Apple Music Goes Monochrome In Ios 27.2 Beta
Apple Music’s red icon has been replaced by a black-and-white design in an iOS 27.2 beta, alongside other color changes that have drawn mixed reactions.
Apple Music’s familiar red app icon has been replaced by a black-and-white design in the iOS 27.2 beta. Engadget says the change appears in beta 4, while The Verge, citing 9to5Mac, reports that the latest beta also changes the colors of the app’s widgets and navigation. The redesign is still in beta, so it remains unclear whether it will reach a public release unchanged.
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A new look for the music note
In light mode, the updated icon shows a black music note on a white background; dark mode reverses those colors, according to The Verge. Engadget says the note leans slightly farther left than before, with more oval-shaped ends and a subtle shadow beneath it. The Verge describes its angle as slightly sharper. Both outlets note that users can also see a tinted version of the icon, rather than only the default monochrome designs.
The change moves away from the red icon that Engadget describes as a 13-year-old part of Apple Music’s visual identity. Engadget also reports that a Clear version is available and that the icon can be tinted to a user’s chosen color. The Verge suggests that, if the design reaches a public iOS release, tinting could offer a way to give the icon a look closer to its former red appearance.
Color changes extend into the app
The icon is not the only element losing its red tones. Engadget says Apple Music has removed red from its home-screen widgets and changed the pink-and-red tint inside the app to blue. The Verge, again citing 9to5Mac, says the widgets now have black backgrounds and that blue marks the active tab in the app’s tab bar.
Both outlets connect the icon to another recent Apple Music design change, though neither says Apple has confirmed the connection. Engadget reports that a bolder, lowercase Apple Music logo appeared with the launch of Apple Music Hall, a new venue in London. The Verge says the logo was spotted on the venue’s website and raises the possibility that the app icon is being refreshed to match.
Reaction remains divided
Engadget reports that many online commenters have criticized the new icon as dull or unnecessary, while others prefer it to the red design. Those reactions concern a beta version, not a confirmed final design. Engadget notes that Apple could still change the icon before release, even though it says the company generally keeps such design changes.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.