iOS 26 Rollout: Here’s When Your iPhone Will Receive Apple’s New Liquid Glass Design

Apple is bringing a major design overhaul with new iOS 26. The new operating system, along with host of AI upgrades, will also have a massive change in appearance. Apple calls it "Liquid Glass,” describing it as smooth, flowing, almost futuristic design language that will change how your iPhone looks and feels. 

What is Apple’s New Liquid Glass Design? 

Inspired from the transparency of a glass, this interface has a bright and clear reflectiveness of glass with dynamism. This new design changes practically every component of your phone- lock screen, app icons, control centre and navigations, and more. Apple’s idea is to have a common visual language for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac that makes switching between them easier.

“It’s crafted with Liquid Glass — a new translucent material that reflects and refracts its surroundings, bringing greater focus to content, and delivering a new level of vitality across controls, navigation, app icons, widgets, and more. The new design extends to the Home Screen and Lock Screen, making them more personal and expressive than ever. Liquid Glass also brings new customisation options to app icons and widgets, including a stunning clear look,” Apple describes the UI in its official blog post. 

Other noticeable features to come with iOS 26 include a dedicated one-stop destination for gaming apps, wider set of parental controls, visited places in Maps, and more.

iPhones That Will Receive Liquid Glass Design

Apple’s iOS 26 will be available on iPhone 11 and above models. However, some of the new Liquid Glass visual features may not work well on earlier models, especially phones with A14 chipset or lower.  Devices with A17 and A18 chips will have the complete experience, which includes 3D backgrounds and features that change in real time.

When Will Apple Roll Out iOS 26

Apple says fall 2025, which is in line with what they usually do.  The entire rollout of iOS 26 should begin shortly after the iPhone 17 comes out, perhaps in mid-September.

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