It seems like Apple will lastly admit that Liquid Glass is simply an excessive amount of

Close to the tip of final yr, Apple launched its newest OS updates, together with iOS 26, macOS 26, and iPadOS 26. Whereas these updates notably lacked a number of the long-promised new Apple Intelligence and Siri options — which have been first introduced in 2024 however later delayed — one factor that instantly caught folks’s consideration was Liquid Glass, Apple’s largest OS redesign in years.

The principle focus of Liquid Glass is correct within the title: the glass ingredient. It provides a glass-like visible impact to many elements of the person interface, together with app icons, the search bar, buttons, widgets, and extra. Naturally, whereas some folks appreciated the brand new glass look Apple rolled out throughout its system ecosystem, others weren’t followers and shortly identified points, reminiscent of readability.

And whereas some customers hoped Apple may return to the drafting board and check out one thing completely different, it seems that Liquid Glass will keep for the foreseeable future.

In response to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple presently has no plans to scrap Liquid Glass, and that upcoming variations like iOS 27 and macOS 27 aren’t anticipated to introduce any main design modifications. Moreover, there is no signal the corporate is engaged on one other design overhaul on the identical scale as Liquid Glass both.

That stated, simply because Apple might not be planning any main design modifications for iOS over the following few years does not imply Liquid Glass will not proceed to evolve. Apple has already launched a number of tweaks in current iOS updates to assist customers tone down the impact, and it is doable one other large change might be coming with iOS 27.

iOS 27 may embrace a brand new slider for Liquid Glass

This might assist deal with a few of its main criticisms

Gurman studies that in the course of the growth of iOS 26, one among Apple’s concepts was a system-wide slider to regulate the depth of Liquid Glass.

Nevertheless, Apple reportedly confronted some “engineering challenges” in implementing it throughout your complete interface. Finally, the corporate solely managed to introduce the slider for the lock display screen clock. The issues apparently arose from how the slider interacted with components like “app folders, the house display screen, and navigation bars.” Though the system-wide Liquid Glass slider did not make it into iOS 26, there’s nonetheless an opportunity it’d arrive with iOS 27.

Nothing is closing but, however Gurman speculates that if Apple manages to get the slider working in time for iOS 27, it might shift the dialog round Liquid Glass. To me, this positively looks like it might assist deal with a few of its largest criticisms, reminiscent of readability and the dearth of a straightforward solution to modify its transparency. It may be seen as Apple admitting that Liquid Glass went a bit too far in some areas.

Personally, since I first began utilizing Liquid Glass final summer time, I have been a fan of it. Is it excellent? No, completely not. But it surely has a singular feel and look that I’ve loved utilizing, and if Apple can clean out a number of the tough edges and admit a few of its errors, I believe it’s going to go a protracted solution to making much more folks pleased with Liquid Glass. And maybe a slider is just the reply to that if Apple can overcome the challenges it has confronted in implementing it in time for iOS 27.

That stated, Apple has already made a few modifications to Liquid Glass in response to a number of the criticism and suggestions it has obtained for the reason that launch of iOS 26, together with including a brand new settings choice in iOS 26.1 to present Liquid Glass a tinted impact to assist enhance legibility, and within the upcoming iOS 26.4 replace, there is a new choice referred to as “Scale back Brilliant Results,” which helps get rid of a number of the vibrant highlights that may happen whereas utilizing it.