During the WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple introduced its much-anticipated Liquid Glass redesign for not just the iPhone software, but for all of its operating systems. Easily the most significant enhancement to Apple’s software since iOS 7, the Liquid Glass interface renders the interaction with your iPhone more intuitive, while also unifying the company’s six distinct operating systems.
Liquid Glass signifies a convergence for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS. Not only do these operating systems all now share the same “26” suffix, but they also exhibit a similar design language, which enhances the fluidity of the Apple ecosystem more than ever.
The most prominent changes to the interface are particularly evident in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe, as Apple strives to make switching between devices as seamless as possible. However, while the company is typically very discreet regarding its forthcoming features, it has actually been hinting at the Liquid Glass design for over a year, and we’ve only just come to the realization.
Subtle hints for Apple’s Liquid Glass aesthetics
Believe it or not, Apple has been hinting at the Liquid Glass design since the M4 iPad Pro release. After that, the company teased Liquid Glass once more during the launch of the iPhone 16 Pro models and the iPhone 16e. As pointed out by X user WorkaholicDavid, all three wallpapers released together with these products clearly echo Apple’s design language for Liquid Glass.
Apple has been signaling Liquid Glass all along, right under our noses, and we failed to notice.
It’s reflected in product wallpapers for at least a year now.
For the M4 iPad Pro, Apple introduced a black wallpaper featuring a bubbly “Pro” inscribed in reflective colors. We can also now observe that the iPhone 16 Pro’s wallpaper displays something akin to Liquid Glass interacting with various objects, while the iPhone 16e wallpaper showcases a bubble bouncing against a glass backdrop.
Though it was impossible to predict beforehand, we now recognize that Apple has been teasing this design shift with some of its most significant products for a while. The M4 iPad Pro was a breakthrough for Apple’s tablets, while the iPhone 16 Pro models represent the most powerful iPhones on the market today. Lastly, the iPhone 16e signifies the onset of a new range of Apple smartphones. Apple typically hints at new features on invitations for its keynotes, but it is rare for the company to leave breadcrumbs like these so far in advance.
