GoKawiilApple reverses default menu icons introduced in macOS Tahoe
Apple shipped macOS Tahoe with icons added to every menu item by default, a design choice that drew criticism. In the upcoming release referred to as Golden Gate, Apple has removed that default, and its updated Human Interface Guidelines now cite Tahoe's all-icon menus as an example of what not to do, according to John Gruber's reporting from June.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The reversal gives developers and designers a concrete precedent to cite when arguing against icon-heavy menu design, since Apple itself tested the approach for a year before rolling it back. It also signals that Apple's Human Interface Guidelines can shift in response to real-world feedback on its own shipped designs, which may influence how closely third-party apps follow future Apple UI trends.
- macOS Tahoe introduced default icons in every menu item, a widely criticized design choice.
- Apple's next release reverses this, removing default menu icons.
- Apple's Human Interface Guidelines now explicitly flag the Tahoe menu approach as a design mistake.
Source: blog.jim-nielsen.com — Jim Nielsen, 2026-10-20
Published there as: “No More Icons in Every Menu by Default”
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