Apple rolls out Liquid Glass icons for GarageBand, Photomator, and Pixelmator Pro

Apple iOS 26

Apple has introduced new Liquid Glass-compatible icons for three of its major creative apps — GarageBand, Photomator, and Pixelmator Pro — as part of the latest updates for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe.

GarageBand for iPhone and iPad now sports a refreshed, more realistic guitar icon, replacing the older neon-style silhouette. The same design is set for Mac, though the GarageBand for Mac app itself hasn’t received the update yet. The icon first appeared on Apple’s iPhone tech spec pages after the September iPhone event, hinting at this visual overhaul.

Apple is also expected to bring the new Liquid Glass look to several other apps, including iMovie, the App Store, Keynote, Numbers, and Pages, though their updates haven’t rolled out yet.

Following Apple’s 2024 acquisition of Pixelmator, both Pixelmator Pro and Photomator have received updated icons across Mac, iPhone, and iPad. The new Photomator icon maintains a consistent look across iPhone and iPad but drops the older bordered design on Mac. Pixelmator Pro for Mac also sheds its awkward squircle border for a cleaner, glass-like appearance that aligns with macOS Tahoe’s design standards.

With macOS Tahoe, Apple introduced new icon design rules that automatically apply a translucent grey border to apps that don’t yet meet the updated specifications: a move encouraging developers to refresh their visuals in line with Apple’s evolving design language.