iOS 26 Ushers iPhone into the 'Liquid Glass' Era – Here's What's New

In a press release by Apple, the Cupertino-based company announced its new design language for iOS called Liquid Glass, creating a layered, translucent interface that reacts in real time to lighting, movement, and touch. Inspired by visionOS, the material reintroduces depth and realism without overwhelming the minimalist structure of iOS.

The effect can be seen in everything from app icons and control panels to widgets, tab bars, and notifications. This marks a clear visual shift, making the interface feel more tactile and immersive.

Refinements in Visual Design and UI Behaviour

iOS 26's aesthetic is not just about beauty, it's built for interaction. Tab bars float and adapt as users scroll, widgets on the home and lock screens reflect ambient lighting, and app elements resize fluidly based on context.

Icons and widgets now offer customisable appearances, including tinted and clear variants. These changes extend across Apple's ecosystem, with iPadOS, macOS Tahoe, and watchOS adopting the same design principles.

Smarter Core Apps and Layout Improvements

Apple has redesigned several apps to complement the new interface:

• Camera introduces a dual-tab layout for easier navigation and quicker access to features.
• Safari moves its controls to a floating bar at the bottom of the screen for edge-to-edge content browsing.
• Messages gets improved group chat tools, typing indicators, and AI-generated backgrounds.
• Phone adds intelligent call screening and 'Hold Assist,' which detects hold music and alerts users when someone returns.

• A new standalone Games app replaces Game Centre as a central hub for all gaming activity.

Apple Intelligence and Visual Contextual Features

iOS 26 marks a deeper integration of Apple Intelligence, its privacy-focused AI platform. Features include live translation in FaceTime and Phone apps, processed entirely on-device.

The new Visual Intelligence system can analyse screenshots and images to suggest actions, such as product lookups or event creation. Users can also generate 'Genmoji' or stylised images using prompts via the Image Playground tool.

Why Did Apple Skip iOS 26?

Apple moved directly to iOS 26 with iPadOS 26, macOS 15, and other operating systems announced during WWDC 2025. This simplifies development and creates a unified naming structure across the ecosystem. There was no iOS 25 released to the public.

Which iPhones Will Get iOS 26?

iOS 26 will be available for iPhone SE (2nd generation) and newer models, including the iPhone 11 series and all subsequent releases. Apple has dropped support for older devices such as the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max. The update is optimized for newer hardware featuring the latest Apple silicon and enhanced AI capabilities, with some advanced AI features limited to iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max, and all iPhone 16 models.

Reception and Release Timeline

Reception

Initial reactions have been largely positive. The new Liquid Glass design has been praised for its modern, expressive look, with smoother icons, added translucency, and a cohesive visual language. However, some users have found the redesigned Control Centre visually dense, generating mixed opinions about usability.

Release Timeline

• Developer Beta: Released on 9 June 2025 following WWDC
• Public Beta: Expected by July 2025
• Official Release: Likely around 16 September 2025, shortly after the iPhone 17 launch

Apple's iOS 26 update signals a bold new direction for the iPhone experience, blending artistic visual elements with functional, intelligent systems that aim to make daily interactions more fluid, personalised and secure.