The new iPhone Look? iOS 26 brings "Liquid Glass" – A decade-defining Apple redesign

The new "Liquid Glass" design is both aesthetically stunning and highly pleasing, and is set to become available in iOS 26 this fall.

The presenter highlights the revolutionary iOS 26 "Liquid Glass" design language on multiple iPhones at WWDC25. Image: Apple

For over a decade, iPhone users have experienced consistent evolution in their devices, yet a fundamental visual revolution remained largely elusive. Now, that paradigm dramatically shifts. This marks the first time since the iPhone 7 that we are witnessing such a significant design change to iOS 26, a detail confirmed by Apple in its latest WWDC2025 introduction. Apple has officially introduced iOS 26, the next generation of its ubiquitous iPhone operating system, at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). This isn't merely an incremental software update; it signals a complete aesthetic overhaul, launching Apple's stunning new "Liquid Glass" design language poised to truly redefine the user experience.

This momentous announcement also signals a strategic evolution in Apple's versioning scheme for its operating system. Moving forward, significant iOS releases will be designated by the year following their introduction, akin to how automotive manufacturers name their new models. This approach by the Cupertino-based giant aims to make the user experience around version identification more consistent and intuitive. As per reported, the version that would traditionally have been iOS 19 now confidently steps into the future as iOS 26, reflecting its forward-thinking design.

A Transparent Future: Diving into the Liquid Glass Redesign

A detailed look at the iOS 26 home screen, featuring redesigned app icons with the new "Liquid Glass" translucent aesthetic. Image: Apple

The "Liquid Glass" redesign transcends a simple cosmetic refresh; it represents a foundational reimagining of core operating system components. While I'm not always a fervent admirer of Apple's UI, this time, things are different. For me, this stands as the most compelling and attractive design overhaul ever produced by any smartphone to date. Users can anticipate a deeply immersive visual experience as various interface elements gracefully embrace transparency, multi-layered depth, and incredibly fluid animations. This UI/UX innovation aims to provide a more intuitive and visually captivating interaction, fundamentally altering the iPhone's look.

• Lock Screen: The time intelligently expands to occupy more screen space, adapting fluidly to your chosen wallpaper and notifications, ensuring each glance is more engaging.

• Camera App: A newly streamlined layout declutters the viewfinder. Many controls are now intuitively concealed until required, ensuring a cleaner, more focused photography experience.

• Safari: Webpages stretch seamlessly from edge to edge, blurring the distinctions between content and the browser interface. The tab bar elegantly hovers over your content, optimizing screen real estate and elevating immersion.

Smarter Communication, Enhanced Creativity: App Updates in iOS 26

An engaging visual summary showcases the diverse new features arriving with Apple's iOS 26 update. Image: Apple

Beyond the groundbreaking visual overhaul, iOS 26 thoughtfully integrates a suite of powerful new functionalities, many of which are fueled by the expanded capabilities of Apple Intelligence. This blend of innovation and aesthetic refinement promises a more intuitive and efficient iPhone experience.

• Phone App: A sophisticated new call screening feature empowers your iPhone to intelligently handle calls on your behalf. It can obtain details from unknown callers and provide you with a summarized view. It will then ring, allowing you to choose whether to accept the call or reject it as spam. This feature also manages hold times, liberating you from mundane waits, and can even play light music to inform you that you are on hold.

• Messages: Personalization takes center stage with customizable backgrounds, allowing you to select from Apple's curated options, your own photos, or even images generated by the enhanced Image Playground. Group chats now feature real-time typing indicators, and Apple Intelligence can proactively suggest adding polls when it intelligently detects relevant conversational cues.

• Emoji & Image Generation: Bid farewell to basic text descriptions for custom emoji. Genmoji enables you to effortlessly combine two existing emoji to forge entirely new expressions. Furthermore, Image Playground now boasts seamless integration with OpenAI's ChatGPT, significantly broadening your creative horizons for image creation.

Real-Time Understanding: Live Translation and Audio Enhancements

New iOS 26 features bring real-time Live Translation to FaceTime and enhanced lyrics experiences to Apple Music. Image: Apple

The pursuit of seamless communication and richer multimedia experiences continues with these powerful additions in iOS 26.

• Live Translation: Powered by highly efficient, on-device Apple Intelligence models, this groundbreaking feature translates conversations in real-time across text threads, phone calls, and FaceTime. It's worth noting that similar on-device live translation capabilities have previously been introduced by other major players in the mobile space, such as Samsung with its Galaxy S24 and S25 series, demonstrating a shared industry focus on breaking down language barriers through advanced AI. Developers will also gain access to a dedicated API, enabling them to integrate Live Translations into their own applications.

• Apple Music: Enjoy both lyrics translation and pronunciation features, facilitating a deeper connection with global music. A novel "AutoMix" feature flawlessly transitions songs from one to another, mimicking a professional DJ. You'll also gain the ability to conveniently pin your favorite artists and playlists to the top of the app, streamlining your listening journey.

Intelligent Navigation, Digital Identity, and the New Gaming Hub

iOS 26 streamlines daily life with intelligent Apple Maps, a digital ID in Wallet, and a new "Play Together" gaming hub. Image: Apple

Apple's commitment to everyday convenience and specialized experiences shines through in these refined iOS 26 features.

• Apple Maps: Your maps now intuitively learn and suggest your preferred routes, while proactively notifying you of potential delays or traffic. A new feature allows you to conveniently review and effortlessly share your previously visited places with friends.

• Apple Wallet: Anticipated this fall, users will have the capability to create a digital ID. Boarding passes receive a significant refresh, now incorporating indoor airport maps for simplified navigation. Moreover, Apple Pay will leverage Apple Intelligence to meticulously track orders made outside of Apple Pay, providing a centralized view of your purchasing data.

• Games App: Apple introduces a dedicated "Games app," serving as a centralized hub for your entire App Store game library and the extensive Apple Arcade catalog. The "Play Together" tab clearly displays what your friends are currently enjoying, complete with leaderboards for competitive challenges.

Visual Intelligence: Redefining On-Screen Interaction

the power of iOS 26 Visual Intelligence, allowing users to intelligently interact with on-screen content for quick actions. Image: Apple

Apple's Visual Intelligence propels on-screen interaction to an entirely new echelon, showcasing the power of integrated AI. During the keynote demonstration, Apple vividly illustrated how users could screenshot a jacket within a social media app and instantly utilize Visual Intelligence to search for that item using Google. Similarly, capturing a screenshot of event details allows Visual Intelligence to assist in adding it directly to your calendar. This powerful capability also extends to enabling you to query ChatGPT about any element visible on your screen.

This robust iOS 26 release, characterized by its groundbreaking "Liquid Glass" redesign and deeply integrated Apple Intelligence, unequivocally marks a pivotal chapter in the iPhone's enduring history. While certain highly anticipated AI features for Siri experienced delays from iOS 18, the sheer breadth and depth of innovation evident in iOS 26 undeniably underscore Apple's unwavering commitment to advancing the frontiers of mobile technology. The future of the iPhone appears remarkably clear, and indeed, quite literally, liquid.