iOS 7: A Radical Redesign and the Modern iOS Foundation

The first release of iOS 7 was announced on June 10, 2013 and released publicly – alongside the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c (both of which preinstalled with iOS 7) – on September 18, 2013. This was the largest visual change to iOS since its inception, it adopted a new flat design language, the old skeuomorphic style of previous versions was gone for good.

This particular was relapse was Jony Ive’s first under as design overseer following the ouster of Scott Forstall to iOS 6. It was, of course, more than just a cosmetic overhaul; iOS 7 reshaped the very feel of Apple’s mobile OS, setting the tone for mobile design everywhere in the process.

Flat, Light, Layered — A Case Study in Visual Redesign

But by far the new iOS 7 look-and-feel was its most dramatic difference.

Instead of textural wood or leather, got rid of those elements and replaced them with flat icons, translucent layers and bright pastel colors.

Implemented parallax motion effects and physics-based animations for depth and realism.

Fonts were made thinner and designers simplified interface elements to focus on clarity, space saving and motion.

The redesign was controversial at first, but it set the echelon for mobile UI trends and paved Apple’s software design for 10 years.

Control Center: Now Its Your Turnistrates all the essential tools

One of the killer features in iOS 7 is the Control Center, available via a swipe up from the bottom of the screen, which provides quick access to important settings and functionalities:

From the bottom of the screen, users could swipe up to toggle Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb, and Airplane Mode on or off; adjust brightness and volume; control music playback with a mini-player that had shortcuts for Flashlight, Camera, Timer, and Calculatorutility apps.

The Control Center would go on to become one of the most beloved and enduring features in iOS, adding other functionalities in later releases.

Multitasking: Smarter and More Visual

In iOS 7, Apple redesigned multitasking around the card-based app switcher of OS X.

The app icons were replaced by live previews when you double-pressed the Home button.

Intelligent App Update included Predictive Scheduling based on user behavior and network conditions.

It wasn’t true background processing, but it was a way for iOS to be less reactive and more proactive without draining a users battery life.

AirDrop: Local Sharing Made Easy

iOS received its first ever implementation of AirDrop in the form of Apple:

Enabled users to share files such as photos, videos, contacts and links with other nearby iOS devices without needing an Internet connection or NFC by establishing a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth LE “handoff”.

AirDrop was lightning fast and, particularly in social or collaborative situations, literally easy as spit.

Notification Center and Today View

Notification Center:*The Notification Center in iOS 7 also received an overhaul.

Today, All and Missed tabs

This feature was similar to the Today view, and contained weather information, calendar events, reminders, and traffic conditions.

Notifications were made more actionable and system-wide went through a more consistent revamping.

This was sort of the beginning in which iOS began evolving toward a more context-aware, informative system.

Images and Photography: Time and Arty Filters

Now onto the Photos and Camera improvements:

“Moments,” similar photos taken at roughly the same time and location, were automatically created to help deal with large libraries.

The camera app got inbuilt filters, square photo mode and even easier access to video and panorama modes.

Shared Photo Streams allowed album contribution with enhanced photo sharing features.

App Store and Automatic Updates

App Store got quite a few usability improvements received

Reduced dependence on manual maintenance, through the introduction of automatic app updates.

Pointing at the user-location (This feature was later removed in other versions)frame near me showed popular apps.

New layout for app listings which now include age ratings, popular search suggestions and much more.

Safari: Search & Tabs →

iOS 7 had a new safari browser which was greatly simplified and supercharged.

Merged the search and address bar into a single field (known as the “smart search field”).

New 3D tab switcher to make finding a single open tab in the stack of many tabs more convenient.

Now supports iCloud Keychain to store passwords and credit card information securely.

iTunes Radio and Music Enhancements

With iOS 7 came iTunes Radio, which Apple branded as its Pandora-killer:

Provided Internet radio stations based on user preferences and music collection.

Free (ad-supported) service with ad-free available for iTunes Match subscribers; integrated in the Music app.

This came before the launch of Apple Music two years later.

Find My iPhone and iCloud Activation Lock

When Activation Lock debuted in iOS 7, it was one of the most significant theft deterrents ever:

Assigned the device to the Apple ID of the user, which would prevent its use even if wiped.

The new phone became significantly harder to steal with the improvements to Find My iPhone.

Security experts and law enforcement hailed this as a step in the right direction.

Other Notable Features

Enhancements to Siri: Natural voices plus new Wikipedia knowledge integration, Twitter search, system-settings control.

First time Apple replaced the original iOS defaults with new ringtones and system sounds.

Dynamic wallpapers and motion effects provided an extra element of fun to the Home and Lock Screens.

iOS 7. x-Release Updates: Fine-tuning and new Hardware Support

iOS 7.0.3 — iCloud Keychain, accelerometer issue fix, performance improvements

iOS 7.1: UI refinements, CarPlay and bug fixesFaster animationsBolder buttonsCarPlay integrationBug fixesFor specific features, go here [sku].

iOS 7.1.2 – last version (launched June 30, 2014): Security and bug fix update.

In Summary

More: iOS 7 was a revolutionary redesign of Apple’s mobile experience that took the existing iOS interface and turned it completely on its head, introducing lasting features like Control Center, AirDrop and Activation Lock. The redesign itself, while initially controversial and inscrutable on a level that perhaps only a complete rethinking of the interface for 500+ million active devices can be, dragged iOS into the modern age, as well as articulating in no uncertain terms the design philosophy and system structure Apple would build the future version of its mobile platform around. All that jazz is well and good, but a visual refresh alone doesn’t constitute a reimagining of iOS.

1. When was iOS 7 released?

Apple announced iOS 7 at WWDC on June 10, 2013, and officially released it on September 18, 2013, alongside the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. It marked the first major design overhaul of iOS since the original iPhone in 2007.

2. Which devices supported iOS 7?

iOS 7 supported the iPhone 4 and newer, iPad 2 and later, iPad mini (1st gen), and the iPod touch (5th generation). However, not all features were available on older devices due to hardware limitations, and some older models, like the iPhone 4, struggled with performance under the new design.

3. What was the most significant change in iOS 7?

The most striking change was the complete visual redesign. Apple abandoned skeuomorphism (textures like leather, wood, and glass) in favor of a flat, modern, colorful design. Icons were simplified, transparency effects were added, and the overall look felt lighter and cleaner. This design language shaped iOS for years to come.

4. What was new about the Control Center?

iOS 7 introduced the Control Center, a feature that gave users quick access to essential settings by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. It included toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane Mode, brightness, music controls, flashlight, calculator, and camera. This was one of the most useful new features and is still a core part of iOS today.

5. How did Multitasking change in iOS 7?

Multitasking was redesigned with a card-style interface, showing live previews of apps when double-pressing the home button. iOS 7 also introduced smarter background app updates, allowing apps to refresh content when needed instead of only when launched. This made the experience smoother and more efficient for users.

6. What improvements came to Notification Center?

Notification Center received a major upgrade with the introduction of the Today View, which displayed calendar events, reminders, weather, and other useful information. This gave iPhone users a quick overview of their day, making notifications and schedules easier to manage.

7. What was new in AirDrop?

iOS 7 introduced AirDrop for iPhone and iPad, allowing users to quickly share photos, files, and links with nearby Apple devices. Using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, AirDrop made sharing much faster than traditional methods like email or messaging. It became a signature feature for Apple’s ecosystem.

8. How did iOS 7 improve Siri?

Siri in iOS 7 gained a new, more natural-sounding voice, available in both male and female options. It could now control more system settings like Bluetooth and brightness, as well as search Wikipedia and Twitter. These improvements made Siri more practical for everyday use.

9. What other apps and system features were redesigned?

Nearly every stock app, from Messages and Mail to Safari and Photos, was redesigned with the new flat aesthetic. Safari introduced a unified search bar, unlimited tabs with a new 3D card view, and iCloud Keychain for storing passwords. The Camera app gained filters and a new interface, while Photos introduced Moments, automatically organizing pictures by time and location.

10. How was iOS 7 received overall?

iOS 7 was both praised and criticized. Many loved the fresh, modern design and new features like Control Center and AirDrop. However, some users disliked the drastic visual changes, and performance issues on older devices caused frustration. Over time, though, iOS 7 came to be seen as a turning point, modernizing the iPhone’s interface and laying the foundation for future updates.