Hey there audio friend!
We are starting our blog and newsletter in anticipation of our app launch.
We love when apps and hardware are done correctly. That's why we want to explore what inspired us to redesign the Apple’s Voice Memos app, which we are calling Sound Library. We took a look at Apple Photos iOS 17, which served as a source of inspiration for organizing large collections. But since iOS 18, Apple decided to change the functionality and emotional value of the app. They did this by changing the design of the app itself. And in doing so they ended up breaking something that did not need breaking.
Image Source: Library Tab Apple Photos iOS17 © Apple Inc. Used for educational illustration under fair use.
Apple Photos iOS17 - Hierarchy Diagram
|-- Library
| |-- Grid of Photos
| |-- Segment Controller (Years, Months, Days, All Photos)
|-- Albums
| |-- My albums
| |-- Shared Albums
| |-- People, pet & places
| |-- Media types
| `-- Utilities
|-- For You
| |-- Memories
| |-- Featured photos
| |-- Shared with you
| `-- Shared album activity
`-- Search
|-- Search bar
|-- Moments
|-- People & pets
|-- Places
|-- Categories
|-- Groups
`-- Recently Searched
Image Source: Scroll View Apple Photos iOS18 © Apple Inc. Used for educational illustration under fair use.
Apple Photos iOS26 (iOS18) - Hierarchy Diagram
|-- Grid of Photos (Search on top navigation)
|-- Segment Controller (Years, Months, Days)
|-- Recent Days
|-- Albums
|-- People and Pets
|-- Memories
|-- Trips
|-- Shared Albums
|-- Pinned Collections
|-- Featured Photos
|-- Media Types
|-- Utilities
`-- Wallpaper SuggestionsSo what exactly went wrong?
In iOS 17, Apple Photos was simple, predictable, and deeply personal. It was our digital memory box — the modern equivalent of those photo albums our parents kept on the shelf. First steps. Last birthdays. Screenshots we forgot we saved. It wasn't flashy, but it worked. Millions of users had built daily habits around it.
Then came iOS 18.
In our first blog post, we break down how Apple transformed a trusted memory archive into something that prioritized algorithmic feeds over user control. It's a cautionary tale about design decisions, user trust, and what happens when companies chase innovation at the expense of intuition.
This matters for our Sound Library because we believe in learning from both successes and mistakes. iOS 17 Photos got it right — and that's the spirit we're bringing to audio recording.
More to come soon.
H. & J.
P.S. — As Don Draper once said about nostalgia: "It's a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone." The best apps understand this. We're making sure ours does too.