iOS 27.2 launches next week with a range of new features, along with design changes for select Apple apps. The most visible update comes to Apple Music, which extends the rebrand Apple recently rolled out. The old red identity is gone: a new black-and-white app icon replaces the previous look, the active tab accent color is now blue instead of red, and sections like Playlists, Artists, and Albums in your Library are fully monochrome. Music widgets on the Home Screen and Today view also drop their red backgrounds in favor of black.
Apple Books receives updates focused on the reading experience. Progress bars now show where you are in a book. The bottom-right menu has a new icon and adopts the standard Liquid Glass menu style used across other apps for consistency. Bookmark has moved out of that menu and now sits as a standalone button in the upper-right of the reader view. The 'X' button has shifted to the upper-left corner, and the 'Back' button has moved to the lower-left and is larger than before.
These changes were likely motivated by the iPhone Duo's introduction. The Duo is a strong e-reader, and Apple's stock controls reposition dynamically across different iPhone models, something the old custom Books controls likely could not do as well. Relying on standard UI elements for menus and buttons helps the design adapt more smoothly.
Readers can share their thoughts on the iOS 27.2 design updates for Music and Books in the comments.
Source: 9to5Mac · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing