Quarantine has done a wonderful job of releasing our inner chefs, artists, craftsmen, and musicians. Most recently, following the release of the iOS 14 update on Apple devices, we can also add graphic designer to the list.
Initially, I fell for the trap. Having nothing better to do on the Monday following the release of the update (not including starting my probability homework, fixing my resume, taking linear algebra notes, or checking up on my club commitments), I read up on the ways in which I could customize my homescreen to make it as ~aesthetic~ as those I had already seen on Instagram. I quickly downloaded Widgetsmith, one of the many apps designed to help beautify one’s home screen with pictures or “widgets,” as Apple has termed them, and chose a theme for my phone. I then cleared all the apps from my screen (don’t worry, the new update provides an App Library which stores all the apps off to the right of the home pages so you don’t lose them), and created bookmarks with customized icons of carefully chosen paintings. A self-proclaimed artist myself, I dedicated each of my home pages to different painters I admire, and stepped back to marvel at my own work. I sent pictures of my pages to my friends so they might have the chance to appreciate my ingenuity and went to sleep that night blissfully ignorant of the ridiculous amount of time I spent on my masterpiece. The next morning, it finally dawned on me. The iOS 14 update is woefully overrated.
First and foremost, copying the precedent set by hundreds of homescreens posted on Instagram and TikTok of changing app icons to those of our choosing both wastes an exorbitant amount of time and counteracts the purpose of having unique icons in the first place. For every icon replacement, Apple requires you use its new Shortcut app to create an action that you can click on from your homescreen. This basically means you have to create a separate shortcut to open an app for every app on your phone. If that’s not enough of a waste of time, let me warn you that all this does is make your life harder. The Shortcut app may be useful if you are trying to minimize the time it takes to click on Instagram and then click the “+” symbol at the bottom of your screen to post a picture by creating an icon that you can click on that directly takes you to the posting process. However for those of us interested in simply replacing each app icon, I ask you to reconsider the utility of having Frida Kahlo’s Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird as your Snapchat icon if it requires you to search for the app every time you want to send streaks.
Apart from the perils of deciding to waste your Monday (or any other day of the week) trying to glamorize your home screen resulting from the aforementioned increased inefficiency, the problem with the Shortcut method of creating new icons lies in the fact that every time you click on your new icon, it briefly takes you to the Shortcut app before redirecting to the app you want to open. Personally, this was the last straw, and the reason why I have stopped using my home screen entirely (I now exclusively use the App Library). Don’t get me wrong, I still appreciate the creative minds that have redesigned their phones to include icons of themselves, of poorly redrawn app symbols, or even eye-catching combos of Mona Lisa widgets and “Da Vinky?!” icons. The only change is that this appreciation has regressed from a desire to replicate to a wary understanding of all that these iPhone owners have to go through to open their emails.
To all those newly updated iPhone owners who have smartly avoided the pitfalls of over-customization, I applaud you and hope that the update has provided you some comfort in turning on your phone, especially as we approach virtual midterm season at Stevens. To those considering revamping your home screens to reflect your inner graphic designer, I implore you to employ restraint and think twice before changing Facebook’s logo to The Starry Night.
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