Apple unveiled its most comprehensive software redesign in over a decade Monday, introducing “Liquid Glass” across all major platforms at its Worldwide Developers Conference. The new design language will debut with iOS 26 and matching updates to iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS this fall. Liquid Glass represents Apple’s first universal design system, featuring transparency effects and glass-like elements throughout user interfaces. The redesign adds translucent layers, rounded corners, and shimmering surfaces that behave like real glass, morphing when users navigate between views or access additional options. “This is our broadest design update, ever,” said Alan Dye, Apple’s VP of human interface. “For the first time we’re introducing a universal design across our platforms.” Software chief Craig Federighi noted that Apple Silicon’s increased power enables “software, materials and experiences we once could only dream of.”
Apple’s biggest visual overhaul for its softwares since 2013
The shift marks Apple’s third major interface evolution since the original iPhone. The company moved from skeuomorphism, designs mimicking real-world objects, to flat design with iOS 7 in 2013. Liquid Glass builds on visionOS’s aesthetic, introducing a new “clear look” alongside existing light and dark modes. App icons receive complete redesigns with multiple glass layers, while system elements like the iOS dock and lock screen feature glass edges. When users swipe up on the lock screen, a glass edge effect appears throughout the interface. The material uses real-time rendering and dynamically reacts to movement with specular highlights, creating what Apple calls “a lively experience.” Controls and navigation elements now fit concentrically with rounded corners of modern hardware, establishing greater harmony between hardware and software. Tab bars in iOS 26 shrink when users scroll to focus on content, then fluidly expand when scrolling back up. Apple’s design overhaul extends beyond visual changes to include functional improvements. The Lock Screen time display now adapts to fit elegantly behind photo subjects, while the Dock, app icons, and widgets feature multiple layers of Liquid Glass with customizable appearances. macOS Tahoe 26 introduces a completely transparent menu bar and offers users light, dark, tinted, and clear looks for desktop customization. Liquid Glass represents a synthesis of Ive’s approach to Skeuomorphism and flat design that Apple has embraced ever in the past few years, combining visual depth with digital-native functionality. The redesign sets the foundation for upcoming hardware, including a rumored 2027 “Glasswing” iPhone featuring curved glass sides and minimal bezels to commemorate the device’s 20th anniversary. Developers can access beta versions starting today, with public betas expected within weeks and final releases alongside new iPhone 17 models this fall.
