Liquid Glass to iOS 26: Apple’s WWDC 2025 previews new interface, AI, design overhaul

At its much-anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference 2025 (WWDC 2025), Apple previewed a sweeping vision of the future — one powered by privacy-first artificial intelligence (AI), immersive spatial computing, and its boldest design refresh in years.

From the launch of a sleek new interface to AI innovations integrated across iOS, macOS, and visionOS, Apple is positioning itself at the centre of enterprise-grade productivity and consumer experience.

Here’s a closer look at the most significant announcements and what they mean for the business and tech landscape.

Liquid Glass: Introducing a design ‘revolution’

Apple unveiled its most extensive software redesign ever, baptising a fresh visual language as ‘Liquid Glass’. This translucent, adaptable interface applies across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26, orchestrating a unified and expressive aesthetic.

The translucent material reflects and refracts its surroundings, bringing greater focus to content, and freshness across controls, navigation, app icons, widgets, and more. Liquid Glass also brings new customisation options to app icons and widgets, including a stunning clear look.

Programmers can leverage updated APIs in SwiftUI, UIKit and AppKit to adopt this design, enabling greater visual cohesion and user delight.

iOS 26: Smarter, more expressive, privacy-centric

Apple previewed iOS 26, complete with the Liquid Glass interface and AI enhancements rooted in the Apple Intelligence framework.

New capabilities include:

• In-line live translation using on-device models

• Genmoji emoji combinations

• Enhanced visuals and contextual tools in messages, phone, camera, Safari

• Expanded Apple Music features like lyrics translation, karaoke mic support

macOS Tahoe 26: Continuity and productivity revamped

The latest macOS Tahoe 26 marries the Liquid Glass visual style with new enhancements in continuity across Apple devices:

• Deeper integration of the Phone app and Live Activities

• The most significant Spotlight overhaul to date

• Broader deployment of Apple Intelligence across system-level workflows
  

visionOS 26: Spatial AI in action

visionOS 26 for Apple Vision Pro brings spatial enhancements like:

• Anchored spatial widgets and lifelike ‘Personas’

• 180°/360° content support (for example from Insta360, GoPro, Canon)

• Integration with PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers

• New enterprise APIs enabling immersive experiences and collaborative spatial apps
  

Apple deepened on-device AI capabilities across platforms, offering developers access to foundational models — including live translation, visual intelligence for screen content, Genmoji, and Shortcut integration.

Available this fall, these tools emphasise performance, privacy, and offline functionality.

watchOS 26 offers a more personalised experience

Apple also previewed watchOS 26, showcasing a new design and smarter features aimed at delivering a more personalised user experience. With a refreshed interface featuring Liquid Glass, elements like the Smart Stack, Control Center, Photos watch face, and in-app navigation now feel more fluid and expressive — while still retaining the familiar ease of use Apple Watch users know and love.

Apple Intelligence further elevates the fitness experience through Workout Buddy, which offers personalised, spoken motivation during workouts.

The Workout app has been redesigned with a new layout and now suggests music tailored to a user’s preferences and workout type. Other enhancements include smarter interactions with Smart Stack hints, updates to Messages, and a convenient new one-handed wrist flick gesture to quickly dismiss notifications.

Apple unveils iPadOS 26

Apple also previewed iPadOS 26, featuring the new Liquid Glass design cohesively across all platforms.

This update introduces a macOS-style interface, including a menu bar accessed by swiping down, alongside enhanced window management with tiling options — while fully supporting Stage Manager on both M-series and A-series iPads.

New productivity tools include a native Journal app optimised for Apple Pencil, allowing users to capture ideas intuitively in handwriting or sketch form apple.com.

Accessibility also received attention with features like Accessibility Reader, improved Braille Access, and shared settings for temporary simplicity.

Powered by Apple Intelligence, the update offers refined live translation, smarter visual intelligence, and new Genmoji and Image Playground capabilities.

Additionally, external display support has expanded to several iPad Pro and iPad Air models, enhancing the iPad’s capability as a productivity and creativity hub.

Awards and developer experience

Apple recognised 12 stand-out apps and games in its 2025 Apple Design Awards, reinforcing its commitment to innovative and user-centric design. The keynote also set the stage for over 100 technical sessions, labs, and one-on-one developer forums — supporting seamless adoption of the new frameworks.