As the tech world buzzes with rumors of a significant iOS and macOS redesign coming this year, many speculate that this may serve as a distraction from ongoing issues surrounding Apple Intelligence. While I'm eager for a fresh look across the Apple software I use daily, I have one heartfelt request: please, for the love of all things tech, make the Notes app render the letter “a” properly.
To understand the peculiarities of the Notes app, let’s rewind a bit. Apple first introduced the San Francisco typeface alongside the launch of the original Apple Watch in 2015. This sleek font became the standard across nearly all Apple devices within a few years. From Messages to Apple Music and Maps, various applications utilize different styles of the San Francisco font, which generally offers a consistent and cohesive appearance.
However, something felt “off” in the Apple Notes app. While the font appears consistent with other San Francisco variants, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. After a considerable amount of time, I pinpointed the issue: the lowercase “a” in the Notes app does not match its rendering elsewhere in the Apple ecosystem. Instead, it uses a “single storey a,” resembling the handwritten version of the letter.
As far as I can determine, the Notes app is the only first-party application that employs this single-storey “a.” In contrast, most other apps, including this website, utilize the more commonly accepted double-storey “a.” Although this discrepancy may seem trivial, its random nature is what irks me. For years, the Notes app felt visually incorrect, and I struggled to articulate why until now.
Recently, a lively discussion about fonts in the Engadget Slack channel sparked my curiosity about this peculiar rendering. My colleagues echoed my sentiment, acknowledging that the difference is indeed bizarre, even if they found my fixation on a single character somewhat eccentric. This conversation motivated me to dive deeper into Apple’s system fonts, searching for the elusive “Latin small letter Alpha,” or α, as suggested by our resident Greek Cypriot, Aaron Souppouris.
Interestingly, the single-storey “a” appears in Notes instead of the standard “a,” and it doesn't seem to belong to any font variant that I could find. This raises questions: how did this font choice come to be? Was the decision rooted in the Notes app's original skeuomorphic design, which emulated handwritten text? Or did it simply slip through the cracks over the years, remaining unchanged because most users did not consciously notice the difference?
As we anticipate the upcoming iOS 19 and corresponding macOS redesign, I sincerely hope Apple addresses this typographical inconsistency. Generally, I find the default Apple font to be acceptable, though opinions on typography can be quite polarized. Yet, I must admit that I would miss the quirky α; it adds a layer of mystery that is always enjoyable to ponder, regardless of its inconsequential nature.
In conclusion, while the impending redesign may bring exciting new features and aesthetics, I hope Apple takes the time to consider even the smallest details, such as the rendering of a single letter in the Notes app. After all, it's the little things that can make a significant impact on user experience.
