Apple Music's Icon Goes Monochrome: What the Beta Reveals

Apple Music is testing a major change to its app icon, and the early reaction is far from positive. According to Engadget, the company has swapped its familiar red "beamed eighth note" icon—used for 13 years—for a simpler black-and-white version. The new icon appears in iOS 27.2 beta 4, with a white-on-black scheme in dark mode. A bolder, all-lowercase Apple Music logo also surfaced, first seen with the launch of Apple Music Hall, the company's new venue in London.

The redesign isn't just a color swap. The note is tilted slightly more to the left, the bottom of the notes are more oval-shaped, and there's a subtle drop shadow under the bar and notes. Apple also added a "Clear" version, and users can tint the icon to any color, as with other icons. Alongside the icon, the red color has been removed from home screen widgets, and the pink/red tint inside the app has turned blue.

Reaction on social media has been largely critical. Comments collected by Engadget include "Boring," "Generic," and "Graphics design is my passion vibes." One commenter called it "the worst logo change of all time," while another said the design "sucked up the charm." Some users defended the change, with one saying, "That's a great icon. That red made no sense to me," and another simply, "I love it." Engadget's own news editor joked, "Graphics is my passion-a** logo."

This is not the first time Apple has faced backlash over a visual overhaul. Engadget notes the company has a history of upsetting users with icon and UI changes, though people often grow accustomed to them and later mock the previous design. Still, the Music icon change seems to have struck a particular nerve, as Cult of Mac reported.

For now, the update is only in beta. Apple could still reverse course, but Engadget points out the company usually sticks to its guns on such changes. That means users should prepare for the new look to become permanent in a future release. The change is purely cosmetic—there's no indication of new features or functional improvements. Given the beta status, it's too early to say whether the design will be tweaked further or how it will be received once widely available.

For those who rely on Apple Music daily, the icon change is unlikely to affect how the app works. But for users who care about visual identity, the shift from red to monochrome is a significant departure. If you're in the beta program, you can see the new icon now; otherwise, you'll have to wait for the public release. Apple has not commented on the backlash, and it's unclear if user feedback will influence the final design.