Pixel fans rejoice! Android won’t copy this hated iPhone design choice
Google is pledging there'll be no Liquid Glass-inspired UI changes for the Pixel 11.
Google has reassured Android fans there are no plans afoot to adopt an iOS-style Liquid Glass software design for Google Pixel smartphones, or the wider operating system.
In response to mocked-up images posted to social media this week, showcasing how the divisive UI choice might look on a Pixel 11 phone, the President of Android promised there’s no chance of it happening. Sameer Samat said in a post on X: “Not happening! Y’all are wild.”
This isn’t surprising, for a few reasons. First off, Google is pretty proud of its Material Design UI that it has been perfecting for years. Secondly, it would be, as Samat says “wild” for Google to adopt a software design that’s rather unpopular among Apple users in the first place.
So much so that Apple has spent much of the iOS 26 release cycle and, reportedly, preparation for the arrival of iOS 27 allowing users to mitigate the effect of Liquid Glass.
However, that doesn’t mean all Android users are home and hosed. While Pixel users won’t be seeing any Liquid Glass inspired changes, that mightn’t stop third-party Android manufacturers hopping on. As 9to5Google points out in its reporting, the likes of Oppo and Xiaomi have often adopted Apple mimicking software designs.
Where Android 17 might change, is the introduction of more blurred elements within the UI. We’ll learn more when the operating system is fully showcased during The Android Show on Tuesday May 12. Google is promising “one of the biggest years for Android yet.”
Chris Smith
