Apple Unveils Elegant Glass-like User Design Experience and Powerful New OS Features

2025-06-10

Apple unveiled a groundbreaking software redesign and robust updates at its Worldwide Developers Conference, featuring new functionalities for the upcoming generation of operating systems. These enhancements, set to roll out across all devices under version 26, introduce a unified experience.

The design adopts an innovative material called Liquid Glass, which delivers a water-like translucent effect on displays. This layer refracts underlying content while enabling fluid color transitions. Apple states this innovation makes content stand out more and elevates control elements, ensuring users focus better on dynamic screen interactions.

"This is the most extensive software design overhaul we’ve ever undertaken, meticulously crafted by reimagining the fundamental elements of our software," said Alan Dye, Apple’s VP of Human Interface Design. "It combines glass optics with a fluidity only Apple can deliver, adapting seamlessly with your content or context."

The redesign spans Apple's entire device ecosystem, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Ventura 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26. The goal is to harmonize user experiences so that interactions feel consistent across all devices.

User interface buttons, switches, sliders, text, and media will dynamically adjust based on user needs. Controls, toolbars, and navigation within apps have been redesigned with rounded corners, floating above content without obstruction. They also group logically, making it easier to locate necessary controls.

Tab bars and sidebars follow the same redesign philosophy. In iOS 26, tab bars shrink when scrolling to emphasize content but remain accessible for navigation—expanding again when scrolling up.

iOS 26: A Major Leap Forward

iOS 26 brings Liquid Glass to iPhones, particularly enhancing the lock screen with an expandable clock that occupies the background image space. For instance, if a user’s image features a subject with a vast sky overhead, the clock stretches to fill more screen space, even hiding behind the subject instead of in front.

When notifications appear, the clock dynamically shrinks, reducing its footprint. Last year, Apple introduced Apple Intelligence, a generative AI feature rolled out across Apple devices by late 2024. Deeply integrated into the OS, it leverages Apple’s chip technology to allow users to rewrite text, create images, and perform actions within apps.

Today, Apple previewed Live Translation, a feature coming to iPhones that aids understanding in Messages, FaceTime, and phone calls. Powered by an on-device model, personal conversations remain private and aren’t sent to the cloud. During translations in Messages, original and translated messages are displayed one above the other. In FaceTime, live captions appear as the other person speaks. In phone calls, translations are read aloud, allowing users to hear a translated version of responses—even if the other party doesn’t own an iPhone.

Building on Apple Intelligence, Visual Intelligence—a feature answering questions and providing search info from camera images—now works with screenshots and iPhone apps. Users can ask ChatGPT about content they see on-screen for deeper insights or search Google, Etsy, or other apps to find similar images and products. For example, spotting a pair of desirable shoes lets users quickly touch an action button to search Etsy or Amazon.com. Similarly, capturing details from an event poster on X prompts Visual Intelligence to extract time, date, and location for calendar additions.

Apple has also added helpful features to ease common phone frustrations. Call screening answers unknown calls, reducing interruptions by gathering caller information before displaying details for acceptance decisions. Meanwhile, Hold Assistant retains a spot in queues and notifies users when live agents are available, even politely requesting them to wait.

Messages now support custom backgrounds and polls within chats. Apple Intelligence detects when users might benefit from polls, suggesting options and letting them add custom choices. Group chats show typing indicators, revealing who's about to speak. Additionally, users can request, send, and receive Apple Cash, proving handy for exchanging funds on the go.

"iOS 26 shines with a stunning new design and meaningful improvements to everyday functions, making the iPhone even more useful," said Craig Federighi, Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering. "From the lock screen to new functionalities in Phone and Messages, the experience becomes more expressive and personalized, helping users focus on what matters most."

iPadOS 26 Advances Multitasking

Apple previewed a new windowing system arriving with iPadOS 26, empowering users to effortlessly control, arrange, and switch between applications. Familiar window controls let users close, minimize, resize, or tile windows, leveraging iPad-specific form factors by sliding windows to edges. If previously resized, apps restore to their dimensions. Exposé displays all app windows, simplifying switching tasks.

This system integrates smoothly with Stage Manager, organizing open apps and windows into centralized views.