Ryan Haines / Android Authority
As a full-time Android user who keeps an iPad Mini and an old iPhone 13 Pro Max on my desk to check out the supposedly greener grass, I am very happy with my digital allegiances. And when Apple rolled out its new Liquid Glass design language and I saw how horrid it looked on my devices, I swear I high-fived the air and said a small prayer of thanks for Material 3 Expressive. But there are some days when I’m still jealous, furious, and furiously jealous of Apple’s influence on the entire mobile ecosystem.
See, not only did a few Android brands decide to adopt Liquid Glass-like influences in their own Android skins (I’m looking at you, vivo and Xiaomi), but more and more app developers are already adopting the design language in their iOS apps, too. Good for them, but hey, ho, hey, I’m here, waving my Material 3 Expressive Pixel. Can I also get some acknowledgment, please?
Liquid Glass or Material 3 Expressive? Pick one. 235 votes Liquid Glass 20 % Material 3 Expressive 80 %
Apple designs, developers follow
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Two major communication apps — WhatsApp and Telegram — have already started implementing touches of Liquid Glass in their iOS apps. Telegram transformed its bottom menu bar into a transparent/frosted glass look, regardless of whether users are running iOS 26 or not. There’s even a neat frosted glassy animation as you switch between the different icons. WhatsApp, on the other hand, has updated the look of its entire app for some lucky users. The bottom tab bar, the pop-up menus, the icons, and even the keyboard; everything received the Liquid Glass treatment.
Other apps like Insta360, AllTrails, Clue, and Wanderlog, might not have fully embraced Liquid Glass yet, but at least they’ve made their icons ready for iOS’s dark and tinted iconography.
As I said, that’s all good on paper, and excellent news for fans of Apple’s latest design influences who will get a more unified look across apps on their phone. Consistency and design coherence are awesome. Individuality is nice, but in general, you don’t want your homescreen to have a bunch of similar icons with a few eyesores in the middle. Nor do you want to open one app and see a certain user experience, then open another and see a whole other set of icons, fonts, or animations, menus under unexpected pop-ups, or settings in different places — at least not for your most frequently used apps. Otherwise, this would be a bit of a jarring experience.
Apple's chokehold on the mobile industry is clear. When Cupertino says, 'Jump!' everyone jumps.
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