‘Beautiful' and ‘Hard to Read': Designers React to Apple's Liquid Glass Update

WIRED

4 hours ago

Software designers, even those impressed by Apple's refreshed look at WWDC 2025, are concerned about the readability of the company's new see-through aesthetic. Apple's overhaul of its user interface changes the look and feel of all of its platforms: Apple TV, Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Watch. Courtesy of Apple
Apple's translucent design update for iOS 26, called Liquid Glass, is now available to developers, with a public beta scheduled for next month. The refresh—Apple's first major interface overhaul in 10 years—makes app icons, buttons, menus, and pop-ups look like they are made of frosted glass, with blurred background colors peeking through.
The sweeping software changes are not just for iPhones. This glassy look—inspired by the operating system in the Vision Pro headset—will eventually roll out to the entire suite of Apple devices, from smartwatches to iPads.
After the WWDC 2025 keynote concluded on Monday, many design-focused developers WIRED spoke with were impressed by the major update, but had lingering questions about how this translucent look could impact readability for users.
'It's hard to read some of it,' says Allan Yu, a product designer currently building the workplace messaging app Output. 'Mainly because I think they made it too transparent.' Yu suggests bumping up the blurring or adjusting the backgrounds to make on-screen designs more readable.
'Similar to the first beta for iOS 7, what we've seen so far is rough on the edges and potentially veers into distracting or challenging to read, especially for users with visual impairments,' says Josh Puckett, cofounder of Iteration, which helps startups with designs. Still, Puckett is optimistic, based on Apple's past accessibility features, that readability will improve over time.
Controls and navigation transform as you interact with the user interface. Courtesy of Apple
Serhii Popov, a design-first software engineer at MacPaw, the company behind the CleanMyMac app, is curious to see how the new operating system will look on Macs in bright light situations, where glare already impacts visibility. But overall, Popov is enamored with this 'really fresh' look from Apple. 'I think it will make everything look bigger and allow you to read or interact with the UI with more comfort,' says Popov. For him, the new design and updates look especially sleek on iPads.
Beyond readability concerns, the first impression from some designers is that this new look could be unnecessarily distracting for users.
"From a technical perspective, it's a very impressive effect. I applaud the time and effort it must have taken to mimic refraction and dispersion of light to such a high degree,' says Adam Whitcroft, a designer at Owner.com, which makes apps and websites for restaurants. 'But, sadly I haven't seen a single example of where it's pulled off in a way that's complementary to the broader context it's presented in.' Whitcroft points to the dispersion and refraction of layers beneath the apps as visually distracting, especially as the user interface is changing layouts. 'If you've designed a UI that draws the attention of the eye away from the wider context, you've gone down the wrong path,' he says.
The Icon Composer tool for developers lets them create icons with the Liquid Glass aesthetic that remain consistent across various platforms and themes. Courtesy of Apple
Puckett's initial reaction to the revamp is more positive than Whitcroft's. He thinks the shift away from flatness is the right design move. 'I'm excited that Apple is re-introducing feelings to their digital surfaces, creating interfaces that shimmer, bend, and breathe.' Puckett hopes this ignites a larger design trend of more expressive, experiential software.
Now, the hard part for developers begins: incorporating this new look. As Yu works on building Apple apps, he also appreciates the 'beautiful' new aesthetic, but is anxious about the feasibility of matching this vibe as a small team. In general, Yu remains unsure about how well Apple's new suit is going to fit.
'Apple is doing a great job in trying to pull us forward somewhere. It's very brave to do this. I just don't know if the direction is the right place,' he says. 'If anyone can do it, Apple can do it. I'm just scrambling to make our designs work.'
Liquid Glass adds subtle changes to FaceTime. Courtesy of Apple
The iOS Photos app with new menus and controls. Courtesy of Apple