- 0-20%: Unlikely - Lacks credible sources
- 21-40%: Questionable - Some concerns remain
- 41-60%: Plausible - Reasonable evidence
- 61-80%: Probable - Strong evidence
- 81-100%: Highly Likely - Multiple reliable sources
85%
Highly Likely
A mammoth-sized software revamp for all of Apple’s operating systems was previewed at last year’s WWDC keynote, called Liquid Glass, and where technology titans were laser-focused on AI, the Cupertino firm went all in to introduce its fresh UI makeover. Unfortunately, the change was met with a mixed bag of reviews, and given that there are times when Apple is required to listen to its customer base, there was a sliver of a chance the company would revert to the previous design. Sadly, those expecting a software backtrack will be disappointed, as a new report states that Liquid Glass is not being phased out and will receive incremental improvements.
Liquid Glass looks exceptional on the iPhone and iPad, but there’s a ton of improvement required on the Mac and Apple Watch
We have reported previously that iOS 27 won’t forego Liquid Glass, as Apple is targeting stability improvements. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman remains steadfast on these claims because the latest edition of his ‘Power On’ newsletter talks about Apple sticking to this UI for the foreseeable future. Since the transition to Liquid Glass took years of effort, any reversal would once again require a lot of time to complete.
“The reality, though, is that Liquid Glass isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The interface was the result of a multiyear effort that started with visionOS, which itself had been in development for several years before shipping in 2024. Because of the timelines involved, any major reversal away from Liquid Glass would likely take years to materialize.”
Gurman also notes that all Apple’s executives were behind this change, and that he has been unable to find any evidence linking to any company designer who opposed the idea. If you still find the UI difficult to use, you can check out our guide on how to reduce the Liquid Glass effect in iOS 26.
“Liquid Glass was a massive undertaking across Apple’s entire design organization, and I haven’t been able to find any evidence suggesting there were designers internally opposed to it during development. Apple’s executive team was also fully behind the interface.”
As mentioned before, there are a multitude of tweaks required, but all of them aren’t going to arrive at the same time, as these improvements are expected over the course of several years. Gurman notes that while Liquid Glass looks and works well on the iPhone and iPad, there are lots of changes required on the Mac and Apple Watch.
“That being said, Liquid Glass clearly isn’t perfect. There are legitimate concerns about readability and the way certain transparent elements overlap with text and icons. And while the design works particularly well on the iPhone and iPad, it still needs refinement on the Mac and Apple Watch.
For that reason, I expect years of gradual improvements — much like what Apple went through following the introduction of iOS 7. This clearly would be the case no matter who was in charge of Apple’s user interface teams today. Already, Apple has made small adjustments in the iOS 26.4 beta, including by offering new options to tone down the glass effect.”
Some may have questioned Apple’s stance on Liquid Glass after the company executive Alan Dye, who was the mastermind behind this monumental change, departed for Meta, but it appears that this isn’t the case.
News Source: Bloomberg
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
