【1977 Archives】

At WWDC 2025977 Archives Apple's annual developers conference, the company debuted a bold new look for Apple software: Liquid Glass.

Apple calls this its "broadest design update ever." Liquid Glass will arrive with the fall launch of iOS 26 (see also: macOS Tahoe 26, visionOS 26, iPadOS 26, et al), a free software update that delivers a suite of new features and updates to iPhones. So far, most people are understandably focused on how Liquid Glass will change their iPhone, but the new look will affect most Apple devices.

WWDC ran through iPhone updates at a rapid clip, though Liquid Glass was the clear headline. Of course, a lot of Apple users are still catching up on everything we learned at WWDC 2025. Though iOS 26 and Liquid Glass don't officially land until the fall, the developer's beta is available now, which has allowed early adopters to share screengrabs and previews of Liquid Glass on social media. Apple has also shared previews of the new look and customization options.

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Thi sis what your home screen could look like with Liquid Glass. Credit: Apple

And the reactions so far have been extremely divided.

Liquid Glass is Apple's biggest redesign in over 10 years, and while it maintains Apple's signature aesthetic, it introduces new animations and personalization options. Translucent elements are the key characteristic of Liquid Glass, and widgets and other on-screen elements now bend and refract light like glass. According to an Apple press release, "This translucent material reflects and refracts its surroundings, while dynamically transforming to help bring greater focus to content, delivering a new level of vitality across controls, navigation, app icons, widgets, and more."

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At first glance, many Mashable tech reporters thought the new design looked beautiful, particularly the new clear mode. In clear mode, all of your widgets and icons become translucent, creating a feeling of openness and extra space. It's the same effect you get by adding a mirror to a room. Users will also be able to customize the appearance of Liquid Glass elements in Icon Composer, a feature available on iOS, macOS, and watchOS.

A preview of the Icon Composer settings for Liquid Glass. Credit: Apple

However, while Liquid Glass has advocates among early adopters, it has also attracted some harsh critics, who say the new design language creates confusing clashes between layers that affect readability.

In particular, critics have been focused on one aspect of the iPhone's Liquid Glass display: the appearance of Control Center. This is the swipe-down window that contains quick access to settings and utilities like Bluetooth, your calculator and flashlight, and screen brightness. And in clear mode, the design can be undeniably awkward. (Remember that these types of videos and images can be faked, so take social media posts like this with a grain of salt.)

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Remember: this is a developer's beta. The final look of Liquid Glass will almost certainly change before the fall launch. In fact, identifying bugs like this is the whole purpose of a beta.

But don't expect nuance from social media conversations. Some users say Liquid Glass would have Steve Jobs rolling in his grave, while others are equally sure Liquid Glass is the natural successor to Jobs' vision for Apple design.

So, are you on Team Clear? We've gathered some of the top reactions from X, where Liquid Glass is a big topic of debate.

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Topics Apple iOS WWDC

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