Apple Unveils iOS 26 and Liquid Glass Design at WWDC 2025
At its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 9, 2025, Apple revealed iOS 26, featuring a refreshed design called ‘Liquid Glass’. This new interface incorporates glass-like surfaces on controls, navigation bars, app icons, and widgets, creating a sense of depth as elements reflect and refract background imagery.
Key Features of iOS 26
- The lock screen’s clock dynamically adjusts its size based on the chosen wallpaper.
- A subtle parallax effect responds to device movement.
- Expanded customization options on the Home screen allow for clear, floating icon styles and precise widget repositioning.
Apple Intelligence Enhancements
Apple’s on-device artificial intelligence, known as Apple Intelligence, has been significantly boosted in iOS 26. Key enhancements include:
- Live Translation deeply integrated into Phone, Messages, and FaceTime apps, supporting real-time conversion in multiple languages.
- Visual Intelligence allows users to pose questions about on-screen content using a local large-language model.
- Developers can create bespoke AI-powered shortcuts and tools using Apple’s Foundation Models framework.
Core Apps Redesign
Several core apps have been reimagined with the Liquid Glass design:
- The Phone app now merges favourites, recents, and voicemail into a unified view.
- Messages introduces silent filtering of unknown senders and AI-generated backgrounds.
- The Camera app’s interface has been streamlined.
- Safari gains a flowing page-turn animation.
Additional Enhancements
- CarPlay features a compact incoming-call banner and support for Tapbacks and pinned conversations.
- AirPods users can control the camera with new gestures.
- The new Games app consolidates installed titles and integrates social features.
- Apple Music introduces AI-driven features like AutoMix and Lyrics Translation.
Compatibility and Rollout
iOS 26 will be available as a free over-the-air update for iPhone 11 and later models. Advanced Apple Intelligence functions will be limited to the iPhone 16 range and iPhone 15 Pro line. The first developer beta is available now, with a public beta expected in July 2025 and a final release in autumn 2025.
