Apple's revamped iBooks app on iOS 12 will likely feature a "Today" tab that promotes books, authors, and related content on a daily basis.

iBooks
That's according to Japanese blog Mac Otakara, which reports that Apple appears to be headhunting employees from publications to build out an editorial team that would curate the content to appear in the Today tab of iBooks. Apple has posted a series of iBooks editor job listings on LinkedIn in recent months.

The rumor makes sense given Apple plans to redesign the iBooks app with a similar layout as the App Store on iOS 11, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The new App Store features a Today section of its own that highlights apps, games, developers, sales, and other app-related content on a daily basis.

iBooks currently has five tabs: My Books, Featured, Top Charts, Search, and Purchased. Once the app is redesigned, it's reasonable to assume the tabs could become something like Today, Reading, Books, Audio, and Search.

Apple renamed the iBooks app to Books in the first iOS 11.3 beta, but the name was reverted to iBooks in the fourth beta and remains that way. Perhaps we'll see the simpler Books name return when iOS 12 is released. The software update should be previewed and enter beta testing at WWDC 2018 in early June.

Top Rated Comments

nt5672 Avatar
103 months ago
I don't want Apple's view of what I should read. How about making the search actually work. How about providing better search for PDFs that are on the web. How about better search for PDFs in Gutenberg. There are so many ways to improve iBooks that adding advertising is not it.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Superhappytree Avatar
103 months ago
Will they also make it as awful as the App Store?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mikesch Avatar
103 months ago
Don't you dare get my hopes up, lol.

I'm not asking for iOS6 again, I just want the iBooks app to feel like I'm looking at a book again. Those little flourishes were what actually made me get my OG iPad.
Do you have a that snapshot image of the skeumorphic design you can share?

Those are some of the new assets that could be found in the early iOS 11.3 beta IPSWs (before Apple reverted the iBooks/Books app to its pre-iOS 11.3 state in beta 4). The book design is reminiscent of iOS 6, but much flatter with very little texturing. Apart from that, the design language is very similar to the Music, Podcasts, App Store and TV apps, with things like 3D Touch action menus coming to the Books app. Some icons are used for a new "Want to Read" feature (which could probably be something like a wish list). There are also some "Add to Library" icons, that, along with the new welcome screens, could possibly mean that there will be an Apple Books subscription service. And the Love/Dislike controls from Apple Music were also present, hinting at some kind of recommendation feature.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
silvetti Avatar
103 months ago
Probably will be US only at launch with more countries to follow (with no update for the next 3 years).
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
akodakmoment Avatar
103 months ago
What a joke that to add a section to an app, you have to release an entire OS update.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IGI2 Avatar
103 months ago
Probably will be US only at launch with more countries to follow (with no update for the next 3 years).
Give it 5 or 15 years.

You can ask me in 5 years time whether the App Store editorial got to Poland.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...