A New Era for Apple’s Design
Apple is set to introduce a major design overhaul with the release of iOS 26, marking the most significant visual change in over a decade. At the heart of this update is the new Liquid Glass interface, which brings a translucent, layered look to on-screen elements across the best iPhones. With the iOS 26 public beta now available, users can experience this transformation firsthand — and it’s already making waves.
The Liquid Glass interface introduces a third option for viewing app icons, complementing the traditional Light and Dark modes. When activated, each icon gains rounded edges and a translucent finish that lacks color, creating a minimalist aesthetic that allows the background image to show through as if looking through glass. This dynamic design adapts based on surrounding content and intelligently shifts between light and dark environments, according to Apple.
The “Liquid” aspect of the name refers to how these transparent features respond dynamically to user interaction. Menus and buttons can react to touch, with some elements gathering around your finger while others split off into new menus to avoid blocking the view of content. On the lock screen, elements can stretch and move to accommodate background images or incoming notifications. Additionally, wallpapers now feature a spatial photo effect inspired by visionOS from Apple’s Vision Pro headset, allowing images to tilt and shift based on your viewing perspective.
This new design isn’t limited to just iPhones. Apple is working to unify its software across devices, ensuring a seamless experience across the Apple Watch, iPhone, and Mac. “The new design extends across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS, with updates to system experiences like the Lock Screen, Home Screen, desktop, and Dock,” Apple stated.
Customizing Your iPhone with Liquid Glass
Customizing your home screen with the Liquid Glass design in iOS 26 is straightforward. Since the operating system is still in its testing phase, you’ll need to download the public beta first. If you haven’t already, there are step-by-step guides available to help you get started.
Once the beta is installed, enabling the Liquid Glass interface is simple. Follow these steps:
- Long-press anywhere on the lockscreen or background of your phone to bring up the Edit button in the top left corner.
- Tap Edit.
- At the bottom of the screen, a pop-up menu will appear with options: Light, Dark, Tinted, and Clear.
- Tap Clear.
- Choose between Clear Dark, Clear Light, or Clear Auto.
The Light option turns everything into glass, while Dark gives your interface a glassified look while retaining some of the icons’ original color. Alternatively, you can select Auto so that the interface switches between Light and Dark depending on the time of day.
Once enabled, your home screen icons will immediately adopt the Liquid Glass design, letting your background shine through for a sleek, minimalistic feel. If you decide you prefer the old look, simply follow the same steps to revert back.
The Future of Apple’s Interface
With the introduction of Liquid Glass, Apple continues to push the boundaries of design and user experience. While the feature is still in the beta stage, early impressions suggest it could significantly enhance the way users interact with their devices. As Apple refines this update, it’s clear that the company is committed to delivering a more cohesive and visually appealing ecosystem across all its products.