iOS 26 May Be Apple’s Riskiest Redesign But

It’s official, Apple’s huge software program redesign is right here, and all your units are about to look loads totally different. At WWDC 2025 Apple unveiled “Liquid Glass,” which is its personal Apple means of claiming, “Your iPhone is getting much more bubbly.” The large visible overhaul adjustments the look of the UI inside Apple units throughout the board, together with your iPhone, MacBook, Apple Watch, and even your Apple TV 4K streaming field.

And whereas the total gamut of Apple merchandise is affected by the visible vibe shift, it’s iOS that can in all probability catch probably the most consideration—and for good motive. For one, heaps and heaps of individuals use iPhones in America, and even the slightest tweak to the UI can have an effect on individuals on a mass scale. Secondly, from what I can inform with out seeing the redesign for myself, iOS appears to be probably the most closely impacted by the brand new design. I imply, critically, verify this out:

As we speak, we’re asserting our most lovely software program design change but with Liquid Glass. And for the very first time, it’s coming to iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26 without delay! pic.twitter.com/p8pr8o1EmM

— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) June 9, 2025

Whereas Apple doesn’t state it explicitly, the redesign appears to be closely influenced by what some designers may name “glassmorphism,” which is a visible model in UI that includes a number of opaque menus and, not like Apple’s present flat “neumorphic” design, provides a little bit of form to icons that have been beforehand type of 2D. See (satirically) different working techniques from, *cough, cough* Microsoft, if you’d like one other instance of what glassmorphism may manifest as. Somebody extra educated than I might in all probability nerd out over the brand new look with a couple of thousand phrases, however a design maven I’m not. After I take a look at Liquid Glass, I see issues in an easier mild. I see principally one factor: threat.

On one hand, that threat is thrilling. I believe Apple’s UI is due for an replace. By Apple’s personal estimation, the last visual overhaul was way back in iOS 7, when iPhones nonetheless had a bodily dwelling button and “Obamacare” was nonetheless a subject of political dialogue. Not solely that, however Apple, for good motive, has been accused loads in recent times of not making an attempt to push the boundaries prefer it as soon as did beneath the management of Steve Jobs and Jony Ive. A great way to indicate individuals you’re not afraid to attempt one thing new is to, nicely, attempt one thing new. That’s precisely what Apple did; it took a threat on a redesign that adjustments some fairly core components of your iPhone’s UI—icons, menus, you title it.

However identical to any daring new endeavor, there are going to be some tradeoffs. A kind of tradeoffs, on this case, could also be accessibility. As a lot of you may have already famous, there are some visible quirks to Apple’s glassmorphic period, and legibility could also be at stake.

Say fucking goodbye to accessibility #WWDC25 pic.twitter.com/CKCIwv2sns

— Ilya · イリア (@ilyamiskov) June 9, 2025

As a lot as I really just like the look aesthetically of Apple’s new Liquid Glass overhaul, I believe there are going to be some huge haters, and I can’t precisely blame them. Having clear home windows could look future-forward, however when that design encounters, say, I don’t know, textual content on a web page, issues can get a bit of messy. What you get, at occasions, is a visually muddled menu that conflicts with different components on a web page. I’m not leaping to any conclusions but since I haven’t actually seen the redesign for myself or the way it interacts with net pages or apps, however objectively, it looks like there isn’t as a lot distinction as Apple’s earlier look. One factor I’ve positively observed up to now is that refined variations in the place a menu lands in an app or net web page could make a big impact. As an example, try this image.

apple simply launched “Liquid Glass” design in iOS.

it is lovely, futuristic… and utterly unreadable.

what are we doing right here? 😵‍💫 pic.twitter.com/ybw8SIxtqh

— Kalash (@amikalash) June 9, 2025

I don’t find out about you, however what I see is a blurry, visible catastrophe. However, if you happen to try the video this screenshot is pulled from, only a second makes all of the distinction. Right here’s the identical visible demonstration, however the menu is offset simply barely on the textual content beneath.

I really feel like there’s a fairly large distinction in legibility right here. It’s not excellent by any means, and I actually wouldn’t name it accessible, nevertheless it seems loads higher. That is all to say that I believe there will likely be refined variations that decide whether or not you’re seeing one thing clear, pleasing, and visually distinct or if you happen to’re a garbled glassmorphic mess. From what I can inform, there will even be totally different Liquid Glass kinds to select from, which can have an effect on the accessibility of menus. There’s additionally the truth that this redesign doesn’t formally launch till the autumn, so something might change.

How you are feeling about Liquid Glass is clearly up for debate, however one factor is obvious (pun meant), and that’s that no matter Apple is doing with the iOS redesign and Liquid Glass writ massive is certainly an even bigger threat than previous overhauls. To threat accessibility or legibility on a platform as huge as iOS takes some actual imaginative and prescient—whether or not good or dangerous. Let’s simply hope that the imaginative and prescient, for the sake of everybody on the market with an iPhone, isn’t fairly as blurry or illegible as a few of these early seems may counsel.