Apple Unveils iOS 26 with Liquid Glass Interface and Cross-Platform Redesign at WWDC 2025

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA — At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 9, 2025, Apple introduced iOS 26, marking the company’s most significant software redesign in over a decade. The highlight of the announcement was the debut of the "Liquid Glass" interface, a new design language that brings a translucent, glass-like aesthetic to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, unifying the look and feel across all Apple platforms.

Liquid Glass, inspired by the depth and dimensionality of visionOS, dynamically reflects and refracts its surroundings, adapting to both light and dark environments. The interface responds in real time to user interactions—when users move or manipulate UI elements, the material shifts and shimmers, creating a lively, tactile experience. This new design extends from small controls like buttons and sliders to larger elements such as navigation bars, sidebars, and system experiences including the Lock Screen and Control Center.

The redesign aims to bring greater focus to content while maintaining the familiarity of Apple’s platforms. Controls and toolbars have been reimagined to harmonize with the rounded corners of modern hardware, and Liquid Glass elements expand, contract, and morph based on user needs. The update also introduces dynamic wallpapers, enhanced animations, and a more expressive visual language throughout the system.

In addition to the visual overhaul, Apple announced WebGPU support for Safari 26 beta across macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS. This enables developers to build advanced web applications with in-browser machine learning capabilities, further expanding the creative and technical possibilities for the Apple ecosystem.

Despite the excitement around the new design, some attendees expressed disappointment over the limited updates regarding Apple Intelligence, the company’s suite of AI features. The keynote was briefly interrupted by a protester, who identified as an Apple employee and displayed a keffiyeh before being escorted from the venue.

Apple is making the new versions of its operating systems available for developer testing immediately, with public releases set for the fall as free upgrades. The introduction of iOS 26 and the Liquid Glass interface marks Apple’s first major iOS redesign since 2013 and represents a unified vision for the future of its software platforms.