2026-03-16
Big changes are coming to iOS 27, but Liquid Glass is here to stay
MacworldLast year’s 26-branded operating system updates, including macOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26 as well as the iPhone’s iOS 26, were dominated by a single but very broad design change. A new look called Liquid Glass was brought in across all of Apple’s devices, introducing glass-like transparency effects and animations. This wasn’t universally popular, but according to a new report, Apple has no plans to get rid of Liquid Glass any time soon.In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman argues firstly that Liquid Glass was never as unpopular as some media outlets claimed.“The idea that iOS 26 and Liquid Glass represent a crisis for Apple–or some unforgivable offense against good design that customers around the world despise–is greatly overblown,” he writes. “The vast majority of users appear happy with the update, and adoption has steadily climbed.”He goes on to claim that, contrary to one narrative, Liquid Glass was not the pet project of a few individuals who have since left the company. The design language had full buy-in from the executive team, he says, while several employees who now have more prominent roles in the design team were driving forces behind its long-term development. A sudden change of direction is unlikely.However, in a post on X, Gurman does concede that Apple is still looking at ways to give users more control over just how glassy Liquid Glass looks. Apple introduced a setting in iOS 26.2 letting users choose between “Clear” and “Tinted,” but Gurman reports it is still trying to give users granular control over the look of the interface: “Apple had been working on a systemwide Liquid Glass slider for iOS 26 to adjust the level of the glass effect. It couldn’t be pulled off for engineering reasons. Apple is trying again now for iOS 27. TBD if it lands.” But it’s clear that the opening keynote presentation at WWDC 26 won’t feature a loud mea culpa and the announcement of a new design language. (Indeed, we’ve suspected as much for some time.) But that doesn’t mean it’ll be uneventful. And Gurman believes that one major change is on the way to iOS 27 this year.In preparation for the launch of its first ever foldable in the fall, Gurman believes that Apple is preparing iOS to accommodate the larger display and multiple screen sizes of the iPhone Fold. When the device is folded up, it will behave more like the iPhones we are used to; when unfolded, somewhat like an iPad. It will support split-screen apps, for example, but not the iPad’s full multitasking capabilities.Offering a superior experience for watching video and playing games than any other iPhone, Gurman feels the iPhone Fold has the potential to be a game-changer. “The foldable iPhone promises to be one of Apple’s most exciting products in years,” he writes.iOS 27 will be announced and demonstrated at WWDC 26 in June, before rolling out to beta testers across multiple versions. The final public version of iOS 27.0 will become available in September. For all the latest news and rumors, bookmark our regularly updated iOS 27 superguide.
