Some users and designers are called Apple’s new user interface, called liquid glass, but it’s a little faster. There is reason to think that it could improve, but there are also effective criticisms.
While no doubt overhauling the operating system design looks unfinished in many parts, notifications are hard to read, and there is the Control Center overlay monster – the first developer beta ever shipped to Apple, not the final release. By the time Apple launches iOS 26 and other OSes are updated to the public this fall, there is still time for many of the current issues in the design system to be refined and fixed.
The dramatic refresh of the iPhone’s look and feel was announced at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which Apple described as “the widest design update ever.” According to the company, liquid glass spans Apple’s platform and integrates the experience of using Apple devices.
Inspired by Apple’s Vision Pro VR headset, liquid glass takes advantage of the optical quality of its elements, making it a light refractive and features a semi-transparent material. This update modernizes the operating system’s interface so that it appears poised to expand later to other devices such as AR glasses.
However, there are some parts of the interface that simply make it difficult to read. Not only are low-vision users (or middle-aged), but there are some parts that are difficult to read. Even Apple’s press releases include photos of the Apple Music user interface. Here it is difficult to create an artist’s name in a light gray font found in a translucent bar. This is because it is an Apple approved photo and appears to indicate that this part of the OS update has at least finished.
Other users share similar concerns about the readability of reading notifications on the iPhone’s lock screen. Here, depending on the color of the background wallpaper, the text will be easier to read when scrolling.
This problem can also be observed on video from Apple’s WWDC Keynote address. The glassy notifications seem to require a little squinting to analyze.
As developers and other curious tech enthusiasts began testing their first beta, we noticed that iPhone wallpapers were brighter and brighter colors, making reading notification issues even worse. Here, white text partially disappears into the background. Maybe Apple is helping us to separate ourselves from screen time addiction?
The iOS 26 Control Center is hardly available even in the first developer beta version. Because there is little blurred background to hide home screen icons and widgets behind various controls, buttons and sliders in the center. Certainly Apple designers don’t think this is the final product? Why didn’t they at least increase background blur before shipping?
This is an unfinished task that requires more than just a small adjustment.
There is room for criticising other options, like home screen animations that miss marks, but these are unfinished. Or we hope.
Despite the initial flaws, there are indications that the updated design system will pay attention to detail over time, even if it is not so obvious in this first release due to more obvious issues.
First of all, Apple’s icons look beautiful in a new glass style (not designed by the Marketing Committee this time), with some of the effects, including morphing buttons, being impressive. Move the liquid glass overlay on the home screen and the background icon is blurry and stretched out as if an actual glass piece was being pulled up.
There are other subtle touches that make the design elements feel like glass, as the “Customize” button reflect the colors of the various wallpapers above it as you scroll through them while personalizing the home screen. This feature may still need to be refined, but it’s an example of how liquid glass wasn’t the job of the lash like Apple’s.
Even Apple’s competitors are paying attention.
“Liquid Glass…Do I like that?” CEO CARL PEI did not post anything to X. He recently theorized that the future of smartphones involves interacting with AI through the operating system itself, not necessarily running the app.
Liquid glass seems to be suitable for such a world. The app’s interface becomes focused as the icon disappears into the background.
Of course, there are concerns that Apple cannot balance iPhone battery use, which newer eye candies demand especially on older devices, but we don’t know if that’s true until the company ships out the final version of iOS.
However, Apple tried to soothe user’s concerns on this front by explaining in its WWDC keynote that hardware, silicon and graphics technologies pave the way for this type of user interface.
Plus, Apple already offers a way to separate some of the more power-hungered effects and movements to save battery life. This would also apply to liquid glass.
It is also worth remembering that iOS 7, the last major overhaul of Apple’s mobile operating system, was not repaired in the first release as well. The first beta featured unreadable UI elements, thin lines and fonts, which led to some criticism about usability and functionality. Over time, its design has improved and it is now thought of what the iPhone software looks like.
The same could be true for liquid glass… ultimately.