iOS 26 could be the most risky redesign that has so far

It is official, Apple’s large software redesign is here and all of your devices look very different. At WWDC 2025 Apple reveals “Liquid glass“This is a separate Apple species to say:” Your iPhone will be much more bubble. “The large visual overhaul changes the appearance of the user interface in Apple devices across the board, including your iPhone, MacBook, Apple WatchAnd even your Apple TV 4K streaming box.

And while the full range of Apple products is influenced by the visual shift in mood, iOS will probably attract the greatest attention – and for a good reason. On the one hand, a lot and much Use iPhones in America from humans, and even the slightest change to the user interface can affect people on a mass size. Second, iOS seems to be most affected by the new design after what I can judge without seeing the redesign for myself. I mean, seriously, check that:

Today we cancel our most beautiful software design change with liquid glass. And for the first time it comes to iOS 26, Ipados 26, MacOS 26, Watchos 26 and TVOS 26 at once! pic.twitter.com/p8pr8o1emMMMMM

– Greg Joswiak (@Gregjoz) June 9, 2025

While Apple does not explicitly indicate it, the redesign seem to be strongly influenced by what some designers could call “Glass morphism,“This is a visual style in the user interface, which includes many opaque menus and, in contrast to Apple’s current flat“ new ”design, gives a little shape to icons that previously a kind of 2D. See (ironic) other operating systems from * *Cough, cough* MicrosoftIf you want another example of what glass morphism could manifest. Someone who knows himself more than I could probably get the new look out of the new look with a few thousand words, but I’m not a design -Maven. When I look at liquid glass, I see things in a simpler light. I usually see one thing: risk.

On the one hand, this risk is exciting. I think the Apple user interface is due for an update. According to Apple’s own estimate, the The last visual overhaul was back in iOS 7When Iphones still had a physical home button and “Obamacare” was still a topic of political discussion. Not only that, but Apple has been accused of much in recent years not to exceed the boundaries as they do under the leadership of Steve Jobs and Jony Ive. A good way to show people that they are not afraid to try something new is to try something new. This is exactly what Apple did; There was a risk of a redesign that changes some pretty core elements of the user interface of your iPhone – icons, menu as you call it.

But just like every new new undertaking, there will be some compromises. In this case, one of these compromises can be accessible. As many of them have already noticed, there are some visual quirks in the Glasmorph era from Apple, and readability can be at stake.

Fuck your way around the accessibility #WWDC25 pic.twitter.com/ckciwv2sns

– Ilya (@ilyamiskov) June 9, 2025

As much as I like the look aesthetically of Apple’s new liquid glass overhaul, I think there will be some big haters and I can’t accuse them. If you have clear Windows, you may be correct, but if this design meets text on one side, for example, things can be a little chaotic. What you sometimes get is a visually confused menu that is in conflict with other elements on one side. I’m not jumping yet because I haven’t really seen the redesign for myself or how it interacts with websites or apps, but objectively it seems as much contrast as Apple’s previous appearance. One thing that I have definitely noticed so far is that subtle differences in a menu in an app or website can have a major influence. For example, take a look at this picture.

Apple has just introduced “liquid glass” design in iOS.

It’s nice, futuristic … and completely illegible.

What do we do here? 😵‍💫 pic.twitter.com/ybw8sixtqh

– Kalash (@amikalash) June 9, 2025

I don’t know anything about you, but what I see is a blurry, visual catastrophe. However, if you watch the video, this screenshot is pulled, only a second makes the difference. Here is the same visual demonstration, but the menu is only slightly compensated for in the lower text.

I have the feeling that there is a rather big difference in readability. It is by no means perfect and I would certainly not call it accessible, but it looks much better. This is all to say that I think there will be subtle differences that find out whether they see something clear, pleasant and visually different or whether they look at a glass morphes. According to what I can judge, there are also different liquid -gloss styles to choose from, which can affect the accessibility of menus. There is also the fact that this redesign only officially starts in autumn so that everything can change.

How you feel about liquid glass is obviously ready for debate, but one thing is clear (word game intends), and that is that everything that Apple does with the iOS redesign and the great writing of liquid glass is definitely a greater risk than earlier overhaul. To risk accessibility or readability on a platform that is as large as iOS, takes a real view – whether good or bad. Let’s just hope that the vision for everyone with an iPhone is not as blurred or illegible out there as some of these early looks suggest.