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Comment by naikrovek | Hacker News Reader

> Nowadays even iOS will randomly change its UI

You and I have very different ideas of “random” I think.

Why with Tahoe did they get rid of the volume indicator that popped up middle of screen that they’ve had for 20+ years - a critical indicator that the volume controls are even working in the first place - in favor of a tiny set of bars at the top right of my screen in the menu bar where I can barely make them out? It’s also less precise about my volume level now. Why?

That sure seemed random. It sure isn’t functional.

Because before you many users complained "IT TAKES UP THE WHOLE SCREEN!!!!" and it was a bit annoying to be honest when it obscures a video or something else you're trying to view.

But it doesn’t take up the whole screen, it flashes for like 2 seconds, and it has been around so long that it has created a very ingrained user behavior.

I’d be very curious to see how many complaints they’ve actually gotten about it. This definitely struck me as “random”

what kind of video are you watching where you need to change the volume so often and missing two seconds of part of the video would be such an issue?

Look. I wanted to change the volume. My hand went to the keyboard. I felt the key. I felt the key press down. The volume changed.

That's all the feedback I need! I don't need my vision stuffed with that information.

But yeah, it did look cute and should be an option between "Expressive" or "Minimal" UI.

The issue arises when my output is not what I think it is or the audio is otherwise not being adjusted (happens a lot when your pushing through an HDMI output). It could be going out my speakers, my headphones, or something else entirely. So when I’m pressing the volume up and down trying to see what is going on, I don’t want to have to squint at a very tiny set of bars in the top menu bar. That is annoying and far more distracting than an opaque layer that gives me clear information showing up for 2 seconds.

At the end of the day I want Apple to adhere to the “it just works” philosophy. That little pop up served as a critical source of information I needed daily that tells me more than just the volume level. It’s easy to understand, it’s been consistent for I believe two decades, and it provides information to multiple questions instantly. It did not need to be changed and what they changed it to is worse.

* what they changed it to is worse _for you_

Some of us hated that floating overlay with a passion and wish it only the best riddance on its way out the door.

it’s ok to be wrong! (Purely a joke I hope that’s clear)

> That sure seemed random.

Unexpected, yes. Random, no.

> “You and I have very different ideas of “random” I think.”

Indeed, not ‘random’. With respect to iOS26 what word should one use? Premeditated? Deliberate? Maliciously?

"unexpectedly"?

"without cause"?

> Indeed, not ‘random’. With respect to iOS26 what word should one use? Premeditated? Deliberate? Maliciously?

Ejaculated ? Something coming out of a reproductive organ, with no idea of real world consequences.

Maybe a better definition is “for seemingly no reason”?

“Arbitrary” is the word people often should reach for instead of “random”.

what are you trying to say here?

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