Apple's Liquid Glass design language has caused controversy, particularly with regard to the icons in MacOS 26 Tahoe. One of the icons, Macintosh HD, was changed in response to criticism.
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The original Macintosh HD icon depicted a spinning hard drive, which became obsolete after Apple switched to chip-mounted SSDs. This year, Apple introduced a new icon representing an SSD, but it faced criticism for depicting an external SSD that didn't look like the internal version. Critics pointed to issues like an off-center USB-C connector and the misalignment of the Apple logo.
In response, Apple released a revised version with a better-aligned logo and removed the USB-C connector and holes. However, some critics argue that many of macOS 26 Tahoe's icons are still lacking. The Basic Apple Guy noted that the icons for utility apps lack a distinctive look, making it difficult to identify their functions at a glance.
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John Gruber of Daring Fireball criticized this year's app icons as "objectively bad," arguing that they resemble placeholder icons created by a developer who admits to a lack of artistic skill. He pointed out that the icons use a repeating "key" pattern, limiting their effectiveness in conveying the app's purpose.
Paul Kafasis described the new icons as 'terrible', providing detailed reviews of various examples, calling them 'awful', 'simplistic', 'insipid', 'lifeless', 'amateurish', 'dead', 'soulless' and likening them to art from a kindergarten class. He also criticized the calendar icon for depicting a month with only 24 days.
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What's your take on the controversy? Do you think the new Mac icons are better, worse, or just different?
