Apple's canceled iOS multitasking UI lives on, with AI-enhanced emulation
An unreleased iPhone multitasking interface, unseen for over a decade and a half, was brought back to life with the help of AI and emulation. An unreleased Expose-like multitasking design has surfaced once again, with the help of AI. Before the iPhone got the app switcher we all know and love, Apple made multitasking available through a sliding drawer that popped up at the bottom of the screen.…
In a surprising turn of events, an unreleased iPhone multitasking interface that had been dormant for over a decade has been resurrected through the use of artificial intelligence and emulation. Apple initially introduced a sliding drawer-based multitasking system on the iPhone, but later experimented with a more visually striking design featuring on-screen cards for open apps.
This experimental interface, which resembled Apple's later iPad multitasking UI, remained hidden until recently. An emulator developer, utilizing AI to assist in the emulation process, shared a video showcasing the scrapped UI. The build number identified in the video, 8A218, indicates that the operating system was only slightly newer than another uncovered build from 2011.
The video suggests that the special build of iOS 4 originated from a prototype unit rather than an internal restore bundle. While the iPhone never fully adopted the card-style multitasking UI, Apple did eventually incorporate a similar card-based approach in the form of the iPad app switcher. The use of AI in this case not only brought the forgotten UI back to life but also highlights the potential for artificial intelligence to preserve and revive overlooked software designs.
Apple has acknowledged the importance of AI in coding, with the introduction of AI agents in Xcode 27 and the internal use of AI for development purposes.
Written by urgent.news from AppleInsider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
