To summarize
- Macworld says Apple will keep the liquid glass design from iOS 26, even though some people think it is unpopular. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says adoption rates are actually high.
- IOS 27 will be designed for the new iPhone 4’s bigger design. It will support split-screen apps and offer better video and gaming experiences.
- Apple plans to add a system-wide liquid glass slider in iOS 27. This will let users control the visual effect, but the design will still be a main feature.
Last year, Apple updated all its operating systems macOS 26, watchOS 26, visionOS 26, and iOS 26 with a major design change. The new “liquid glass” look added glass-like translucency and animations to every device. While not everyone liked it, a new report says Apple will keep liquid glass for now.
Building on this, in his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman counters claims of liquid glass’s unpopularity.
The idea that iOS 26 and Liquid Glass represent a crisis for Apple or constitute an unforgivable offense against good design that customers around the world despise is greatly overblown. He writes that the vast majority of users appear happy with the update, and the adoption rate has steadily climbed.
He also says that liquid glass wasn’t merely the idea of a few people who have left Apple. According to Gurman, the executive team fully supported the design, and several current design leaders helped develop it over time. So, a sudden change is unlikely.
But in a post on X, Gurman says Apple is still working on ways to let users control how glassy “liquid glass” looks. In iOS 26.2, Apple added a setting to choose between clear and tinted. He says Apple is still trying to give users more detailed control. Apple had been working on a system-wide liquid glass slider for iOS 26 to adjust the intensity of the glass effect, but it couldn’t be implemented for engineering reasons. Apple is trying again now for iOS 27 TBD if it lands.
It’s clear that the opening keynote at WWDC26 will not include a big apology or a new design language. Still, the event should have some news. Gurman thinks one major change is coming to iOS 27 this year.
