Apple unveils iOS 26 software update with translucent Liquid Glass

Apple has revealed its "broadest software design update ever", which features translucent buttons and controls redesigned using its Liquid Glass design, expanded AI capabilities and a gaming app.

The iOS 26 software update was unveiled yesterday at Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC25).

It sees the technology company jump to iOS26 from iOS18, which was released in 2024, to align the software name with the calendar year when the product will be widely in use.

Apple announced that the iOS 26 will have a new software design that will be used across the company's platforms, including phones, computers, watches and TV.

It will feature a design called Liquid Glass, which Apple calls a "new material" and which was the result of a collaboration between Apple's design and engineering teams.

Liquid Glass has been used for buttons, switches, sliders, text, and media controls, which are now translucent and "behave like glass in the real world," Apple said. "Liquid Glass uses real-time rendering and dynamically reacts to movement with specular highlights."

"Multiple layers" of Liquid Glass were used for app icons, dock icons and widgets, which can be customised to be light or dark.

"At Apple, we've always believed in the deep integration of hardware and software that makes interacting with technology intuitive, beautiful, and delightful," said Apple vice president of human interface design Alan Dye.

"This is our broadest software design update ever. Meticulously crafted by rethinking the fundamental elements that make up our software, the new design features an entirely new material called Liquid Glass. It combines the optical qualities of glass with a fluidity only Apple can achieve, as it transforms depending on your content or context."

The colour of the icons and buttons will be informed by its surrounding content and adapt between light and dark as necessary.

The iOS 26 software will also feature an update to toolbars, controls and navigations within apps, which were redesigned to fit within concentric rather than square corners. These will be made from Liquid Glass and function as a layer that sits above the apps.

The company also launched new artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities powered by its Apple Intelligence. These include live translation, which will be integrated into messages, phone and FaceTime, as well as "visual intelligence".

This function will let users search using supported apps such as Google, Etsy and ChatGPT while looking at their homescreen. Apple said the visual intelligence will also recognise when users look at an event and suggest adding it to their calendar.

Other features in iOS26 include Apple Games, a new app that will function as an "all-in-one destination" for players, and new features for AirPods.

According to Apple, these will now have "studio-quality audio recording" and camera remote, allowing users to press and hold their stems to take a photo or start recording video.

"iOS 26 shines with the gorgeous new design and meaningful improvements to the features users rely on every day, making iPhone even more helpful," said Apple senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi.

"Experiences are more expressive and personal, from the lock screen and home screen, to new capabilities across phone and messages that help users focus on the connections that matter most. And with powerful new Apple Intelligence capabilities integrated across the system, users can get things done easier than ever."

The unveiling of Apple iOS 26 follows the company's announcement last month that it has partnered with neurotechnology company Synchron to develop products, including iPhones and iPads, that will be controlled using brain implants.

Earlier this year, it filed a patent for a foldable Apple Watch with two screens.

The images are courtesy of Apple.

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