Apple Showcases iOS 26 and macOS 26 Liquid Glass Design
▼ Summary
– Apple has updated its Liquid Glass Design Gallery to showcase the aesthetic in third-party apps like AllTrails and Carrot Weather.
– The gallery displays screenshots comparing app designs between iOS 18 and iOS 26 to highlight the visual differences.
– Apps are implementing Liquid Glass in specific interface elements such as tab bars, navigation buttons, and pop-out menus.
– Apple introduced Liquid Glass in iOS 26 and has made minor updates, like a Lock Screen clock slider for adjusting its level.
– Rumors indicate the Liquid Glass design will continue in future OS versions with potential for a system-wide opacity slider.
Apple continues to promote the distinctive Liquid Glass aesthetic that defines its latest operating systems. The company has refreshed its official Liquid Glass Design Gallery, showcasing how third-party developers are implementing the visual language across iPhone and iPad applications. This resource provides a clear comparison, illustrating the evolution from the interface design of iOS 18 to the fluid, translucent elements of iOS 26.
The gallery demonstrates how development teams, from small studios to large corporations, are leveraging these new design principles. By integrating Liquid Glass components, they are crafting interfaces that feel more natural and responsive. Specific elements being adopted include redesigned tab bars, navigation buttons, and bottom toolbars. Apple also spotlights more advanced implementations, such as pop-out menu interfaces and dedicated search buttons, which mirror design choices found in Apple’s own native apps.
Prominent applications featured in the showcase include AllTrails, Carrot Weather, Fantastical, Kroger, SketchPro, Trello, and Le Monde. This follows an earlier gallery Apple released shortly after the initial launch of iOS 26, which offered additional examples of the design system in practice.
Since its debut, refinements to the Liquid Glass feature have been incremental. A notable addition was a slider bar on the Lock Screen, allowing users to adjust the intensity of the effect. Industry speculation suggests the aesthetic will remain largely unchanged in the upcoming iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 releases. However, a potential new feature could be a system-wide opacity slider, giving users greater control over the Liquid Glass appearance across the entire operating system.
(Source: MacRumors)
