iOS 27 and macOS Golden Gate sees Apple backtrack on Liquid Glass design
Apple chose to lead the WWDC keynote with changes to Liquid Glass. Perhaps a sign of just how strong the backlash was.
Apple has heeded the very mixed feedback for its Liquid Glass software design language and is offering new customisation options, tweaked designs to app windows, and revamped app icons within the forthcoming software releases – iOS/iPad OS 27 and macOS Golden Gate – unveiled at WWDC 26.
Perhaps underlining the nature of the pushback against the Liquid Glass design, Apple chose these design refinements as the very top item of the annual keynote. A rare acknowledgement that they have listened to the feedback from the user base.
Firstly, Apple is introducing a new slider to set the opaqueness of the Liquid Glass effect that enables users to choose an opaque tinted look to a clear appearance.
The company is also changing how Liquid Glass is rendered by the system with the aim of adding a new vibrancy to the overall. In macOS apps, sidebars now expand all the way to the edge of the window, while sidebar icons retain their colour.
The changes to the Liquid Glass also stretch to app icons themselves to help them appear to be individually layered. Icons had appeared blurry at smaller sizes, but the new designs should add a little more clarity. They’ll look even better when you choose clear icons as a homepage theme, Apple says.
Apple says: “Last year, we redesigned all of our app icons to establish a more harmonious look across apps and platforms. This year we’re taking this new design even further by integrating additional layers of liquid glass directly into the icon artwork itself.”
On board Search has been rebuilt, so you’ll get a better experience in apps like Spotlight, Photos and Mail. Elsewhere, Apple is focusing on quality of experience upgrades like speed. Apps launch 30% faster in iOS, photos will render in your library 70% faster and sending through AirDrop also gets a speed work.
Transitions between Wi-Fi networks and cellular should become more seamless, Apple says, which should improve the time it takes to move from that in-flight Wi-Fi network back to 5G.
Apple is also adding a CPU scheduler for older iPhones that’ll give older iPhones a new lease on life. This is handy given that, contrary to multiple reports, all of the phones compatible with iOS 26 will be able to access iOS 27.
Developing…
Chris Smith
