Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
The biggest buzz at WWDC 2025 was around Apple’s spanking new Liquid Glass interface. From a unified year-based naming scheme for its platforms to what might be the most extensive visual overhaul to iOS in years, iOS 26 marks a significant shift in Apple’s software approach. But is there substance beneath the divisive shiny sheen? I dove into the developer betas to give it a try. Let me preface this by saying this first beta is very buggy, and I wouldn’t recommend installing it on your primary phone. Still, if you’re eager to explore it, just go to the “Software Update” section under Settings and select “Beta Updates.” That’s all it takes. Since last year, Apple has dramatically simplified the beta sign-up process. Regardless, I’d highly recommend waiting for next month’s public beta before installing the update. With that said, here are some of the most significant additions to iOS 26.
Liquid Glass: The most dramatic design overhaul since iOS 7
Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
Apple’s biggest change this year is the introduction of a new design language called Liquid Glass. If you’re a design enthusiast or have experience in web design, you’re likely familiar with glassmorphism. Liquid Glass builds on that aesthetic and makes extensive use of transparency and floating elements. More importantly, this redesign spans every Apple platform from the iPhone to the iPad, Mac, Watch, TV, and even Vision Pro. It’s Apple’s first real attempt to unify the visual language across its entire ecosystem.
Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
In practice, Liquid Glass means layers of translucent color, soft reflections, and depth that shift as you interact with your device. It’s playful, dramatic, and distinctly Apple — for better or worse. The Home Screen shows this off best. App icons appear like digital glass, glinting based on the background. You’ll notice bubble-like UI elements across the Photos app, the Fitness App, and even the Camera. On the Lock Screen and in Control Center, most flat backgrounds are now translucent layers. It’s a subtle but impactful shift that makes everything feel like it’s floating rather than just sitting on top of your wallpaper.
Readability suffers under all that transparency — especially in Control Center.
In day-to-day use, not everything works perfectly yet. Transparency can hurt readability, especially in Control Center when it overlaps busy apps like the music player. The Lock Screen has similar issues. Some animations also feel inconsistent.
The interface tweaks continue on to the browser, where you now get a near-full-screen view of the webpage with glass-inspired elements that pop out. Similar to the rest of the interface, there is ample reason to be concerned about readability (especially for those with accessibility needs), and your experience is entirely dependent on the background. Still, this is early beta territory, and Apple typically refines this by the time of public release. Despite the mixed public consensus, I quite like the general direction that Apple is taking here. The interface looks futuristic to a fault, like something straight out of an Apple TV science fiction show, and I’m personally here for it. But even at this early stage, it is clear that a lot of pain points need to be addressed before the public rollout this September.
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