Designing the iPhone 8 App Switcher (Part 2)

In "Homeless iPhone (Part 1)", I explored how the iOS 11 iPad app switcher could inspire a multitasking interface for the buttonless "iPhone 8". Since then, I‘ve been deluged with feedback and insights from across the design and development community.

To fully grasp the scope of such an undertaking, it‘s worth stepping back to examine the role of the app switcher in the overall iOS experience. As a full-stack developer and longtime iPhone user myself, I know how crucial multitasking is to both the system architecture and the minute-by-minute navigation of the device.

By the Numbers: App Switching on iOS

Just how much do users rely on the app switcher? According to research firm Sensor Tower, the average iPhone user in the US accesses around 40 unique apps per month. But frequency tells only part of the story. A 2016 study by App Annie found that users averaged 10 sessions per day in their top 5 apps alone:

These brief, frequent sessions paint a picture of fast app switching as the norm, with the home button at the center of the experience. In fact, Apple‘s own research found that users click the home button an average of 89 times per day. It‘s no wonder that iOS 11 includes major enhancements to the app switcher on the iPad, with smoother multitasking as a headline feature.

The current app switcher not only provides critical navigation, but a snapshot of your entire workflow. Of the 40+ apps used per month, analytics firm Flurry found that the majority fall into Messaging/Social, Entertainment, and Utility categories:

Any redesign of the app switcher must account for these diverse use cases – from rapidly bouncing between messages to picking up a complex task flow in a productivity app. It‘s a delicate balance of speed, clarity, and flexibility.

Ergonomic & Technical Constraints

Adapting the iPad app switcher to the iPhone 8 poses unique challenges, both ergonomic and technical. Chief among these is the sheer difference in screen size and aspect ratio.

The 12.9" iPad Pro offers an expansive canvas of 2732×2048 pixels (5.6 million pixels total). The 5.8" iPhone 8 display, by comparison, is rumored to be 1125×2436 pixels (2.7 million pixels). Even with an edge-to-edge design, the iPhone will have around half the usable screen real estate of its iPad cousin.

Add to that the much denser pixel pitch of the iPhone display (521 ppi vs. 264 ppi on the iPad), and you have a very different information density and viewing distance to account for. Controls and thumbnails that are generous on the iPad can quickly become cramped on the iPhone.

Ignoring these physical realities leads to an awkward, frustrating experience. Case in point: when the iPad-style multitasking gestures were first ported to the Plus model iPhones in iOS 10, users complained about frequent mis-triggering and visual clutter.

Technically, shrinking the iPad app switcher layout means rethinking navigation affordances. The iPhone X leak from Apple‘s own HomePod firmware suggests that the bottom area of the screen will be reserved for a new "home indicator" – a software-based substitute for the physical home button.

Tapping this home indicator will likely exit to the home screen, while swiping up will open the app switcher. A double-swipe could access Control Center. This means that any UI elements placed at the very bottom of the screen (like the app drawer handle on the iPad) would conflict with the home indicator.

Performance is also a perennial concern on mobile devices. The iPad app switcher‘s physics-based scrolling, high-fidelity previews, and blur effects are GPU-intensive. Apple‘s A10X chip in the iPad Pro has extra graphics muscle to maintain a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, while the iPhone 8‘s A11 chip will likely target a more battery-friendly 60Hz.

To compensate, app previews on the iPhone may need to be simplified, perhaps using static screenshots instead of live video. Alternatively, apps in the scroller could "hibernate" after a certain period of inactivity, as suggested by iOS developer Adam Bell:

Idea: the iPhone 8 app switcher could freeze background apps that haven't been active for a while, until you actually switch to them

— Adam Bell (@b3ll) September 4, 2017

These are just some of the design and development considerations I kept in mind while iterating on my iPhone 8 app switcher concept. By deeply understanding the context, constraints, and challenges involved, we can craft solutions that are not only visually appealing but technically feasible and functionally delightful.

Switcher as Experience Hub

Beyond basic app switching, Apple has steadily added new capabilities to the iPad app switcher in iOS 11. It now serves as a hub for Split View multitasking, the redesigned Control Center, and the persistent Dock.

I believe we‘ll see a similar evolution of the app switcher on the iPhone in the coming years. As Apple pushes developers to adopt size classes and Auto Layout, more apps will become adaptive to different display modes. The iPhone 8‘s taller aspect ratio could open the door to side-by-side app pairings, like a compact Split View.

We may also see the app switcher become a jumping off point for Siri suggestions, 3D Touch quick actions, and intelligent automation. iOS 11 already uses machine learning to surface relevant apps in the iPad Dock based on your usage patterns. I could imagine a proactive app switcher on the iPhone that resurfaces your last-used workspace whenever you connect to your car‘s Bluetooth or arrive at the office.

The key is to balance simplicity with power. Too many options and controls will clutter the UI and bog down performance. But if executed tastefully, the app switcher could shift from a mere task manager to an indispensable hub for navigating your digital life.

Planning for the Future

As a designer and developer, it‘s exciting to imagine the possibilities of a home button-less iPhone interface. But it‘s also important to stay grounded in the practical realities and needs of our users. Any radical changes to navigation must be carefully considered and rigorously tested.

Change is inevitable, but familiarity breeds comfort. I suspect the physical home button will stick around for at least another iPhone generation, even if it‘s virtualized via haptic feedback. But it‘s not too early to start designing for a future beyond the home button.

Technologies like AR, AI, and voice interaction are rapidly evolving, and they each demand new interaction models and design patterns. The app switcher, as unglamorous as it seems, could be a key touchpoint in this brave new world.

By deeply understanding the ergonomic, technical, and experiential factors involved – and staying attuned to the evolving needs and expectations of our users – we can craft app switcher interfaces that are not only visually sleek but functionally seamless. Interfaces that empower rather than impede. Interfaces that adapt and flex to the changing contexts of our lives.

As Jony Ive, Apple‘s Chief Design Officer, is fond of saying: the best designs are the ones that appear "inevitable" in retrospect. They just make sense. If the app switcher on the iPhone 8 (and beyond) can achieve that level of intuitive usability and effortless flow, I‘ll consider it a home run. Even without a home button.