It’s been pointed out to me that what I’m describing here is the status bar, not the menu bar. Apologies. -Dave
When Apple introduced iOS 6 at WWDC in June, it revealed Siri’s new tricks, Facebook integration and the now infamous Maps app. Those who were paying attention noticed a more subtle change: the iPhone’s menu bar could change color.
Months later, that change is a part of the public release of iOS 6 and I’m not used to it. While jarring at first, I now find the change confusing. Sometimes it’s black or grey and sometimes it’s blue [1. Apparently there’s a yellow version, too. Thanks to Chris Rawson for sharing that. I think. Also, reader Vasanth Subramanian notes that The Economist app turns it red.]. At best, the change is unnecessary cosmetic fiddling. At worst, it alters a fundamental function. Here are my thoughts on the iPhone menu bar in iOS 6.