It’s hard to take a look at Apple’s new “liquid glass” aesthetic rather than considering Microsoft’s highly favored OS Windows Vista, which also touts the bold new horizons of transparencies and glass-like effects. You can see the similarities between Apple’s UI and Vista’s “Windows Aero” design language, from the vitrified app icon in iOS 26 and the smooth icon in Macos Tahoe 26 to the transparent backgrounds used in the drop-down menu, which are the Fallken Back back back back back back back back vista back vista back back back back back back back back back back back back back back back back back back back window border. The key difference is that Apple just does better. (Sorry, sorry, Windows fans.)
When Microsoft started with an interesting idea, it failed to execute Vista’s Windows Aero UI well. Most of the time, that’s because Vista itself is a huge mess – it’s much slower than Windows XP, it’s known to be off-roaders, and it’s a poor way of handling drivers. And if you actually want to participate in the glory of the Aero Transparent Stick, you need a computer with a powerful GPU. In 2007, this was rarer than today, when even integrated graphics could run basic 3D and fancy UI elements. With its native chips, Apple also offers nice graphics capabilities in devices that support iOS 26, iPados 26, and has released other new software using liquid glass.
Unlike the jump from Windows XP to Vista, liquid glass isn’t really a huge change. Since iOS 7 was released in 2013, Apple has been heading towards a more flickering UI and wider use of transparencies, which has led the ancient Skeuomorthic Design trend to favor a flatter, sleeker aesthetic. So, it’s safe to say that your icons and menus may make them shiny more in iOS 26, but they mostly work in the way you remember. (You can also argue that Apple itself launched a transparent transition in the desktop operating system in 2001 with the original Mac OS X, which gave its iconic dock a glossy backdrop.)
I can argue about the overall wisdom of Apple liquid glass at least compared to Windows Vista, and I personally think that gives iOS a much-needed personality. But if you think it looks ugly, I really can’t convince you, like many of my Engadget colleagues. Senior news editor Avery Ellis calls it “busy and annoying,” notes chief editor Aaron Souppouris, “It does feel like Aero rooted in the mid-00s. Fair complaints! And if these elements do bother you, you can also reduce the transparency effects and sport elements in Apple’s accessibility settings.
However, after spending some time with the first iOS 26 developer beta, I was more interested in liquid glass. It makes the app icons look like miniature jewelry I just want to touch, and I dig through the transparency effects throughout the operating system – they seem to be a preview of our future use of Holographic Apple devices. (This is also how I feel with Visionos on Vision Pro, which acts as a launcher for liquid glass.) I also really like the Revamp ted Safari for iOS 26, which allows you to browse completely in full screen. When scrolling down, the position bar at the bottom of the screen shrinks and avoids. However, if you scroll up or click on the location bar, it will pop up the backup to give you the sharing and navigation options you use.
Maybe I’m a novel fool. Back to Windows XP days, I used to customize the operating system with an app like WindowBlinds and add transparent effects. There are signs that Apple may go too far on transparencies, such as iOS 26’s Control Center (Part 1). It looks great if you slide it in the app, but if you are on the home screen, it’s just one of many glass-like windows. For some users, I can see that this is a bit overbearing.
It is also worth noting that interface redesigns are often rejected at first glance, especially since you see them abstracted through screenshots and videos. Even Apple’s sleek marketing magic can’t replicate the experience of using liquid design. In my experience, iOS 26 is indeed no different from everything before. Once you overcome the initial shock of the new interface, you may see it with your new eyes.
Until this fall, Apple’s new operating system arrives, there’s still plenty of time, and if Beta users complain about them, the company will usually tweak big design changes very quickly. I can see Apple adjusting against a transparent background in the control center, even better, giving the user more control over the amount of liquid glass elements on the screen. Personally, I don’t mind this when the company stretches its interface ideal too far – there will always be room for dedication. It’s much better than being too conservative and never really pushing your aesthetic vision forward.
