Love It or Hate It? Apple’s New ‘Liquid Glass’ Design Gets Mixed Reviews on Proaitools

Apple’s newly unveiled ‘Liquid Glass’ user interface is already stirring debate among users and designers, even in its early stages. While some are excited about the fresh approach, others have raised concerns about its usability.

The operating system design overhaul, announced at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), is described by Apple as its “broadest design update ever.” Liquid Glass aims to unify the experience across Apple’s platforms by leveraging the optical qualities of glass, such as light refraction and translucent materials. Inspired by the Vision Pro VR headset, the design is also seen as a potential precursor to future AR glasses integration.

However, the initial developer beta has drawn criticism. Some users find certain elements, particularly notifications, difficult to read. As one user @Stammy tweeted, “this just seems harder to read?” Another user, @betomoedano, expressed similar sentiments, posting, “I can’t see anything.”

Concerns extend to the Control Center overlay, described by some as a “monstrosity.” The legibility of text on the Lock Screen is also inconsistent, varying with the background wallpaper’s colors. Even Apple’s own press release showcases an Apple Music interface where the artist’s name is barely discernible due to the light gray font on a translucent bar.

Despite the criticisms, it’s important to remember that this is only the first developer beta. Apple has time to refine and correct many of the design system’s current issues before the public launch of iOS 26 and other OS updates this fall.

Not all feedback is negative. The new glassy style icons have been praised for their aesthetic appeal. Users have also noted impressive morphing button effects and the way Liquid Glass overlays blur and stretch background icons, creating a realistic glass-like effect. As @sdw tweeted, “These are some fantastic new icons. I love the new Camera app icon.”

Even competitors are taking notice. Nothing CEO Carl Pei acknowledged the design, posting, “Liquid Glass … I kinda love it?” on X. This could be because Liquid Glass aligns with a future where the operating system, not individual apps, becomes the primary interface for AI interaction.

One concern is the potential impact on battery life, especially on older devices. Apple has addressed this by highlighting advancements in hardware, silicon, and graphics technologies. The company also offers options to disable power-hungry effects, which will likely extend to Liquid Glass as well.

The mixed reception to Liquid Glass echoes the initial response to iOS 7, which faced similar criticism for unreadable UI elements and usability issues. However, those designs were eventually improved and became the standard for the iPhone. The same could happen with Liquid Glass.

The design may still need to be refined, but it’s an example that demonstrates Liquid Glass was not some sort of rush job on Apple’s part. As @ParkerOrtolani tweeted, “I actually gasped when I saw this for the first time, they ain’t playin around.”