Apple’s Glossy New “Liquid Glass” And OS26 Slammed

Source: Apple / apple

As summer rolls around, tech enthusiasts get excited about Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, where the company showcases its latest and greatest software.

This year, the event was all about iOS 26, which was rumored to be the biggest upgrade since iOS 6, the most significant overhaul in iPhone history. While it didn’t necessarily live up to the hype, it is a welcome refresh to the same icons and similar platform we’ve been staring at.

And it’s all thanks to the Liquid Glass interface, which behaves like glass in the real world, being translucent and adapting to the colors around it, making it appear flat yet still have a glassy pop. 

The Liquid Glass interface is a major theme of iOS 26, as Apple switches its operating system name to the year it was released. 

iOS 26

Source: Apple / apple

You first see it on the lock screen with the clock that mimics the colors of the wallpaper.

First mentioned was the messaging app, which will now feature polls in group chats to reduce back-and-forth when trying to come to a decision. There’s also live translation in messaging and FaceTime for more seamless communication.

Apple Music also gets lyric translation and added support for correcting pronunciation, as well as mixing for DJ-like seamless transitions. The music app also lets you pin your favorites to the top of the screen, just like in the messaging app.

Apple introduces the game app as the hub for games, allowing you to see what your friends are up to or hop into ones you’ve already been playing.

Another new feature is Visual Intelligence, which lets you scan any webpage for products. So if you see a pair of sneakers you want, just take a screenshot and you can see retailers selling a similar pair. You can also take a screenshot to extract an event flyer to become a calendar event, a feature similar to Google Lens.

watchOS 26

Source: Apple / apple

watchOS 26 introduces Workout Buddy, which provides encouragement to work out after analyzing your fitness history in depth. It helps hype you up with a generated voice similar to Siri, and gives you the choice of several tones to pick from.

There’s also a custom workout feature with rest and recovery breaks as well as music. Apple can take the lead, or you can program your own music or podcasts. The Notes app finally comes to the Apple Watch, as well as a wrist flick gesture to get rid of notifications. 

Apple tvOS

Source: Apple / apple

Apple TV leverages Liquid Glass technology, too, featuring transparent controls, and even when browsing content, the artwork takes center stage. Now, profiles immediately appear upon turning on Apple TV for added customizability. There’s a new Sing in Apple Music feature, which is similar to karaoke, where you use your phone as a mic to follow along to the lyrics on the screen. Your friends can react to your performance with emojis on the screen. FaceTime also gets an update on tvOS with contact photos.

MacOS 26

Source: Apple / apple

The latest MaxOS, dubbed Tahoe 26, also offers a look that lets the content shine, while there are still new Apple Intelligence features like FaceTime translation. Similar to the iPhone, you can also choose a colorful theme for your dock’s icons, switch between a light and dark vibe, or opt for the newly introduced clear look. Even the menu bar is transparent to make the screen seem bigger, and smaller details include the ability to change folder colors and name them with emojis.

iPadOS 26

Source: Apple / apple

iPad also got some cool updates, including the ability to treat app windows similarly to those of a MacBook, allowing you to resize them and place them where you want, and the ability to tap them at any time to show your recent activity. There’s also a full-size cursor and menu bar.

See how social media feels about the updates below:

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