Apple's iOS 27.2 is set to launch next week, and alongside its new features it will change the look of two of the company's own apps: Music and Books, according to a report from 9to5Mac.
In Music, the update brings the app in line with a design rebrand that Apple Music recently rolled out. The most noticeable change is a new app icon that replaces the red used until now with black and white. The departure from red carries through to other parts of the app as well.
In the tab bar, the accent color marking the active tab changes from red to blue. In the Library, sections such as Playlists, Artists and Albums appear entirely in monochrome.
Music widgets are affected too. Those placed on the Home Screen or in the Today view no longer have the former red background, and all of them now use a black background instead.
The Books app, meanwhile, receives design updates focused on the reading experience. Readers can now follow their position in a book with progress bars.
The menu in the bottom-right corner has a new icon and has become a standard Liquid Glass menu, matching the menus found in other Apple apps. The bookmark option has been taken out of that menu and now sits in the upper-right of the reader view as its own button.
Two other controls have also moved. The 'X' button is now in the upper-left corner, while the 'Back' button has shifted to the lower-left and is larger than before.
9to5Mac says the Books changes were likely prompted by the arrival of the iPhone Duo. The outlet describes the device as a great e-reader, and says it also gives Apple a reason to avoid custom-built interface elements for things like menus and buttons. Apple's stock controls reposition themselves dynamically for different iPhone models, which the old Books controls likely would not have done.
