Despite weeks of leaks and speculation about Apple’s daring new design, the official unveiling of Liquid Glass Apple’s fresh design language for its device lineup at WWDC 2025 still managed to catch everyone off guard.
Liquid Glass introduces a sleek, translucent 3D look to the interface, where buttons, menus, and toggles bend light in a way that resembles glass or water droplets. According to Apple, this design draws inspiration from the “depth and dimensionality of visionOS,” aiming to create a more unified and recognizable experience across all their devices.
Alan Dye, Apple’s Vice President of Human Interface Design, “described it as a mix of glass’s visual rates with a fluidity that only Apple could deliver. He explained that it adapts based on content and context, setting the stage for future experiences while making even the most basic interactions feel more engaging and magical.“
What makes Apple’s Liquid Glass stand out is its attention to detail. Menus, tab bars, and other UI elements subtly reveal the content beneath them, creating the illusion that they’re floating above it. This is where the “liquid” aspect comes to life these elements gently shift, compress, and stretch in response to the surrounding content and the apps in use.
The full effect is most noticeable in Apple’s native apps like Music, Camera, Photos, Safari, and FaceTime. Liquid Glass also introduces new opportunities for personalization particularly in macOS 26 Tahoe, where users can customize icon colors to complement their wallpapers. The design pairs seamlessly with the dark theme as well, enhancing the overall aesthetic.
That said, not everyone will immediately warm up to this new design direction. But in my view, this is just the beginning. As the betas for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26 continue to roll out, Liquid Glass is likely to evolve and feel more refined over time.
What do you think about Apple’s Liquid Glass? Are you excited to try it out, or are you thinking of skipping the update altogether? Let us know in the comments below.
