Best of iOS — October 2025

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   Article

   Hacker News·31w

   Liquid Glass Is Cracked, and Usability Suffers in iOS 26

   iOS 26's new Liquid Glass visual language prioritizes aesthetics over usability, introducing translucent UI elements that obscure content, animated buttons that distract users, and smaller tap targets that violate established guidelines. The update breaks long-standing iOS conventions by moving search to the bottom, removing breadcrumbs from back buttons, and adopting Android-style design patterns. Controls now appear and disappear unpredictably, making the interface harder to learn. The emphasis on visual effects creates readability issues with text overlaying images and other text, while constant animations compete for attention instead of supporting content.

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   Article

   Linear·29w

   A Linear spin on Liquid Glass

   Linear rebuilt Apple's Liquid Glass design system from scratch for their mobile app redesign, creating custom SwiftUI shaders and visual effects to maintain design flexibility while supporting customizable navigation. The team implemented their own glass material using Gaussian blur, signed distance fields, and GPU-calculated lighting instead of adopting Apple's APIs, allowing them to support iOS 18 users and build expandable tab bars that adapt to different user roles. The custom implementation includes tactile feedback, variable blur effects, and accessibility features like Increase Contrast mode support.

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   Article

   Jacob’s Tech Tavern·29w

   My wife gave me 100 days to make it as an indie creator

   An iOS developer announces his transition to full-time indie content creation, setting a 100-day goal to reach £50k ARR through his tech publication. The strategy focuses on growing the subscriber base through new content formats like developer interviews and creator spotlights, while improving paid conversion rates by developing tools for iOS developers. Success means sustainable independence; failure means returning to traditional employment.

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   Article

   Hacker News·28w

   Hacktivate

   Paul Hudson built Hacktivate, a capture-the-flag game teaching cybersecurity fundamentals to teens through 240 challenges covering SQL injection, cryptography, networking, and steganography. The app runs entirely locally on Apple devices using Swift and SwiftUI, featuring a sandboxed environment with simulated servers, terminals, and networks. Inspired by classic games like Syndicate and Command & Conquer, it combines retro aesthetics with practical skills like packet sniffing, hash cracking, and digital forensics. The 45,000+ lines of code include a Linux terminal emulator, web server, and various security tools, all designed to provide structured, privacy-preserving learning without external dependencies.

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   Article

   InfoQ·32w

   AWS Introduces M4 and M4 Pro Mac Instances for Faster Apple App Development

   AWS launched M4 and M4 Pro Mac instances powered by Apple's latest M4 silicon, offering up to 20% better build performance compared to M2 instances. The M4 variant features a 10-core CPU with 24 GB unified memory, while the M4 Pro includes a 14-core CPU with 48 GB memory. Both provide 2 TB local storage and are designed for building, testing, and signing iOS and macOS applications with Xcode. The instances are available as dedicated hosts with per-second billing but require a 24-hour minimum allocation period. Currently available only in US regions (Northern Virginia and Ohio), they support macOS Sequoia 15.6 and newer, though they come at a higher price point than previous generations.

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   Article

   UX Planet·29w

   iOS 26: Beyond Liquid Glass

   iOS 26 introduces the Liquid Glass design material, bringing significant interface changes including floating bottom navigation, repositioned search functionality, and enhanced motion design. The update moves primary actions to the bottom for better ergonomics, hides the home indicator to reduce clutter, and creates a more fluid, tactile user experience. While the aesthetic is visually striking, some inconsistencies exist across apps, and the material's effectiveness depends heavily on wallpaper choice. The changes represent a thoughtful evolution in Apple's design language, balancing visual innovation with usability improvements for larger screens.

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   Article

   Apple Developer·31w

   New requirement for apps using Sign in with Apple for account creation

   Starting January 1, 2026, developers in South Korea must provide a server-to-server notification endpoint when using Sign in with Apple. This endpoint enables Apple to send critical updates about user account changes, including email forwarding preference modifications, app-specific account deletions, and permanent Apple Account deletions. Developers must immediately process these notifications to update user data and maintain transparency around account changes, particularly for email forwarding and deletion events. The requirement aims to give users better control over their personal data while ensuring apps comply with privacy standards and local regulations.

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