iPadOS 18 Brings a New Customizable Tab Bar and Sidebar UI to Apps

[MacRumors]

In iPadOS 18, Apple has redesigned the tab bar experience for many apps like Podcasts, Apple TV, and Apple Music. Previously in these apps, tabs sat at the bottom of the interface. When in portrait orientation however, tab bars now sit at the top of these apps to be closer to other navigation controls, while a customizable sidebar appears in landscape mode.

In Apple apps other than the above, the tab bar appears in both portrait and landscape. Apple says having the tab bar at the top of the app and between other navigational controls reduces the amount of horizontal and vertical space used up by the interface, and allows users to focus more on the content.

To accompany the new tab bars, sidebars in apps have been updated to help users navigate apps and provide quick access to top-level destinations.

Together, side bars and tab bars support user customization, so it's now possible to drag and drop items from the sidebar into a pinned section on the tab bar for even quicker access to favorite content.

Some items in the tab bar are, however, fixed. For example, in the TV app, the Home, TV+, MLS, and Store tabs are always available, and at the end of the pinned section, the search option remains a constant presence. It's worth noting that tab bars disappear when apps are in landscape orientation.

Third-party developers have control over what appears in the new tab bar and sidebar, enabling them to determine what stays fixed, and what can be added or removed.

The iPadOS 18 beta is available to developers at the current time, with Apple planning to introduce a public beta in July.

Article Link: iPadOS 18 Brings a New Customizable Tab Bar and Sidebar UI to Apps

 

[multipasser]

Is it me (and i'm using iphone since the first that came out) but isn't this OS getting to big with all those tiny features? It's getting hard to know how to add/find new things. Usability is getting lost imo.

 

[CrysisDeu]

This is also an example of confusing UI in iOS 18 and change for the sake of changes.
This was supposedly a design used for TVOS, okay, but why suddenly bring it to iPad, and only iPad?

If you shrink the window (sorry tile) of the app, the tab bar will go to the bottom, like on an iPhone.
So you will have tab navigation on the top, on the left, and on the bottom, on a single device - iPad

I really want to know why Apple make this update, like what's the philosophy behind it?
The reason they gave in the keynotes, was: to refresh the look of your App. Do they really just changed the system and interaction fundamentals for a visual refresher?

Now some people will never know how to access the full tab bar, like why would a top navigation component transition to a complete different side of the screen on a single click?

 

[theXid]

I first thought this was going to be a menu bar like macos

 

[F23]

can’t wait to use the full power of the M4 chip to customize my tab bar

 

[klasma]

Yeah, the top is easier to reach than the bottom, totally makes sense.

 

[Lyrics23]

“Third-party developers have control over what appears in the new tab bar and sidebar, enabling them to determine what stays fixed, and what can be added or removed.”

“Some items in the tab bar are, however, fixed. For example, in the TV app, the Home, TV+, MLS, and Store tabs”

Eww. User customisable is good, but just as much for removing advertising and other junk as for adding useful features. The fixed menu items developers choose are almost certainly the same ones I’d most like to remove.

3 of the 4 unchangeable Apple TV app shortcuts are just clutter, and third-party apps are likely to be no better.

 

[NEPOBABY]

Floating menu bar tribute to its origins

And the macOS Settings redesign might look like it was copying iPad or Windows but it's really a vertical version of NeXT's.

 

[jameseld82]

Let's move the tab to the top so it's not as reachable. At first I was excited about this update but the more I see things the more I'm not as impressed. I've only updated my iPad to the beta. I will wait for the official update in September for my phone.

 

[ifxf]

Users were not picking on items want to us to push like MLS in Apple TV. So if they put it in your face with no ability to remove it, maybe they will get more picks.

 

[Etc_]

This little UI tweak is listed as a prominent feature on Apples iPadOS 18 preview page. That says all about the content of this update.

 

[Powerbooky]

I would like to see this customisable menu bar on tvOS too.
The first thing I will remove are the channels I didn't ask for like MLB.

 

[Truth_guy1]

I don't get why so small changes get articles.

 

[Etc_]

I would like to see this customisable menu bar on tvOS too.
The first thing I will remove are the channels I didn't ask for like MLB.

Sorry to say, but: "Some items in the tab bar are, however, fixed. For example, in the TV app, the Home, TV+, MLS, and Store tabs are always available". Apple would never let you hide their own stuff.

 

[Powerbooky]

Sorry to say, but: "Some items in the tab bar are, however, fixed. For example, in the TV app, the Home, TV+, MLS, and Store tabs are always available". Apple would never let you hide their own stuff.

You're probably right. And of course... those huge MLS tiles and promos in the main screen of the app are easy to miss. And the content you're really looking for doesn't show up - I find it annoying that not every external streaming service connects to the ATV app for searching. And the few that do, only do that on the ATV, not on iPad or iPhone.

 

[mazz0]

This is weird - I don't get the new top bar in the TV app on iPad OS 18, only in the Home app, and there's no way to drag and drop items there that I can see.

It's worth noting that tab bars disappear when apps are in landscape orientation.

Not for me. I expected it to be orientation specific, ie to remember whether I had sidebar or tab bar visible in a given orientation, but it doesn't.

having the tab bar at the top of the app and between other navigational controls reduces the amount of horizontal and vertical space used up by the interface

This is nonsense. The space to either side isn't usable in any practical sense.

 

[Kylo83]

Now I see why the m4 is needed

 

[satchmo]

Apple’s creating a floating dynamic island ’look’ so iPads will match the iPhones. 😛

 

[Delgibbons]

In iPadOS 18, Apple has redesigned the tab bar experience in apps like Clock, Apple TV, and Apple News. Previously, tabs sat at the bottom of the standard app interface. When in portrait orientation, tab bars now sit at the top of the app interface to be closer to other navigation controls.

Apple says having the tab bar at the top of the app and between other navigational controls reduces the amount of horizontal and vertical space used up by the interface, and allows users to focus more on the content.

To accompany the new tab bars, sidebars in apps have also been updated to help users navigate apps and provide quick access to top-level destinations.

Together, side bars and tab bars support user customization, so it's now possible to drag and drop items from the sidebar into a pinned section on the tab bar for even quicker access to favorite content.

Some items in the tab bar are, however, fixed. For example, in the TV app, the Home, TV+, MLS, and Store tabs are always available, and at the end of the pinned section, the search option remains a constant presence. It's worth noting that tab bars disappear when apps are in landscape orientation.

Third-party developers have control over what appears in the new tab bar and sidebar, enabling them to determine what stays fixed, and what can be added or removed.

The iPadOS 18 beta is available to developers at the current time, with Apple planning to introduce a public beta in July.

Article Link: iPadOS 18 Brings a New Customizable Tab Bar and Sidebar UI to Apps

Finally!

The feature no one wanted. 🤦

 

[Frantisekj]

can’t wait to use the full power of the M4 chip to customize my tab bar

I am not iPad user but know that users complain that iPadOS lacks features to be more like desktop. What is missing. Only thing I really remeber is much better file management.

 

[StoneJack]

I am not iPad user but know that users complain that iPadOS lacks features to be more like desktop. What is missing. Only thing I really remeber is much better file management.

it is missing virtually everything in terms of desktop, file management and windows management.

 

[Agent4797]

This is also an example of confusing UI in iOS 18 and change for the sake of changes.
This was supposedly a design used for TVOS, okay, but why suddenly bring it to iPad, and only iPad?

If you shrink the window (sorry tile) of the app, the tab bar will go to the bottom, like on an iPhone.
So you will have tab navigation on the top, on the left, and on the bottom, on a single device - iPad

I really want to know why Apple make this update, like what's the philosophy behind it?
The reason they gave in the keynotes, was: to refresh the look of your App. Do they really just changed the system and interaction fundamentals for a visual refresher?

Now some people will never know how to access the full tab bar, like why would a top navigation component transition to a complete different side of the screen on a single click?

Personally I feel like this UI change simplifies things, not make it more complex.

in iOS 17 you have the sidebar and all other type of navigation at the top, meanwhile you have the tab bar at the bottom, by moving it all to the top it makes it easier to navigate. Sometimes I would miss an app having a tab bar because it feels so tucked away at the bottom on a larger screen like the iPad, or even bigger when you connect to an external display.

Now if you have a simple tab bar in your app it's at the top, if you have a side bar with more options it's still going to be at top of the screen. For me that just makes more sense.

In iOS 17 some apps like the Photos app have the same UI design at the top. Now that they use the same UI it's more coherent.

 

[jon9091]

So, now it’ll be right over someone’s face. Good idea. 🥴

 

[Mr Todhunter]

Can somebody please excuse my ignorance and tell me what MLS stands for?

 

[mazz0]

I am not iPad user but know that users complain that iPadOS lacks features to be more like desktop. What is missing. Only thing I really remeber is much better file management.

Decent window management and apps being allowed to keep running in the background.