The Talk Show With John Gruber

441: ‘Serious Opinionators’, With Adam Engst

February 25, 2026

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  • Apple's decision to offer both Classic and Unified views in the iOS 26 Phone app is praised as a welcome return to user customizability, contrasting with recent design trends. 
  • The redesign of the Phone app's Recents list inverted the primary tap target, making the large tap area initiate a call (Classic behavior) versus opening the contact card (Unified behavior), a change that caused significant user friction and accidental calls. 
  • The setting to disable the 'Tap Recents to Call' feature in the Unified View is fundamentally flawed because it disappears entirely when the user switches back to the Classic View, rather than remaining grayed out with an explanation. 
  • The introduction of 'Classic' and 'Unified' views in the iOS 26 Phone app suggests Apple is accommodating user resistance to UI changes, though the 'Classic' naming implies a temporary state. 
  • The pervasive use of icons over text in macOS Tahoe menu bar items and iOS 26 UI elements (like the checkmark replacing 'Done') is heavily criticized as a regression in usability and consistency, especially given the current trend toward text-based LLMs. 
  • Apple's new TipKit framework is being used to gently guide users toward adopting the new iOS 26 Phone app 'Unified view' via helpful, non-default prompts, similar to the historical 'Balloon Help'. 
  • The upcoming WWDC is viewed as a critical indicator of Apple's future UI direction, especially following the perceived rush and failure to deliver on some pre-announced features last year. 
  • There was significant internal rejoicing at Apple following the departure of Alan Dye, suggesting widespread dissatisfaction among UI designers with his previous direction. 
  • The ideal outcome for the next OS updates ('27 updates') would be a focus on fixing serious, glaring human interface crimes across all operating systems, particularly macOS, alongside delivering a coherent and shippable Apple Intelligence story. 

Segments

TidBITS Longevity and Apple History
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: TidBITS has existed for 72% of Apple’s corporate lifespan, a fact that feels incomprehensible to the hosts.
  • Summary: Adam Engst notes that TidBITS is approaching 36 years old while Apple approaches 50. The hosts reflect on the long history of their respective publications relative to Apple’s existence. David Pogue’s upcoming book on Apple’s first 50 years is mentioned as a significant historical document.
macOS Tahoe UI Critique
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(00:05:06)
  • Key Takeaway: The difficulty in resizing macOS 26 Tahoe windows stems from the fact that 72% of the clickable resizing area is visually off the window due to large corner radii.
  • Summary: Norbert Heger identified that the large corner radii on updated windows push the hot spot for resizing off the visible edge. Users expect to click on the visible window, but most of the resizing real estate is in the dead space. This violates common user heuristics regarding affordances.
Markdown and C-Text History
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(00:09:53)
  • Key Takeaway: Markdown’s success as the lingua franca of LLMs is attributed to its human legibility, a feature inherited from its predecessor, C-Text.
  • Summary: TidBITS originated as a HyperCard stack before converting to C-Text, which heavily influenced Markdown. C-Text was fussy to write but visually appealing, whereas Markdown succeeded because it is both a writing and reading format. LLMs naturally parse Markdown because it is structured yet human-readable, unlike more complex formats like JSON.
Phone App Classic vs Unified
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(00:19:51)
  • Key Takeaway: The iOS 26 Phone app introduces a Unified View that merges Recents with Voicemail, offering a modernization that contrasts with the older, one-tap call behavior of the Classic View.
  • Summary: Apple allows users to switch between the Classic View and the new Unified View directly within the Phone app interface. The Classic View defaults to the 2007 behavior where tapping anywhere on a recent call initiates a call. The Unified View inverts this, making the main tap area open the contact details, requiring a small phone icon to initiate the call.
Inadvertent Calling Problem
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(00:48:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The Classic View’s design, where tapping anywhere on a recent entry initiates a call, is an outdated exception in iOS that leads to frequent, unwanted interruptions.
  • Summary: The Classic View’s large tap target for calling back people is inconsistent with how list views function in other iOS apps like Mail. This inconsistency caused users to accidentally call people when merely trying to scroll or interact with the list. The Unified View corrects this by making the main tap area open the contact card.
Hidden Settings Flaw
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(00:55:35)
  • Key Takeaway: The setting to control the ‘Tap Recents to Call’ behavior disappears entirely from Settings when the Phone app is set to the Classic View, a design choice deemed fundamentally wrong.
  • Summary: The setting ‘Tap Recents to Call’ only appears in Settings when the Phone app is in Unified View, and it vanishes when switching to Classic View. This setting should remain visible but grayed out in Classic View, explaining its unavailability. Repeatedly toggling between the two views while checking this setting can cause the Settings app to crash.
Switcher View Animation Critique
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(01:05:21)
  • Key Takeaway: The animated transition in the Switcher view is noted as a subtle sign of lost ‘old Apple’ design quality, even when the animation itself is clever.
  • Summary: The Switcher view updates with animation rather than just flashing between frames, which is described as nice and clever. However, this detail is seen as rubbing the noses of long-time observers, suggesting a shift in Apple’s design philosophy where such polish might not be prioritized by the current team.
Phone App View Persistence
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(01:06:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Switching back to the ‘Classic’ Phone view instantly restores all classic behavior, including tap-to-call functionality, indicating the two views are fully distinct state machines.
  • Summary: If a user switches back to the ‘Classic’ view after trying the ‘Unified’ view, all classic behaviors return immediately. The speaker suggests a better setting implementation would allow users to mix classic layout preference with the desired ‘don’t accidentally call’ behavior.
Classic View Longevity Prediction
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(01:06:56)
  • Key Takeaway: The term ‘Classic’ view implies an expiration date, but the speaker bets this view will persist past iOS 27 due to user entrenchment, contrasting it with Mail’s binary layout toggle.
  • Summary: The name ‘Classic’ suggests it has an implicit sell-by date, unlike the binary toggle for Mac Mail layout. The speaker believes the classic phone view is ingrained in user habits and is likely to stay for at least five years, as telemetry will inform Apple of its usage.
TipKit and Initial iOS 26 Onboarding
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(01:08:11)
  • Key Takeaway: Apple likely uses the new TipKit framework upon upgrading to iOS 26 to present a non-default prompt encouraging users to try the ‘Unified’ view, promising an easy two-tap return path.
  • Summary: TipKit is a new framework allowing developers to add user interface tooltips, reminiscent of System 7’s ‘Balloon Help.’ The speaker hypothesizes that upon upgrading, users see a TipKit balloon explaining the filter menu and encouraging a switch to Unified View, emphasizing the ease of reverting.
The ‘Classic’ Naming Strategy
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(01:10:37)
  • Key Takeaway: ‘Classic’ is likely used as an encouragement for users to try the new ‘Unified’ view, framing the older option as outdated rather than a permanent alternative.
  • Summary: The naming convention is interpreted as a subtle nudge, suggesting that ‘Unified’ sounds cooler than ‘Classic,’ which never sounds cool unless referring to established cultural artifacts like ‘classic rock.’ The speaker notes that ‘oldie’ is a disparaging term that would signal immediate obsolescence.
Sentry AI Debugging Agent (Sear)
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(01:12:10)
  • Key Takeaway: Sentry’s AI debugging agent, Sear, uses collected telemetry (errors, logs, traces) alongside application code to explain errors and can draft fixes or open PRs automatically.
  • Summary: Debugging is described as painful, involving digging through logs and code one did not write. Sear uses Sentry data to catch real issues before shipping and explains what happened when something breaks. It can then draft fixes and open PRs for automated resolution.
Messages App Consistency with Phone App
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(01:14:39)
  • Key Takeaway: The Messages app shares UI consistency with the Phone app, notably through the filter pop-up menu, which surfaces features like ‘Unknown Callers/Spam’ filtering.
  • Summary: Apple applied similar UI changes to Phone and Messages apps for consistency, especially to accommodate the unknown sender identification feature. The filter menu in both apps shows categories like missed calls/voicemail and unknown/spam. The speaker notes that the ‘Spam’ folder in Messages rarely contains actual spam, which is instead relegated to the ‘Promotions’ filter.
Political Text Spam Source
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(01:16:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Political text message spam, particularly for Democratic candidates, is largely attributed to the organization Act Blue selling or distributing a master mailing list.
  • Summary: The speaker receives an overwhelming barrage of unsolicited text messages from various candidates, which they link to donating via Act Blue. This organization appears to maintain a master list shared with candidates, leading to constant messages even when the user reduces direct donations due to the annoyance.
Continuity SMS Code Autofill Praise
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(01:19:27)
  • Key Takeaway: The continuity feature allowing SMS two-factor authentication codes to auto-fill in the browser is highlighted as one of Apple’s best breakthroughs in the last decade.
  • Summary: The ability to receive an SMS code on one device and have it auto-fill in a browser on another device via continuity is praised highly. This feature is considered a defining positive touch of the Apple user experience, contrasting with current UI frustrations.
Filter Menu Usability Critique
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(01:22:36)
  • Key Takeaway: The filter menu in Phone and Messages apps is criticized because it requires reading all options (two taps) instead of allowing quick swiping between filtered lists.
  • Summary: The filter menu, while useful for showing which category has unread items (indicated by a blue background), forces the user to read through the entire list to navigate quickly. The speaker suggests a swipe gesture would be better for rapidly moving between the different filtered views.
Contact Posters vs. Message Avatars
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(01:24:35)
  • Key Takeaway: The inconsistency between using standard contact avatars in Messages favorites and the large, stylized Contact Posters in the Phone app’s Unified View favorites is noted.
  • Summary: The Phone app’s Unified View uses large Contact Poster thumbnails for favorites, while Messages uses standard circular avatars. The interface for setting up Contact Posters is described as horrible, and the feature is rarely seen because it only works for iMessage contacts who have set one up.
The Problem with Blue Checkmark ‘Done’
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(01:34:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Replacing the word ‘Done’ with a blue checkmark icon in selection modes (like in Messages) is inconsistent, as the checkmark sometimes opens a menu (like in screenshots) rather than confirming completion.
  • Summary: The blue checkmark replacing ‘Done’ in selection mode is confusing because it lacks the explicit meaning of the word ‘Done’ or a menu indicator like a chevron. In screenshot editing, the checkmark opens a menu of options, while in list selection, it implies exiting the mode, creating a significant inconsistency in UI language.
Critique of Liquid Glass Iconography
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(01:35:55)
  • Key Takeaway: The move toward icon-only buttons, exemplified by the blue checkmark, is seen as infantilizing and a regression, especially since Apple can afford localization for words like ‘Done.’
  • Summary: The speaker argues against eliminating words in favor of icons, dismissing the localization cost argument given Apple’s massive profits. The reliance on icons over explicit words like ‘Done’ is part of a broader trend toward an interface designed for users who ‘can’t read,’ which is ironic given the rise of text-based LLMs.
Tahoe Scroll Bar Vandalism
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(01:59:15)
  • Key Takeaway: The macOS Tahoe decision to hide scroll bars by default and render the visible ones as large, ugly black bars is viewed as spiteful punishment for users who prefer persistent contextual information.
  • Summary: The speaker strongly dislikes the removal of always-on scroll bars on the Mac, arguing they provide crucial contextual information about view size and position. The resulting black scroll bars in Tahoe are described as ugly, suggesting they were intentionally made unappealing by a contingent pushing to eliminate them entirely.
WWDC 27 UI Correction Expectations
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(02:05:32)
  • Key Takeaway: The departure of Alan Dye and the negative reaction to Liquid Glass suggest WWDC 27 updates might focus on fixing glaring human interface crimes, especially on macOS, rather than radical new features.
  • Summary: The speaker anticipates that the upcoming WWDC will be a major tell for Apple’s UI direction, potentially featuring significant fixes to interface issues across OSs. The internal rejoicing over Alan Dye’s departure suggests management may now feel liberated to address long-standing UI complaints, such as those related to Liquid Glass and Mac interface ‘iOS-isms’.
WWDC UI Importance
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(02:08:32)
  • Key Takeaway: WWDC is crucial as it will reveal Apple’s UI direction following recent controversies.
  • Summary: The upcoming WWDC is highly anticipated as a major indicator of Apple’s user interface strategy. The speaker suggests that Apple panicked last year by pre-announcing half-baked ideas for Apple Intelligence that they could not deliver. By 2026, Apple must announce features they are certain they can ship.
Reaction to Alan Dye Exit
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(02:09:02)
  • Key Takeaway: There was widespread internal celebration within Apple upon the departure of Alan Dye.
  • Summary: The exit of Alan Dye was met with significant rejoicing inside Apple, a sentiment management may not have fully grasped until he left. This internal reaction suggests deep-seated issues with the previous UI direction under his leadership. The speaker implies management is now aware of the negative sentiment regarding past design choices.
Hopes for OS 27 Updates
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(02:09:40)
  • Key Takeaway: The ideal OS updates for the next cycle involve fixing glaring UI crimes and delivering a solid Apple Intelligence story.
  • Summary: The speaker hopes the ‘27 updates’ will focus primarily on correcting the most serious human interface errors across all operating systems, especially macOS. Achieving a coherent and deliverable Apple Intelligence story is the second essential goal for the next cycle. Adding features beyond these two priorities should be secondary.
Closing Remarks and Sponsors
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(02:10:07)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode concludes by thanking Adam Engst and listing the episode sponsors.
  • Summary: The speaker states that fixing UI issues and delivering Apple Intelligence would be enough for the next WWDC. The episode closes by thanking Adam Engst and listing the sponsors: Squarespace, Sentry, and Factor. Listeners are encouraged to follow the RSS feed and read tidbits.com.