I am all for Apple’s Liquid Glass makeover

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

As a complete, 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 means. 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 might suggest — hopefully somebody at Apple is taking notes.

Associated

With iOS 26, Apple is finally taking the iPhone’s phone app seriously

By far, iOS 26’s most helpful new options are Name Screening and Maintain Help — here is why.

1

Put transparency ranges on a slider

For app icons, if nothing else

Apple

It is smart for a lot of issues in Liquid Glass to be close to or utterly 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 should you select the Clear icon look in your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you could typically need to stare for a second or two longer to establish the app you are trying to find, or learn knowledge from a widget. There’s not a lot level in utilizing a Reminders widget to see your each day duties if it may be quicker to open the app.

In Apple’s protection, it was ready for these issues with a Scale back Transparency possibility. In iOS 26, it is positioned beneath Settings > Accessibility > Show and Textual content Measurement. However all this does is add a darker background to objects 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 “diminished.” A greater answer can be a number of transparency sliders, letting us resolve simply how clear we want issues to be. I might at the very least like to have the ability to management icon transparency — it might be good to have clear icons with out feeling like my iPhone and iPad homescreens are haunted by the spirits of lifeless apps.

Associated

5 display calibration settings that will level up your game for free

The show tech you utilize for gaming can matter (virtually) as a lot because the system you are enjoying on.

2

Repair font sizes and colours

Readability is primary

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. For those who’re enjoying a tune in Apple Music, as an illustration, the artist identify within the iOS 26 miniplayer is a light-weight grey, making it mix in all too properly with the encompassing menu. Even black or darkish grey textual content on Liquid Glass buttons can typically be onerous to learn, as soon as once more relying on what’s within the background.

Maybe the worst scenario includes the Notification Heart — should you’ve acquired light-colored wallpaper, the default white textual content of your notifications will 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 primary being to swap font colours the place mandatory, and daring button labels so 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 kinds of issues I am anticipating Apple to tweak earlier than the autumn. However there may additionally be a robust case for Apple to lastly provide a built-in means of modifying system fonts, throughout all platforms — there must be some stage of flexibility that will not danger breaking apps or violating home model.

Associated

4 ways I get the most out of Google Maps in CarPlay and Android Auto

It is value placing a bit of extra work into the app that takes you all over the place.

3

Tone down the brand new animations

Bounce, bounce, bounce

In the mean time, Liquid Glass may be very bouncy, with interface parts sliding, popping, and glooping round. It is not a foul factor total, however it may be a bit extreme sometimes, 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 may make the same 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 way in which of change coming. Decreasing the quantity of bouncing and morphing in any critical means 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 count on any revamps till the following spherical of main OS updates, inevitably getting their preview at WWDC 2026. Altering course would not be utterly unprecedented. In actual fact, take into account how a lot Apple is downplaying Apple Intelligence this 12 months, when it was hanging every part on it in 2024. The corporate isn’t so cussed as to hurt its backside line or destroy its status.

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

You may also like

Everything you need to know about PEVs, or personal electric vehicles

You should use PEVs like e-bikes and scooters to discover, run errands, or velocity up your commute.