Apple has officially unveiled its brand-new design language called Liquid Glass at WWDC 2025. This update brings a shimmering, translucent, and fluid look across iOS 26, iPadOS, macOS Tahoe, watchOS, tvOS, and even visionOS.
Hi, my name is Prithvi, and you’re reading this on DailyPedia24.Liquid Glass will officially roll out later in 2025 with the release of iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe, after the public beta testing phase.
How Better Is Apple’s Liquid Glass Update Compared to the Last Design?
Apple’s Liquid Glass update marks the biggest visual shift since the flat design era of iOS 7. Here’s how it stacks up against the previous design language (iOS 17–iOS 25 era):
1. Visual Experience
- Previous Design: Flat icons, simple gradients, minimal translucency.
- Liquid Glass: Dynamic, glass-like surfaces that shimmer, refract light, and adapt to motion—making the UI feel more alive and premium.
2. Depth & Layering
- Previous Design: Mostly two-dimensional; layering was subtle.
- Liquid Glass: Adds real depth—lock screen text, widgets, and app windows now interact behind backgrounds, creating a floating effect.
3. Cross-Platform Consistency
- Previous Design: macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS looked slightly different.
- Liquid Glass: A unified design language across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, TV, and Vision Pro. One look, one identity.
4. Customization & Widgets
- Previous Design: Limited customization, icons mostly fixed in style.
- Liquid Glass: Offers customizable icons and adaptive widgets with translucent glass effects—making your Home Screen feel personal yet futuristic.
5. Motion & Responsiveness
- Previous Design: Smooth animations but static UI elements (like toolbars & menus).
- Liquid Glass: Elements float, shrink, and adapt dynamically during scrolling, navigation, and multitasking—maximizing screen space.
6. Developer Flexibility
- Previous Design: Separate guidelines for UIKit, SwiftUI, AppKit.
- Liquid Glass: New APIs allow developers to bring the same shimmering, fluid look into their apps easily.
Apple Intelligence – Image Magic Explained
Apple has added powerful AI-powered photo and image tools in iOS 26, called Image Magic.
What It Can Do
- AI Photo Editing
- Remove unwanted objects or people from photos.
- Clean up backgrounds (like power lines or random clutter).
- Works directly in the Photos app, no third-party apps needed.
- Background Removal & Replacement
- Instantly erase or replace backgrounds with AI-generated ones.
- Example: Take a portrait and swap the background to a beach, park, or abstract design.
- Image Playground
- Apple’s new creative AI tool inside iOS 26.
- Lets you generate custom images, stickers, and fun art styles using prompts.
- Works in Messages, Notes, Freeform, and Keynote, so you can quickly create visuals to share.
- Smart Photo Suggestions
- AI suggests edits, highlights the best shots, and organizes memories automatically.
Apple Liquid Glass vs Previous Design
|
Feature / Aspect |
Previous Design (iOS 17-25 Era) |
New Liquid Glass Update (iOS 26 & macOS Tahoe) |
|
Visual Style |
Flat icons, simple gradients, limited transparency |
Shimmering, glass-like surfaces with real-time light refraction |
|
Depth & Layering |
Mostly 2D, subtle layering |
Dynamic depth-text, widgets, and apps float behind backgrounds |
|
Cross-Platform Look |
Inconsistent across iOS, macOS, iPadOS, visionOS |
Unified design across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, TV, Vision Pro |
|
Customization |
Limited icon & widget changes |
Customizable icons, adaptive widgets with translucent effects |
|
Motion & Responsiveness |
Static toolbars, fixed menus |
Floating controls, shrinking toolbars, adaptive navigation |
|
Developer Tools |
UIKit, AppKit, SwiftUI separate design rules |
New APIs let developers easily integrate Liquid Glass effects |
|
User Experience |
Clean but static UI |
More immersive, dynamic, and futuristic - but may affect readability |
also visit:-newly launch apple ai feature 2025
iOS 26 Compatibility Overview
Device Category | Supported Devices | Not Supported / Dropped |
iPhones | iPhone 11 and newer (SE 2nd gen and up) | iPhone XR, XS, XS Max |
Apple Intelligence | iPhone 15 Pro & Pro Max, all iPhone 16 models | Older A-chip models |
iPads | iPad (8th gen+), iPad mini 5+, iPad Air 3+, iPad Pro 3+ | iPad (7th gen) |
Apple Watch | Series 6+, SE 2nd gen, Ultra (all) | — |
Macs | Apple Silicon (2020+), select 2019+ Intel models | Older 2017-2019 Intel Macs |
Apple TV | Apple TV HD, all 4K | (Liquid Glass only on newer 4K) |
iOS 26 Update Size Overview
Public Beta Download Size
- According to Tom’s Guide, the iOS 26 public beta download clocks in around 9.02 GB, though needs up to 19 GB of free space on your device to install successfully
Developer Beta Download Sizes (from incremental updates)
- iOS & iPadOS 26 Beta 9 (iPhone 16 Pro Max): ~1.06 GB if updating from the previous beta .
- Developer Beta 5 (iPhone 14 Pro): ~3.96 GB over the previous beta .
- Developer Beta 5 (iPhone 16 Pro Max): ~11.3 GB over the previous beta .
Community Reports (Reddit)
- Beta sizes vary widely depending on device and previous version; users report sizes anywhere from 7 GB to over 16 GB .
- Some report large jumps like 15.5 GB for certain devices .
- Earlier betas seen as small as 9 GB, or even just 2 GB for minor updates .
Expert Guidelines (Tenorshare / Dr.Buho)
- Generally, you’ll need 5 GB to 17 GB free space to install the iOS 26 beta .
- Some sources highlight “about 8 GB” as a typical update size—but advise having at least 10–15 GB of free space to accommodate the beta and system overheads .
Tips Before Updating to iOS 26 (Liquid Glass + Apple AI)
Updating to a big release like iOS 26 can be exciting, but it’s always smart to prepare your iPhone first. Here are the must-do steps:
1. Backup Your iPhone
- Use iCloud Backup (Settings → Apple ID → iCloud → iCloud Backup → Back Up Now).
- Or connect to a Mac/PC and backup using Finder/iTunes.
- This ensures your data is safe if something goes wrong during the update.
2. Free Up Storage
- iOS 26 update size is ~9 GB (needs up to 19 GB free).
- Delete unused apps, large files, or move photos/videos to iCloud/Google Drive.
3. Charge Your Device
- Make sure your iPhone has at least 50% battery.
- Best option: keep it plugged into a charger during the update.
4. Stable Internet Connection
- The update is heavy (multi-GB).
- Use Wi-Fi instead of mobile data to avoid interruptions.
5. Check Compatibility
- Only certain devices support iOS 26.
- Ensure your iPhone is in the supported list (iPhone 11 and newer).
6. Update at the Right Time
- The process may take 30–60 minutes.
- Avoid starting the update when you urgently need your phone.
____________________
Apple’s iOS 26 Liquid Glass update is more than just a visual refresh—it’s a bold step toward a smarter, more immersive, and future-ready Apple ecosystem. From the shimmering Liquid Glass interface to the powerful Apple AI features, this update brings a fresh experience across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and even Apple TV.
While some older devices won’t support iOS 26, the new features like Image Magic, AI-powered summaries, and adaptive widgets make it worth upgrading for compatible models. Apple has also made installation easy, but preparing your device with backups, enough storage, and a stable Wi-Fi connection is key.
In short, iOS 26 combines style, intelligence, and functionality—making your Apple devices more interactive, productive, and visually stunning than ever before.
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