Apple’s Liquid Glass UI Is Here to Stay: Here’s What That Means for iOS 27

If you thought Apple might be walking back its polarizing Liquid Glass redesign anytime soon, think again. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the shimmering, translucent UI overhaul that arrived with iOS 26 is locked in for the foreseeable future—and it’s not going anywhere in iOS 27.

In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman reports that early builds of iOS 27 and macOS 27 show no major design overhauls. That means the glassy, layered aesthetic Apple debuted last September is sticking around—at least through next year.

A Multi-Year Effort That Can’t Be Easily Reversed

Liquid Glass wasn’t just a quick design pivot—it was the culmination of a multi-year effort that began with visionOS, Apple’s spatial operating system for Vision Pro. Gurman notes that visionOS had been in development for years before its 2024 launch, and the UI language it introduced was refined and adapted for iOS and macOS.

Because of these long development cycles, walking back Liquid Glass would be a monumental task—one that could take years to execute. In other words, Apple is all-in on this design direction, whether you love it or loathe it.

The Controversy: Readability and Icon Clarity

When iOS 26 launched, the internet erupted—not with praise, but with complaints. Users flooded forums and social media with concerns about readability, especially in bright light, and the difficulty of distinguishing between app icons due to the uniform glassy transparency.

Apple responded relatively quickly by introducing a “tint” feature, allowing users to add a subtle color overlay to the Liquid Glass interface. While it helped somewhat, many users felt it was a band-aid rather than a solution.

What’s Next? A Slider, Not a Scrapping

Gurman hints that iOS 27 might include a Liquid Glass intensity slider, giving users more control over how pronounced the effect appears. This could be a middle-ground approach—keeping the design language intact while offering more customization for those who find it overwhelming.

But don’t expect a full retreat. Apple appears committed to evolving the design rather than abandoning it.

Siri Gets the Spotlight Instead

With the UI locked in, Apple is shifting its focus for iOS 27 to under-the-hood improvements—particularly for Siri. Gurman reports that the virtual assistant is set to receive a suite of AI enhancements, potentially bringing it closer to competitors like ChatGPT and Google Assistant in terms of responsiveness and contextual awareness.

So while your iPhone’s look might remain the same, how it listens and responds could be about to change dramatically.

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