Apple Just Lost Me

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Apple’s new age-verification requirement in the UK—implemented primarily via credit cards and, in some cases, failing even for long-standing adult accounts—has triggered strong backlash, especially from users without local credit cards or traditional IDs. Commenters tie this to broader frustrations with Apple’s increasingly locked-down ecosystem, controversial UI changes like the “Liquid Glass” design in iOS/macOS 26, and a perceived decline in software quality. While some defend the security and convenience of Apple’s walled garden, many say this is their tipping point and are exploring moves to Linux laptops, Android, or GrapheneOS despite the trade-offs.

Age verification & credit-card requirement

  • Big flashpoint is UK iCloud age verification: many report being forced to prove adulthood via a credit card; other methods (ID scan, account age, passport) are unavailable, hidden, or buggy for some.
  • This especially breaks for:
    • People without credit cards (common outside US).
    • Immigrants with foreign cards or mismatched account regions.
    • Older adults who don’t drive or use credit.
  • Some users say their account age alone sufficed, or that a driver’s license option exists but is buried in the UI.
  • Many view Apple’s choice of credit cards as culturally “US-centric” and lazy; others argue it’s the easiest, cheapest proxy for identity.
  • Several note that the UK law doesn’t require OS‑level checks at all; regulators even praise Apple for going beyond the law, which angers critics.

Liquid Glass, macOS/iOS 26 and UI quality

  • Strong split:
    • Many describe Liquid Glass and macOS 26 (Tahoe) as a “fiasco”: performance hits, battery drain, bugs (keyboard, alarms, calls, Bluetooth), accessibility regressions, inconsistent icons, huge rounded corners, broken window resizing.
    • Others say it’s fine or even attractive, quickly fades into the background, and is overblown by tech forums.
  • Some see Liquid Glass as shorthand for a bundle of 2026 UI and UX changes, not just transparency effects.
  • A few acknowledge Apple is already walking back specific design choices (e.g., Safari tabs) and expect iterative fixes.

Gatekeeping, notarization, and developer friction

  • Long-running grievance: Gatekeeper, notarization, and warnings on notarized apps are seen as intentional friction to push users to the App Store, despite developers paying for signing.
  • Defenders argue the “walled garden” and security prompts are a feature for non‑technical users, with an off‑ramp for power users.

Apple’s trajectory vs alternatives

  • Some argue Apple has shifted from vision-driven to quarterly-earnings-driven, with software quality declining while hardware remains excellent.
  • Others counter that every redesign sparks the same “Apple is doomed” cycle and that most users don’t care.
  • Many say they’re moving or planning to move to Linux (often on ThinkPads or Asahi/Fedora on Apple Silicon) and Android/GrapheneOS, though others warn the grass isn’t greener and Linux/Android bring their own UX compromises.

Law, responsibility, and online identity

  • Debate over who’s to blame: governments passing age-verification laws vs corporations engaging in “anticipatory obedience.”
  • Some want government-run, minimal-data age APIs; others see that as an even worse surveillance risk.
  • Broad unease that “age verification” is becoming de facto identity verification and that this trend will spread beyond Apple.