Cupertino (California)— Apple on Monday unveiled a sweeping visual redesign across its software ecosystem, showcasing a sleek new aesthetic crafted with a material called Liquid Glass. This dynamic, translucent interface marks one of Apple’s most visually significant updates, delivering richer, more expressive user experiences while preserving the familiar feel of its operating systems.
Revealed during the company’s annual WWDC 2025 conference, the new design language debuts across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26.1, unifying the Apple ecosystem while maintaining each platform’s unique identity.
“At Apple, we’ve always believed that the magic happens where hardware and software meet — when design is intuitive, beautiful, and joyful to use,” said Alan Dye, Apple’s Vice President of Human Interface Design. “This new design lays the groundwork for the future and brings an added spark to even the most everyday interactions.”
Liquid Glass, the core of this design overhaul, reflects and refracts its surroundings in real time, dynamically responding to movement and light to highlight content and controls. It creates a sense of depth and vitality throughout the interface — from navigation bars and widgets to app icons and system toolbars.
Inspired by the dimensional visual experience of visionOS, Apple’s augmented reality platform, the new design is powered by the company’s latest advances in custom silicon, graphics technologies, and real-time rendering.
Apple emphasized that developers can now take advantage of updated tools and controls to bring this refreshed look and feel to their own apps — creating experiences that feel more alive and intuitive.
User interface elements have also been redesigned to match the hardware’s rounded contours. Controls, tab bars, and sidebars now flow more naturally with the shape of modern displays and app windows, enhancing cohesion between software and hardware.
In iOS 26, for example, tab bars subtly shrink when scrolling to keep content in focus while maintaining navigation access. When users scroll upward, the tab bars fluidly re-expand. On iPadOS and macOS, redesigned sidebars provide a more immersive experience, especially in media-rich apps like Apple TV.
With Liquid Glass, Apple is setting the stage for the next generation of user experience—elevating the visual language of its platforms while preserving the clarity and ease users expect.
