Apple's iPhone may not have gotten any significant AI upgrades, but you get a fresh coat of paint. The same goes for other Apple operating systems.
At the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC 25) on Monday, the company announced a refreshed user interface called Liquid Glass, featuring shiny, reflective, transparent visual interface elements that give the software a “glass-like” look and feel.
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The design refresh is inspired by Apple's VR headset, the Vision Pro. If an interface is built for a spatial computing headset, integrate the design of your iPhone with the design of other Apple devices. This change could suggest a potential future in which Apple's operating system and software could potentially expand to surfaces other than phones, tablets and watches, perhaps like AR glasses.
Introducing at WWDC by Alan Dye, Apple's Vice President of Design, the Liquid Glass Interface represents iOS's biggest visual update, iOS's biggest visual update.
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The idea of ​​distorted was to translate real-world objects into a touchscreen. The flat design overturned this visual language and instead chose simple shapes, clean lines, minimalist user interface and more colorful icons.
Over time, iOS's flat design has evolved to have a more shiny, semi-transparent layer, like a control center that mimics frosted glass panes.
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As the dye explained, the redesign includes “the optical quality of glass and the fluidity that only Apple can achieve.”
The company says that the update will refract light and respond dynamically to movement when it makes navigation and control more clear. Additionally, it responds to content and input in real time, creating a “more lively experience.”
Liquid glass displays are translucent and behave like glass in the real world. Screen colors are notified by content and adapts between bright and dark environments. Additionally, an alert will appear from where you tap, and the context menu will scroll and tap to expand it to a scannable list.
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The design applies to both system experiences, such as lock screen, notifications, control center, and app icons.
The company says the new icon appears to be made from multiple liquid glass and will be offered in bright mode, dark mode and new clear mode.