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iOS 27.2 gives Apple Books new design updates as iPhone Duo nears

Apple Books is my favorite app for reading, and it’s getting several welcome design updates in iOS 27.2. Here’s what’s new.

Here’s what’s changed in Apple Books with iOS 27.2 beta 3

New Apple Books menu (left) and old (right)

Likely in anticipation of iPhone Duo proving a great device for reading, Apple has several design updates coming soon for its Books app.

iOS 27.2 beta 3 introduces the changes, all of which involve the reading experience itself.

When reading a book, iOS 27.2 brings the following design updates:

  • Progress bars are now available to track your reading location
  • Menu in the bottom-right has a new three-dot icon and it’s redesigned into a standard Liquid Glass menu for consistency with other apps
  • Bookmark has been removed from that menu and now lives in the upper-right as a standalone button
  • ‘X’ button has moved to the upper-left corner
  • ‘Back’ button has moved to lower-left and is larger than before

These are small updates, but in my use they’re definitely welcome improvements.

I’ve never understood why bookmarks were hidden away inside the previous menu, so it’s great to see them made more prominent again. And I definitely appreciate the new progress bars.

I hope if iPhone Duo proves a hit, Apple sees it as an opportunity to invest more in the Books app. Kindle dominates the e-reader market, but I’ve always preferred Apple’s app and ecosystem for e-books and audiobooks.

Do you use Apple Books? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.

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Avatar for Ryan Christoffel Ryan Christoffel

Ryan got his start in journalism as an Editor at MacStories, where he worked for four years covering Apple news, writing app reviews, and more. For two years he co-hosted the Adapt podcast on Relay FM, which focused entirely on the iPad. As a result, it should come as no surprise that his favorite Apple device is the iPad Pro.