The big story with iOS 26 and all other updates to the operating system announced at WWDC this year is the new appearance of liquid glass. Inspired by visionos physicality, application icons, parameters and other user interface elements now have a translucent design similar to a glass.
Also: what is liquid glass? Here is everything we know about the revision of the major user interface of Apple on WWDC
“The experiences are more expressive and more personal, from the locking screen and the home screen, to the new capacities through the phone and the messages that help users focus on the connections that count the most,” said Craig Federighi, Vice-President Director of Apple Software Engineering.
With the optical quality of the glass and the fluidity that Apple hardware can reach, the new software design reacts to the way you press, slide (with certain minimizing or expanding interfaces) and even keep your phone. The colors of the liquid glass react to the different colors of your screen.
To accommodate design change, popular application icons such as messages, telephone and camera have received visual updates. More generally, the toolbars and tabs were redesigned in rounded menus instead of the usual drop -down lists. This promotes a less intrusive and entertaining experience when browsing the software.
Finally, relying on the foundation of the themes of icons of iOS 18, Liquid Glass introduces a transparent icon finish.
