Apple’s Icons, in General (& Dot in front of song name in Music, specifically)
What does it mean when a song in Apple Music has a dot before it?
More generally, where might we find a list of icons in iOS/iPadOS for Apple apps like Music? I’ve looked in the iPadOS User Guide, and some things are in there, but others are not (and there’s next to nothing for Music). It’s become somewhat frustrating, to open an app and find all these icons splattered all over the screen but never a key or simple way to find out what they mean.
For example, I had to finally stumble across a support article titled “Symbols for Apple Music in Windows”—even though I don’t use Windows—to find that the E-in-a-box icon means “Explicit” lyrics; there is no similar article for Apple Music in general, or Apple Music in iOS/iPadOS (that I could find with a search at Apple Support). Given that nowhere in the Music app is this icon (or any other) explained, how are we supposed to figure it (them) out?!
This seems to be a general oversight: We’re apparently just supposed to be psychic, born with this knowledge pre-implanted in our brains, or trust that Apple only creates icons that are blatantly, unquestionably obvious in their meaning. None of the above is the case (especially for things like a “dot” in front of certain song titles). Some are obvious, but the E icon is a good example of one I wouldn’t have guessed “E”asily ;) and found only through luck in an article I usually wouldn’t have looked at since I don’t use Windows. (Maybe it’s an industry-standard symbol (i.e. music industry) but I don’t follow the music industry’s icon conventions as a general rule either.)
Since Apple has clearly decided not to simply supply a key at the bottom of their app pages with custom symbols, like any book, chart or other publication would, nor to supply a list of meanings in a Help page in their apps (or a Help page period, for that matter)—too much work, or doesn’t look “cool” or something?—it would be quite useful if Apple would minimally take the time to collect the scores of icons spread all around their various softwares and list them somewhere with explanations what they mean. A Support Article that comes up when we search for “icon” or “symbols” (and that is regularly updated when new icons are added) would be ideal. Right now, searching for “icons” or “symbols” in Support is no help.
If anyone knows of an article or other place where some or most of Apples various icons are listed, aside from the ones included in the User Guide for iPhone or iPad—which are not exhaustive—I’d appreciate a link.
Thanks in advance.
iPad Pro, iPadOS 17