WWDC 2023 Wish Lists
Let’s be clear: what I really and truly wish for the next iteration of macOS is a new found-focus on stability, polish and bug fixes.
The next macOS should be a “Snow Leopard” kind of release.
As Apple’s operating system line has grown from one to at least five — more if you count the HomePod’s audioOS and BridgeOS for Macs with T-series chips — the limitations of scale have begun to show. New versions of iPadOS oscillate between key feature updates to fundamental parts of the system, like multitasking, one year, and tepid improvements the next. iOS is a mature platform and, so, it makes sense for there to be fewer core feature updates, but one wishes the slower development cycle would bring increased stability and refinement; actual results have been mixed. MacOS is the system which feels like it ought to be the closest to some imagined finish line, but it also seems like it is decaying in its most core qualities — I am having problems with windows losing foregrounding or not becoming focused when they should. Also, why are Notifications still like that?
A general theme on speed and reliability at the OS and app level. Especially Mail and Music.
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Extensions for 3rd party browsers.
For example, one addition I’d really like to see is improvements to iOS’s autocorrect system.
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Other small improvements that would be nice to have could include breaking the Passwords section of Settings out into its own app, tweaking the way multiple calendars appear in the Calendar app, and allowing more widgets on the lock screen, just to name a few.
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One big nice to have feature I’d like to see in macOS 14 is letting widgets live outside of their little column in Notification Center.
My iOS 17 feature request is for Safari extensions to work in embedded views.
All I want out of macOS 14 is for a screenshot naming scheme that results in them being in chronological order when they are sorted alphabetically.
Here’s my dream for WWDC23:
In macOS 14, when you open a new Mail draft, if you close it within 5 seconds you will not be prompted to save that unaddressed, empty, clearly accidental draft.
- Xcode only shows actual, current errors
- Xcode shows errors where they happened
- Xcode doesn’t run an old version of an app if there were build errors
- Xcode doesn’t come up with some strange error if I forgot a „?“
Xcode can actually attach the debugger to the test runner app reliably.
- When a build fails, actually show me the build errors, every time, without me having to attempt the build again or restart Xcode
- When a build error/warning is corrected, stop showing it, instead of leaving it on the list, sometimes for days, unless I do a full derived data delete and restart
WWDC 23 wish: fast, reliable UI tests.
This message brought to you by Failed to launch app with identifier and Failed to terminate.
My top Xcode issues are showing incorrect errors, compiler crashes, tests failing to run, and tests not running in Instruments.
If the only new feature in the next macOS is that they’d quit hiding controls (like the button on Reminders notifications), I’d be pretty dang happy.
If the only bug fix in macOS 14 is the server icon in the Finder sidebar, I will be happy.
I really shouldn't be so bothered by this. But goddamn. It annoys the hell out of me every. single. time.
For the record, it’s not just the server icon in the sidebar. It’s also the server icon on the desktop and in Finder windows. And it’s network folder icons too. In other words, it’s even more annoying than what Jesse says. But of course it’s intermittent, so Apple’s software engineers cannot be bothered to make the effort to reproduce and fix.
Me if iOS 17 does not let me replace the flashlight and camera buttons on the Lock Screen with buttons that run any shortcut.
Mysk:
The top feature on our iOS wishlist remains: “Allow app access to location for 10 minutes”
What I’m hoping or expecting to see in terms of iPadOS and apps[…]
This week on AppStories, we talk about Logic Pro for iPad and our wishes for Apple’s rumored mixed reality OS, xrOS.
macos wishes for wwdc that will not happen but totally should:
- netboot returns.
- configuration xml at root of drive to configure setup assistant
- system preferences that work like a mac app
- don’t have to quit apps when enabling sharing screen
- ability to install profiles without an mdm or user approval each time.
- a pony
A single, coherent, OS-wide automation framework that allows non-devs to create their own automation solutions and not rely on app devs to build shortcuts.
You’ll absolutely get a pony first.
Previously:
Update (2023-06-02): Brian Stucki:
Another wish list item: fix screen time.
We asked our team to share their biggest wishes and predictions for the event, from SwiftUI APIs to interactive widgets on iOS.
Every single year: “The next macOS should be a ‘Snow Leopard’ kind of release.”
Every year we ask Santa for a Snow Leopard and we get whatever iOS didn’t want.
All I want for WWDC is to be able to delete this:
UIControl().sendAction(#selector(URLSessionTask.suspend), to: UIApplication.shared, for: nil)
My wish for WWDC2023 is if I get a voice mail on my iPhone, I actually have the voice mail available before or at the same time as the transcribed text message, instead of hours or days later.
A softwareupdate function that works repeatably and reliably to present the user with pending updates. This functionality has been broken and unreliable on macOS since macOS 11 and the changes revolving around Apple Silicon (volume ownership).
Same here.
My WWDC wishlist is an M3 processor for the App Store Connect server.
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Three things:
• macOS allowing to setup Apple watch, not requiring iPhone (and more). Check out:
Standalone Apple Watch with NO dependency on iPhone or any other device (except Mac). Add camera to take pictures, work as scanner (including Apple Live Text) and web browser like Safari to read QR codes. An extra bonus would be to connect it to the Mac. Then I am sold:
Time For The Apple Watch to Separate From The iPhone
https://www.macobserver.com/link/time-for-the-apple-watch-to-separate-from-the-iphone
It’s Time for the Apple Watch to Break Free From the iPhone
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-10-10/can-the-apple-watch-series-7-work-on-its-own-without-an-iphone-kulj7h7o
Future Apple Watch Update to Enable Pairing With Multiple Apple Devices Rather Than Just One iPhone, Claims Leaker
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/04/27/apple-watch-pairing-multiple-apple-devices
• Fixing this:
macOS 13 Ventura BREAKS Panasonic TV connection via HDMI
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254775822
• Boot Camp for Apple silicon Macs to natively run Windows.
WWDC 2023 wishes:
- less awkward sessions videos and get rid of the boring fullscreen animated prologues.
- less Food Truck apps boring demos.
- less Swift language sessions.
- more real APIs sessions.
- more macOS sessions.
The ability to easily run iOS/MacOS/GlassOS software without Apple's consent or notarization so that they are computers again, not consoles.
I'm also curious how good/awful the glasses will be.
- Not having to restart an app for full disk access.
- Documentation. I know I'm odd.
- FFS fix the §$%& bug with emptying the trash. This can't be so complicated.
11 inches M1 MacBook. For who wants and needs a Mac without the added weight of the current MacBook Air.