Apple appointed Steve Lemay as its Vice President of Human Interface Design in December, succeeding Alan Dye who joined Meta. Speculation arose about Apple potentially changing its Liquid Glass design under Lemay’s leadership.
In a recent edition of his newsletter, Mark Gurman stated that Apple is not planning to make significant changes to the Liquid Glass design in iOS 27. However, there are discussions about introducing a setting that would allow users to adjust the level of the glass effect.
Gurman mentioned that Lemay played a significant role in the development of Liquid Glass. While working on iOS 26, Apple experimented with a system-wide slider to control the glass effect, but faced engineering challenges when trying to implement it across the entire system.
Looking ahead to iOS 27, Apple aims to make this slider a system-wide feature, which could potentially alter the perception of Liquid Glass significantly.
If Apple successfully integrates the systemwide control in iOS 27 alongside other engineering improvements, it could redefine the conversation around Liquid Glass.
9to5Mac’s Take
Apple has shown a responsiveness to criticisms of the Liquid Glass design. Instead of adding a system-wide slider in iOS 27, it might be more beneficial for Apple to focus on refining the interface, addressing any quirks, and enhancing legibility in specific areas.
Introducing a system-wide slider could potentially complicate the Liquid Glass design and create inconsistencies in the user interface. What are your thoughts on this? Share your opinions in the poll and comments section below.
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