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At WWDC 2025, Apple introduced its most sweeping interface refresh in a decade: the Liquid Glass design. This translucent, adaptive system redesign spans from iOS 26 to macOS Tahoe 26, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS, promising greater visual harmony across all Apple devices.
A New Era of Liquid Glass Interface Design
Apple crafted Liquid Glass as a translucent material that reflects and refracts surroundings, adjusting dynamically to light, content, and motion. Rounded corners now perfectly mirror device edges. Elements like tab bars shrink as you scroll, giving prominence to content while keeping navigation accessible. Iconography, buttons, and text overlays shift organically, creating a fluid, immersive UI across systems.
Cross‑Device Consistency
With this update, Apple ensures consistent aesthetics from the Lock Screen and Control Center to macOS menus and the Apple Watch interface. On the Mac, macOS Tahoe gains a transparent menu bar and dynamically resizing windows that adapt to the Liquid Glass theme. The update extends to the Apple TV interface, app iconography on the Home Screen, and Dock elements, establishing seamless visual unity.
Developer and Designer Reactions
Designers praised the aesthetic leap but raised readability concerns. Experts noted that highly transparent overlays might distract or hinder visibility, especially in bright environments. Apple assured that the new interface remains fully customizable via updated APIs in SwiftUI, UIKit, and AppKit, making future refinements easier.
Liquid Glass: Responsive, Content‑First Approach
Apple emphasized that Liquid Glass enhances focus by allowing UI elements to fluidly adapt to content.
For instance, tab bars shrink when scrolling and expand when idle, delivering a minimalist and responsive experience. Controls and sidebars now float above content, refracting wallpaper and adjusting hues to convey depth while maintaining context.
The developer beta is available now, with a public beta launching next month. The full release will ship this fall alongside iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe. With hardware and graphics updates under the hood, Apple positions Liquid Glass as a foundation for future UI innovation.
