I started my apple phone usage with an XS, think that was with iOS 12.
Never used iOS 6, still can’t find the camera app hahaha
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Liquid Glass Appreciation Thread
- Thread starter Mr. Awesome
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Never used iOS 6, still can’t find the camera app hahaha
I like it. Nice change. I find it hard to believe how much outrage there is about design decisions...especially when the UI functions exactly the same.
After some thinkering I had changed my mind like 180 degrees, I was a hater but I think I love the new design. The only problem for me it is not polished and have some big quirks but I can easily imagine it being amazing in 2 years or so. Like my biggest problem was the control center but I think it just lacks the blur added to the background. Like when I swipe to the todays view, the walppaper blurs and the widgets are easily readable. And I think the whole liquid effect is a bit to strong and when scrolling is just to obstructing.
In fact I am, and do lots of it. Which is why I understand what's happening here.
I only really hate it on safari like the blur on top and the bottom takes my focus away from the content in the center like my brain is always going down to the address bar fading in and out, every time I just slightly scroll the page. It is driving me insane. Same with the unnecessary blur on top of a page.
I also don’t like the dark blue color in the control center. I hope they change it so yeah, not many complains about the liquid glass itself.
Also, why isn’t the keyboard itself also liquid glass? Seems a bit inconsistent
I also don’t like the dark blue color in the control center. I hope they change it so yeah, not many complains about the liquid glass itself.
Also, why isn’t the keyboard itself also liquid glass? Seems a bit inconsistent
Last edited:
But that's half the problem. Why is the UI functionally mostly the same? I was expecting more growth and new ideas. We look at Android launchers like Niagra, AIO, Square Home, and what Samsung is doing with Good Lock and we see there are a lot of different ideas on how the Springboard/Spotlight/App Library interface could evolve. But it doesn't. Instead we got a skin over an OS that is largely the same. I think a lot of people looked at it and thought "This? This is where they put their energy?" I don't love Liquid Glass, but I think it will be usable in its final form and largely get out of my way and let me work. I'm just disappointed in the lack of evolution.
The industry is clearly in a pickle then! Bottom line of good design is usability and accessibility. And with good design comes function. Period. If you’re not addressing these basic things in your design then you need a reboot. Not just with software. But anything in life.
As I said. From an aesthetics point of view it looks beautiful (in most situations). From a design point of view there is a long, long way to go.
Edit: laughing is fine, but if you’re a designer and you’re not designing for these basic fundamentals then you’re very much in the wrong job
Last edited:
Personally I feel liquid glass is a bit like gold. It can be nice if not use excessively it can even be beautiful and tasteful even. But decorate your whole home with gold and it becomes tacky and ugly. I like it more on macOS as there more screen real estate and it doesn't feel too abundant but the smaller the screen the more glaring it feels it's far from ideal for more compressed spaces.
I know this supposed to be an appreciation thread and I kind of do like the effect, it has a certain beauty to it but it's definitely overused and hope they will make it better in upcoming beta's.
That being said I really do miss the old days of shapeshifter and guikit's which gave users some level of customization to the OS even if it was mostly hacked in I believe. Apple's current way of offering customisation with their coloured themes feel very weird and odd to me. I probably sound like a dinosaur for mentioning this though ....
I know this supposed to be an appreciation thread and I kind of do like the effect, it has a certain beauty to it but it's definitely overused and hope they will make it better in upcoming beta's.
That being said I really do miss the old days of shapeshifter and guikit's which gave users some level of customization to the OS even if it was mostly hacked in I believe. Apple's current way of offering customisation with their coloured themes feel very weird and odd to me. I probably sound like a dinosaur for mentioning this though ....
I have it on my iPad and I like the design. It’s cool and fresh.
Besides the design, the functionality of iPadOS 26 is REALLY great with the multitasking option. There are several beta bugs, which are to be expected, but looking through that it’s what everyone wanted for a long time.
Besides the design, the functionality of iPadOS 26 is REALLY great with the multitasking option. There are several beta bugs, which are to be expected, but looking through that it’s what everyone wanted for a long time.
Bit the bullet and put it on my daily driver, an 11” iPad. I like what I am seeing. Definitely some things will need tweaking, like the share sheet in Maps being nearly a clear piece of glass. Obvious bug that will get fixed. Bracketing out the obvious bugs, this is a really nice refresh. Things make more sense, like pop up vertical menus instead of those insipid horizontal scrolling shelves menus. Overall, I think it is a rather significant improvement in the UI language, with some visual irks aside.
Not sure about all the hard “edge lights” on many objects. Is it a reflection, or are the colors misaligned, makes me look twice.
Man… I had just perfected my Photos.app setup, and now that’s blown to hell.
Not sure about all the hard “edge lights” on many objects. Is it a reflection, or are the colors misaligned, makes me look twice.
Man… I had just perfected my Photos.app setup, and now that’s blown to hell.
Why would they? Both of those scenarios are outside of their control and low-key frowned upon.. They shouldn’t have to dumb-down their updates to account for non-standard or broken hardware.
Rather… it is designed to allow ProMotion displays to render it better, but that only makes sense, right? Better/newer hardware can typically render more intensive software better… older HW will tend to struggle.
Probably be better off turning on the “Reduce Transparency” setting on older devices so that they aren’t trying to run everything full-tilt…
Or, just don’t upgrade if your on older hardware and you want the best iPhone experience
Will you be able to turn off liquid glass as I don't like it at all ☹️
It still has several months to grow and evolve, so it might grow on you once it is released to everyone in September.
There is an option to remove the effect entirely but it’s does make it look very basic and ugly.
I think a slider is required to set the tone of the translucency in my honest opinion.
I started with iPhone OS 2 when I got my first iPod touch… I remember the same general feelings of dislike when iOS 7 first came out. And, to be fair, iOS 7 was not great - over saturated icons, the new San Francisco font was used at way too thin.
But over the years it’s been tweaked and refined and it’s now what everyone knows and loves, and Liquid Glass will have the same evolution. As someone who still loves and misses Apples old Aqua UI and Windows old Aero UI, I love Liquid Glass personally!
But there’s lots of places where readability are not good at all, and now there are lot of actions hidden under a menu that shouldn’t be, requiring a second tap (why is select in mail under a … menu? Why is new tab in safari now in the top corner so far away from where the thumb can naturally reach?)
So don’t forget to leave feedback for Apple! Remember they don’t read messages here - gotta leave feedback in the Feedback app so they can get a consensus of how everyone’s feeling about the new design!
But I feel the big one is to be patient a bit and remember - it’s a beta, and iOS 26 is a big jump - it may take until 27/28 before things are smoothed out and *refined* back to the way things were in iOS 6 and iOS 18.
But over the years it’s been tweaked and refined and it’s now what everyone knows and loves, and Liquid Glass will have the same evolution. As someone who still loves and misses Apples old Aqua UI and Windows old Aero UI, I love Liquid Glass personally!
But there’s lots of places where readability are not good at all, and now there are lot of actions hidden under a menu that shouldn’t be, requiring a second tap (why is select in mail under a … menu? Why is new tab in safari now in the top corner so far away from where the thumb can naturally reach?)
So don’t forget to leave feedback for Apple! Remember they don’t read messages here - gotta leave feedback in the Feedback app so they can get a consensus of how everyone’s feeling about the new design!
But I feel the big one is to be patient a bit and remember - it’s a beta, and iOS 26 is a big jump - it may take until 27/28 before things are smoothed out and *refined* back to the way things were in iOS 6 and iOS 18.
Now I’m just embracing the absurdity
