In macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple has significantly reduced the number of menu item icons that were prevalent in macOS 26 Tahoe. This change addresses widespread criticism from designers and developers who found the previous icons inconsistent and often confusing.
macOS 26 Tahoe introduced small icons next to nearly every menu bar entry across Apple’s applications. However, many users found these icons to be inconsistent and difficult to interpret, with different Apple apps displaying varying icons for identical menu items. The backlash was strong enough that some developers implemented open-source code to disable these icons by default.
With the release of macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple has removed many of these icons, retaining them only where they add genuine value. The company’s updated Human Interface Guidelines now advise developers to use menu item icons “sparingly and with purpose,” reserving them for common actions, file system locations, connected devices, and similar cases.
macOS 27 is currently available in developer beta, with a public beta expected next month and a general release slated for the fall.
This revision reflects Apple’s responsiveness to user feedback, aiming to enhance the clarity and usability of the macOS interface. By streamlining menu visuals, Apple seeks to provide a more intuitive and consistent user experience.
Source: MacRumors
