Apple WWDC 2025: New Operating Systems with 'Liquid Glass' Design

Apple Unveils 'Liquid Glass' Interface at WWDC 2025

While a major artificial intelligence integration may not be immediately forthcoming, Apple’s iPhone is set to receive a substantial visual overhaul. This refresh extends to the company’s entire suite of operating systems.

Introducing Liquid Glass

At WWDC 2025, Apple introduced a redesigned user interface termed 'Liquid Glass'. This new design incorporates shimmering, reflective, and transparent visual components, resulting in a more visually immersive and “glassy” software experience.

The inspiration for this design refresh stems directly from Apple’s Vision Pro VR headset. It aims to create a unified design language across all Apple devices, particularly those designed for spatial computing.

This shift may also indicate Apple’s future ambitions, potentially extending its operating system and software capabilities beyond conventional devices like phones, tablets, and smartwatches – perhaps to augmented reality glasses.

A Significant Visual Evolution

Alan Dye, Apple’s Vice President of Design, presented the Liquid Glass interface as the most substantial visual update to iOS since the transition from the original skeumorphic design to the flat design aesthetic introduced in iOS 7.

Skeumorphism previously sought to replicate real-world objects within the digital interface – for example, a Notes application resembling a physical legal pad.

Flat design, conversely, prioritized simplicity, clean lines, a minimalist user interface, and vibrant icons, abandoning the literal representations of physical objects.

Over time, iOS’s flat design incorporated more subtle glossy and semi-transparent layers, such as the frosted-glass effect seen in the Control Center.

The Qualities of Liquid Glass

According to Dye, the Liquid Glass redesign embodies the “optical qualities of glass and a fluidity that Apple alone can deliver.”

The update is designed to enhance clarity in navigation and controls, refract light dynamically, and respond in real-time to user interactions, fostering a more engaging experience.

The interface will exhibit translucency, behaving much like real glass. Screen colors will adapt based on content and ambient lighting conditions.

Alerts will originate from the point of user touch, and context menus will expand into easily scannable lists upon scrolling and selection.

Application Across the Ecosystem

The Liquid Glass design will be implemented across both system-level experiences – including the Lock Screen, Notifications, and Control Center – as well as application icons.

New icons will appear crafted from multiple layers of liquid glass, available in light, dark, and a new clear mode.

On the Lock Screen, the time will be displayed in a glassy San Francisco typeface, dynamically adjusting its weight, width, and height to complement the background image.

Furthermore, the iPhone will be capable of transforming 2D photos into immersive 3D scenes, complementing the glass-like user interface.

Apple Music playback controls will also adopt the Liquid Glass aesthetic, featuring new animations created by artists to enrich the listening experience – a feature currently offered by Spotify with its looping videos.

Liquid Glass elements will also be found within FaceTime and the Safari tab bar, along with their associated controls.

Widespread Implementation and Developer Tools

Liquid Glass is not limited to iOS 26 on the iPhone. It will be integrated into all of Apple’s operating systems, including iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26.

Developers will gain access to new Liquid Glass materials and APIs through SwiftUI, UIKit, and AppKit, enabling them to incorporate the new design language into their applications.