Liquid Glass everywhere, from iPhone to Mac © James Pero / Gizmodo The iOS 26 release may be the most controversial since the back in 2013. Users didn’t appreciate having to watch short animations before getting into their apps. Many complained about the UI hiding useful buttons, making it harder for power users to find the right tools for the job. Despite the controversy, skeuomorphism—where Apple tried incorporating more familiar images and designs, such as the battery image representing battery life—still remains to this day. That brings us to now and the emphasis on “glassmorphism,” emphasizing opaque windows for a pseudo-3D effect. As somebody who has used multiple versions of the extensively during the beta period this past summer, I appreciated some design changes more than others. Apple removing the opaque layer for the menu bar at the top of the Mac screen helps make the screen feel larger without sacrificing functionality. Spotlight has also been beefed up to take actions directly in apps like Messages without having to click on the icon and type out your text to a recipient. The Mac is now more connected to the iPhone than ever with Live Activities, letting you monitor iPhone notifications without unlocking and fiddling with the device. Clicking on those notifications also opens up the , a feature that was introduced in last year’s macOS Sequoia. It’s not all great, however. There’s no more Launchpad available in the dock, and to bring it back you need to . Instead, you’re granted an “Apps” folder that is overloaded with all your iPhone apps in addition to those you installed on Mac. macOS 26 also sports a few more minor additions, like the . All that functionality is now bedecked in the translucent layer of glass, from your app icons to the Control Center. The real innovation was saved for Apple’s tablets. The iPad is now far more usable as a dedicated laptop replacement for all your tasks. Apple added the ability to have multiple apps open on-screen at once. You can tile them just by flicking them to the right or left side of the screen. If you want to watch YouTube and type up your notes, it’s now easier than the previous Stage Manager or dual-screen solutions., Gadgets Liquid Glass on iOS 26 Is Here to Stay, Whether You Like It or Not Apple’s software overhaul for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more brings a fair few goodies and the most controversial UI in years., During today’s WWDC 2025 keynote, held in person at Apple Park and streamed online, Apple unveiled a considerable number of upgrades to iOS and iPadOS, including a brand-new design language called Liquid Glass. This new look, which spans all of Apple’s platforms, coupled with a massive upgrade for multitasking on the iPad and numerous other.