Cover Flow

Cover Flow is an animated, three-dimensional <a href="/facts/Graphical_user_interface_elements/WbsdmPqd">graphical user interface element</a> that was integrated within the <a href="/facts/Finder_(software)/LD3gHLDo">Macintosh Finder</a> and other <a href="/facts/Apple_Inc./oTJYta3k">Apple Inc.</a> products for visually flipping through snapshots of documents, website bookmarks, album artwork, or photographs.
Cover Flow is browsed using the on-screen scrollbar, <a href="/facts/Scroll_wheel/51KCdbYG">mouse wheel</a>, gestures, or by selecting a file from a list, which flips through the pages to bring the associated image into view. On iPod and iPhone devices, the user slides their finger across the <a href="/facts/Touch_screen/zpSKDFpe">touch screen</a> or uses the <a href="/facts/Click_wheel/c0p1vmC2">click wheel</a>.
Apple discontinued the use of Cover Flow after settling a <a href="/facts/United_States_patent_law/uxtfSzha">patent suit</a> against <a href="/facts/Mirror_Worlds/JoE6Nuct">Mirror Worlds</a>. It is now absent on the Mac in everything other than Finder with <a href="/facts/OS_X_El_Capitan/4NAIbG7c">OS X El Capitan</a>. In <a href="/facts/MacOS_Mojave/QCehr08a">macOS Mojave</a>, a completely different Gallery view feature replaces Cover Flow in Finder. It was removed from <a href="/facts/IOS/mK5cggH5">iOS</a> in 2015 with the release of <a href="/facts/IOS_8/HHWhkr0P">iOS 8.4</a>, which replaced the Music app with <a href="/facts/Apple_Music/HdUFLRFz">Apple Music</a>.

Cover Flow open-in-new

Cover Flow