Apple has unveiled its most comprehensive software design update to date, debuting an elegant new interface across all its platforms, crafted from an expressive new material called Liquid Glass. This visually dynamic design will feature across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26, marking the first time a cohesive design language spans the entire Apple ecosystem.
Liquid Glass: Beauty meets intelligence
At the heart of this transformation is Liquid Glass — a translucent, glass-like material that dynamically reflects and refracts its surroundings. Designed to respond to content and context, Liquid Glass creates a sense of depth and movement, delivering a richer, more immersive user experience.
“This is our broadest software design update ever,” said Alan Dye, Apple’s Vice President of Human Interface Design. “The new design features an entirely new material that combines the optical qualities of glass with a fluidity only Apple can achieve. It lays the foundation for new experiences and makes even the simplest interactions more fun and magical.”
A unified design philosophy
Inspired by the depth and dimensionality of visionOS, Liquid Glass elevates everything from basic controls to core system elements like the Dock, Lock Screen, Control Centre, and notifications. From switches and sliders to app icons and tab bars, the design breathes life into the interface, adapting fluidly between light and dark modes and dynamically reacting to user movement.
App redesigns with greater focus
The design update touches nearly every Apple app, including Camera, Photos, Safari, FaceTime, Apple Music, Apple News, and Apple Podcasts. Controls and navigation have been reimagined to complement the rounded corners of modern devices. Made from Liquid Glass, these controls sit above app content and subtly transform as users interact, providing both clarity and fluidity.
In iOS 26, tab bars now shrink when scrolling down to bring greater focus to content and expand when scrolling up. On iPadOS and macOS, redesigned sidebars reflect both content and wallpaper, enhancing immersion and spatial awareness.
Enhanced system experiences
Across platforms, system-level visuals have been refined. On the Lock Screen, the San Francisco font is now rendered using Liquid Glass, which adapts in weight, width, and height to elegantly nestle behind the subject of photo wallpapers.
The Home Screen and desktop benefit from multi-layered Liquid Glass elements, including app icons and widgets that reflect highlights and surroundings. macOS Tahoe 26 introduces new customisation options for the desktop and Dock, with light and dark appearances, colorful tints, and a transparent menu bar that makes the display feel more expansive.
Developer tools to bring designs to life
Apple has also introduced updated APIs for SwiftUI, UIKit, and AppKit, allowing developers to easily integrate Liquid Glass into their apps. A refreshed control set enables more intuitive user interactions, while preserving platform consistency. Apple encourages developers to modernise their app experiences using this new visual language.
Apple’s new software design sets a new benchmark for elegance and responsiveness. With Liquid Glass, the company is not just refreshing the look of its operating systems — it’s redefining how users experience and interact with content across every device. As Apple moves toward deeper platform unification, this update brings a visually cohesive and delightfully expressive interface to the forefront of the Apple experience.
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