At WWDC 2025, Apple introduced one of its boldest design updates in years: a unified aesthetic called Liquid Glass, now rolling out across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26. The new design language brings a striking blend of translucency, depth, and responsive visual effects to system elements, apps, and interfaces. And while it looks dramatically different, Apple insists it remains instantly familiar to long-time users.
What is Liquid Glass?
Liquid Glass is Apple’s new system-wide material—translucent, light-reactive, and alive with movement. Think of it as a dynamic layer that refracts light and colour from its surroundings. It doesn’t just sit behind content—it responds to it. Buttons, sliders, sidebars, and navigation tools are now crafted from this new material, which morphs and adapts depending on lighting, scroll position, or interaction.
It’s also context-aware. Depending on whether you’re in light or dark mode—or even based on your wallpaper—it intelligently adjusts its hue and highlights to suit the environment. This glass-like material isn’t just an aesthetic flourish—it helps establish visual hierarchy while keeping the interface elegant and focused.
A unified look across devices
For the first time, this new design isn’t exclusive to iPhones or iPads—it stretches across every Apple platform. The Lock Screen on iOS 26, for example, now features time that flows around your wallpaper subject, thanks to the new rendering system. On the Mac, macOS Tahoe introduces a fully transparent menu bar that blurs into the desktop, giving the illusion of a bigger display.
iPads and Macs also see redesigned sidebars that are semi-transparent, refracting the content behind them while picking up color from the environment. This not only grounds the interface in the content you’re working with, but also creates a more immersive, layered experience.
Redesigned app interfaces
System apps like Safari, Camera, Music, Photos, Podcasts, and FaceTime are getting a refresh under the new guidelines. Controls that were once rigidly rectangular now echo the natural curvature of device corners, making everything feel more harmonious. App toolbars and navigation bars now shrink or expand dynamically as users scroll—keeping content front and center while making navigation instantly accessible when needed.
Whether it’s a floating tab bar in Apple Music that collapses as you browse, or a sidebar in Apple TV that subtly reflects your background, the changes are subtle but impactful. They create a sense of presence—of being in the interface rather than looking at it.
More personalisation, still familiar
Though this is one of the most visually significant redesigns Apple has ever undertaken, it’s clear the company doesn’t want to alienate its massive user base. App icons and widgets now support more customisation, including tinting, a clear look, and dynamic light/dark effects—but they still look like what users expect.
The result is a rare balance: a UI that feels next-gen and tactile, but doesn’t require relearning. In Apple’s words, this is about “delight and familiarity.” And for users across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and even Apple TV, that delight is finally consistent—everywhere.
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