
• Music platter extends to display full playback controls and artwork
• Home platter grows to reveal scene controls and device status

Third-party developers are restricted to static, single-size widgets that cannot expand or adapt their interface. This creates an unfair competitive advantage for Apple's own services and limits the potential for innovative Control Center experiences.

What third-party apps should be able to do:

• Expand to show more detailed controls when pressed and held
• Change their icon and layout when in expanded state
• Provide rich, interactive interfaces similar to Apple's own platters
• Adapt their content based on available space and user interaction

This artificial restriction forces users toward Apple's built-in solutions and stifles innovation in the Control Center ecosystem, representing clear anti-competitive behavior in API design.

Open a watch-face API + gallery so designers and brands can ship custom faces with rich complications and always-on variants.

Apple's restriction of watch face creation to only first-party development is fundamentally anticompetitive, limiting user choice and stifling innovation in the wearable customization market.

Focus modes should be able to trigger specific HomeKit scenes or run Shortcuts automatically when activated or de-activated, enabling true Context automation.

Provide a native Every X minutes/hours automation trigger so users don’t rely on Pushcut or Location work-arounds for periodic tasks.

Leverage motion + microphone to auto-detect tooth-brushing sessions and log them to Health, similar to hand-washing detection.

Use Ultra-Wideband (U1) positioning via HomePod mini / AirTag to trigger personal automations when a user enters or exits a specific room. Example: music follows you through the house.

Ship new Calendar, Mail, Music, etc. features through the App Store so users don’t wait a full major-OS cycle.

Let users create their own Smart Folders that automatically group shortcuts by tag, action type, or last-run date.

Custom Smart Lists based on tags, date, location, etc., should sync bidirectionally and be editable on iOS.

Maintain a per-shortcut revision history with the ability to revert to earlier saves, similar to Files’ Browse Versions on macOS.

Quick Look and Finder thumbnails should play Live Photo motion & audio, matching the iOS experience without opening Photos.

Live Photos currently only work properly within Apple's software ecosystem, which creates unnecessary limitations for users. This proprietary approach forces other platforms and applications to implement complex workarounds to support what should be standard media functionality. Apple should make Live Photos an open standard to ensure users can access their content seamlessly across different platforms and applications.

Add a While block in Shortcuts so automations can iterate until a condition is met without work-arounds.

Provide a Preferred Networks list UI across all Apple platforms, allowing users to re-order Wi-Fi network priority and delete unwanted saved entries. This functionality already exists on Mac but should be available on all devices that connect to Wi-Fi.