Apple launched “Liquid Glass” Software Design Across All Platforms at WWDC 2025

Apple introduced a striking new design direction focused on enhancing app and system interactions across its platforms at WWDC 2025. Central to this evolution is a new material called “Liquid Glass”, a translucent surface that reflects and refracts its surroundings in real time, which looks similar to the Microsoft Windows Vista OS that was launched in 2007.

The company also says that it is engineered to adapt dynamically, highlighting content and integrating seamlessly into elements such as controls, navigation, app icons, and widgets. The Liquid Glass design will roll out across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26. This cross-platform integration aims to establish a consistent visual language while preserving each platform’s unique personality.

Liquid Glass: Inspired by visionOS, Powered by Apple Silicon -

Inspired by Apple’s visionOS and underpinned by advancements in hardware, graphics, and custom silicon, Liquid Glass is designed to behave like real-world glass. Its appearance shifts depending on environmental lighting and nearby content, supporting both light and dark themes. Real-time rendering and subtle specular highlights allow it to respond fluidly to user interaction and movement.

The material spans a range of UI elements, from buttons, switches, sliders, and media controls to larger components like tab bars and sidebars. It’s also present in key system features, including the Lock Screen, Home Screen, and Control Center.

Refined App Interfaces Focused on Content -

Apple has redesigned app interfaces to better spotlight content. Toolbars, navigation elements, and controls have been reworked with softer, rounded edges to match the curvature of modern devices and app windows.

These elements—built from Liquid Glass—are designed to float above the app content, allowing for more prominent presentation and adaptive transformations as users interact. Control groupings have also been reorganized to improve accessibility and clarity.

Intuitive Tab Bars and Sidebars -

Tab bars in iOS 26 now shrink when users scroll down, helping focus attention on content, and expand smoothly when scrolling up. In iPadOS and macOS, sidebars in apps like Apple TV have been updated to reflect and refract surrounding content, blending naturally with wallpapers and backgrounds.

Redesigned Apps and System Experiences -

The design overhaul extends to core Apple apps, including Camera, Photos, Safari, FaceTime, Music, News, and Podcasts. System-wide enhancements touch the Lock Screen, Home Screen, desktop, and Dock.

On the Lock Screen, the clock is now rendered using Liquid Glass and subtly positions itself behind photo wallpaper subjects. The Home Screen and desktop feature app icons, widgets, and the Dock layered with Liquid Glass, adding depth and offering customization while preserving familiarity.

macOS Tahoe 26 introduces new options to tailor the desktop and Dock, with support for light and dark icon themes, new tints, and a polished translucent finish. A transparent menu bar further enhances the sense of screen space.

Developer Support for Liquid Glass Integration -

To help developers bring this new aesthetic into their apps, Apple is releasing updated APIs across SwiftUI, UIKit, and AppKit. These tools are designed to simplify the implementation of Liquid Glass materials and revamped UI controls, allowing developers to adopt the design system with ease.