New Remote icon in iTunes may hint at impending iOS 7 update

new remote app

Although Apple posted a number of iOS 7-flavored app updates this week, there’s still one that I’m anxiously awaiting: the Remote app. I use it every day to control my Apple TV, and it’s very much in need of a UI overhaul.

Fortunately, it looks like I won’t have to wait much longer. A redesigned icon for the Remote app has been discovered in iTunes, suggesting that Apple may be putting the finishing touches on an iOS 7 update for the utility…

First discovered by a 9to5Mac reader, the new icon can be seen in iTunes version 11.1.2 during the process of adding a new remote. To see it for yourself, follow these steps (make sure that you’re on the latest version of iTunes):

  • Launch iTunes on your computer and the Remote app on your iOS device.
  • Make sure both are on Wi-Fi, and both have Home Sharing enabled.
  • In the Remote app, tap on the gear-like Settings icon in the top-right corner.
  • Select ‘Add an iTunes Library.’
  • In iTunes, tap the ‘Devices’ tab located to the left of the iTunes Store tab.

And that’s all there is to it. You should see the new Remote icon in the drop-down menu. Note that it is very different from the icon in the iOS app. As with other iOS 7 app updates, it’s flatter now, and has generous white spacing.

Of course, this in no way confirms that Remote is about to get a makeover. But it’s worth noting that last week, new icons for the iOS versions of GarageBand and iPhoto popped up in iCloud just a few days before they were updated.

In addition to Remote, Apple has yet to post iOS 7 updates for its iBooks and Find My Friends apps (am I missing any?). You’d think it would want to release them all at the same time, or at least close to each other, so stay tuned.