I am all for Apple's Liquid Glass makeover

Abstract

Apple’s Liquid Glass overhaul for iPhones, Macs, and different units is mostly welcome, however has some design selections that create usability issues.
Customers want the choice to regulate transparency ranges themselves, and Apple ought to repair the readability of its fonts, which typically mix in too simply.
It may additionally stand to tone down the bounciness of its animations, which generally is a little extreme or (within the case of unlocking an iPhone) look outright unhealthy.

At its 2025 Worldwide Builders Convention, Apple made an enormous present of a design overhaul for all its working methods, often called Liquid Glass. This makes many buttons, menus, and different gadgets both translucent or clear, displaying extra of what is beneath. Typically these things are floating and minimalist, with animations that make them stretch and bounce — therefore the “liquid” half. Builders have already got their palms on an early model of the tech, and if you wish to strive it too, public betas of iOS 26, macOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26needs to be out in July.

As an entire, I am into it — it has been some time since Apple’s software program has had a brand new aesthetic, and any good interface tries to remain out of your approach. However there are a couple of issues with Liquid Glass because it stands, all of which actually need to be polished earlier than the completed software program updates arrive within the fall. These are the modifications I would advocate — hopefully somebody at Apple is taking notes.

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1

Put transparency ranges on a slider

For app icons, if nothing else

Apple

It is sensible for a lot of issues in Liquid Glass to be close to or fully clear, similar to textual content selectors or the borders round tab menus. However typically this goes too far, similar to within the case of the brand new Management Heart, which may seem like a jumbled mess relying on what’s within the background behind it. And in case you select the Clear icon look in your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you could typically should stare for a second or two longer to determine the app you are trying to find, or learn information from a widget. There’s not a lot level in utilizing a Reminders widget to see your each day duties if it may be sooner to open the app.

It could be good to have clear icons with out feeling like my iPhone and iPad homescreens are haunted by the spirits of lifeless apps.

In Apple’s protection, it was ready for these considerations with a Cut back Transparency possibility. In iOS 26, it is positioned below Settings > Accessibility > Show and Textual content Measurement. However all this does is add a darker background to gadgets just like the Management Heart and app icons — some issues are left untouched, and you will have to be proud of Apple’s definition of “decreased.” A greater answer can be a number of transparency sliders, letting us determine simply how clear we want issues to be. I would at the least like to have the ability to management icon transparency — it will be good to have clear icons with out feeling like my iPhone and iPad homescreens are haunted by the spirits of lifeless apps.

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2

Repair font sizes and colours

Readability is fundamental

The Apple Music miniplayer in the iOS 26 developer beta. — Apple / Pocket-lint

Apple / Pocket-lint

One thing critics have been fast to note — myself included — is that Apple is making odd selections with textual content in some locations. If you happen to’re taking part in a track in Apple Music, for example, the artist identify within the iOS 26 miniplayer is a light-weight grey, making it mix in all too nicely with the encircling menu. Even black or darkish grey textual content on Liquid Glass buttons can typically be exhausting to learn, as soon as once more relying on what’s within the background.

Maybe the worst scenario entails the Notification Heart — in case you’ve obtained light-colored wallpaper, the default white textual content of your notifications may be illegible, virtually blinding. Right here Apple’s selections appear explicitly aimed toward making Liquid Glass look cool, slightly than usable.

There are a couple of methods Apple may resolve this drawback, probably the most fundamental being to swap font colours the place vital, and daring button labels in order that they stand out it doesn’t matter what. I should not have to show to Accessibility settings as a crutch. Maybe colours could possibly be made dynamic, enhancing distinction on the fly.

These particulars are the types of issues I am anticipating Apple to tweak earlier than the autumn. However there may additionally be a powerful case for Apple to lastly supply a built-in approach of modifying system fonts, throughout all platforms — there needs to be some stage of flexibility that will not danger breaking apps or violating home fashion.

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3

Tone down the brand new animations

Bounce, bounce, bounce

Nikita Bier on X

In the meanwhile, Liquid Glass could be very bouncy, with interface components sliding, popping, and glooping round. It is not a nasty factor total, however it may be a bit extreme often, even cartoonish. Maybe the worst instance is the transition from the iOS 26 lockscreen to the homescreen — icons bounce a lot that they fly over (and thru) one another. You’d suppose there was an invisible trampoline.

The animation additionally takes lengthy sufficient that it’d cease you from launching an app for a second or two, although you would make an analogous grievance about iOS 18. Regardless, I am not a toddler watching YouTube movies — I do not want fixed movement to maintain me entertained.

I am assuming the lockscreen transition will most likely be scaled again, and that customers will be capable to nix some or all of those animations utilizing Accessibility settings. In any other case, although, I doubt there’s a lot in the best way of change coming. Lowering the quantity of bouncing and morphing in any critical approach would undo the liquid a part of Liquid Glass — and for advertising, promoting, and growth causes, Apple might be locked into that for a very long time.

On the earliest, I would not anticipate any revamps till the subsequent spherical of main OS updates, inevitably getting their preview at WWDC 2026. Altering course would not be fully unprecedented. In reality, think about how a lot Apple is downplaying Apple Intelligence this 12 months, when it was hanging every little thing on it in 2024. The corporate isn’t so cussed as to hurt its backside line or destroy its repute.

We’ll have to attend and see how most of the people reacts to Liquid Glass. If it is the butt of jokes on late-night speak reveals this fall, some type of motion is assured.