Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, WWDC25, has wrapped, leaving developers and Apple enthusiasts with a fresh suite of operating systems to dissect: iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26. The keynote, a whirlwind of slickly produced videos and on-stage demos, introduced a visually stunning new design language, significant updates to iPad multitasking, and a new, chatty companion for your wrist. But as the dust settles, a familiar question arises: is this a bold leap forward, or just the most beautiful coat of paint we’ve seen yet?
A Unified Vision: The Liquid Glass UI
The undeniable star of the show was the new “Liquid Glass” UI, a design aesthetic that will permeate every corner of Apple’s ecosystem. Gone are the stark, flat panels of previous iterations, replaced by a more dimensional, translucent, and animated interface. Windows on macOS 26 now have a subtle, frosted glass effect, blurring the background and creating a sense of depth. In iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, this translates to app icons that appear to float, and fluid, physics-based animations that make navigating the system feel more tactile and responsive.
Of course, Apple isn’t the first to venture into glassy interfaces. Veterans of the tech world will remember Microsoft’s own “Aero Glass” phase in Windows Vista and Windows 7. It was visually impressive for its time, but ultimately didn’t last too long. The core issue remains the same as it was then: glass and text don’t always work well together. In the years since, most UI designers realized that materials like mica and simple frosted backgrounds were a suitable compromise to achieve a translucent feel without sacrificing readability.
It’ll be interesting to see how Apple pulls this off. The Liquid Glass UI is undeniably beautiful, but even in their own meticulously crafted demos, there were on-screen elements that were hard to read. That was in hand-picked, ideal experiences. It’s only going to get worse when real people start using their devices in uncurated areas of the web or apps with complex backgrounds, potentially having difficulty reading or seeing their content. For now, the effect is truly stunning on the latest hardware. Controls and buttons have a soft, pillowy appearance, and when activated, they depress with a satisfying, almost liquid-like animation. It’s a design that feels both futuristic and approachable, but its real-world usability remains to be seen.
iOS 26: A Clearer, More Concealed Experience
Nowhere will the new Liquid Glass UI get more real-world testing than on iOS 26. While it looks impressive on large Mac and iPad displays, the iPhone is where its limitations will be most apparent. On the smaller, more information-dense screen of an iPhone, the glass-over-text elements are already proving to be a challenge. Early beta testers are reporting that notifications and widgets can become nearly illegible depending on the wallpaper, turning a core part of the user experience into an accessibility concern. The constant translucency, where the legibility of your text is at the mercy of the content behind it, is a bold and perhaps reckless design choice.
Beyond the glassy facade, Apple spent a significant amount of time redesigning the Camera app, seemingly in the pursuit of ultimate minimalism. The interface has been “simplified” by removing the familiar mode switcher for options like Portrait, Cinematic, and Pano. Instead, the main screen is dedicated to just Photo and Video. To find those other modes, you now have to swipe. To find controls like the timer, flash, or aspect ratio, you have to swipe up from the bottom to reveal a new panel. While Apple calls this a more “streamlined” approach, for millions of users accustomed to the old layout, it will feel like a game of peek-a-boo. Hiding core UI elements and controls might clean up the initial screen, but it adds an extra layer of interaction to get to functions that were previously a single tap away. It’s a gamble that assumes users want a less cluttered view over immediate access, and it may not sit well with those who just want to quickly snap a portrait photo without thinking about it.
macOS 26: Spotlight Becomes a Power User’s Command Center
While the Liquid Glass UI gives macOS 26, codenamed “Tahoe,” its fresh look, the most significant update is a functional one that power users have been dreaming of. Spotlight, long considered a fast and clean search tool, has been transformed into a full-blown command center. The update is so profound that it makes Windows Search look like it’s standing still.
For years, many have felt that Windows Search has become slower and polluted with web suggestions and ads, often getting in the way of finding a simple local file or app. Apple has gone in the complete opposite direction. With macOS 26, Spotlight is now an actionable launcher. You can simply hit Command-Spacebar and type “create a note saying buy milk” or “email the quarterly report to the finance team,” and Spotlight will execute the command without you ever having to open the respective app. It learns your routines, intelligently ranking results and suggesting personalized actions.
This extensibility is also being opened up to developers via a new App Intents API. In the keynote, Apple demonstrated a user typing “adjust color tone” directly into Spotlight while in a photo editing app, and the relevant controls appeared instantly. This ability to search for and activate menu bar items and specific app functions from one central location is a game-changer for complex workflows.
Furthermore, Apple is introducing “Quick Keys,” which are essentially custom hotkeys for specific actions, allowing users to tailor their own super-fast shortcuts. When you compare this deep, on-device, productivity-focused evolution to Windows Search, the difference is stark. Apple is building a tool for getting things done faster, leaving competitors in the dust by doubling down on speed, privacy, and power-user functionality.
iPadOS 26: Finally, a True Multitasking Powerhouse?
For years, iPad power users have been clamoring for a more robust multitasking experience. With iPadOS 26, Apple has finally delivered in a big way. The frustratingly limited Split View and Slide Over have been completely rethought. The new “Stage Manager Pro” allows for overlapping and resizable windows, a feature that feels remarkably similar to a traditional desktop experience. Users can now have up to four app windows active on the screen at once, and a new “shelf” at the bottom of the screen holds recently used apps and window configurations for quick access.
Furthermore, improved external display support now allows for a truly extended desktop, not just a mirrored image. This means you can have one set of apps running on your iPad screen and a completely different set on your connected monitor, all managed with the same fluid, multi-window interface. For those who have longed to use their iPad as a true laptop replacement, iPadOS 26 is the most compelling argument yet.
Of course, with all these new multitasking and multiple active windowing features, you have to wonder how battery life will be on the iPad. Pushing multiple, desktop-class app windows is bound to be more power-intensive. It’s an interesting strategic move, too. If Microsoft waits long enough, it won’t need to really make Windows any more of a touch experience because iPadOS will operate in a similar keyboard and mouse-like way as it keeps adding features. With iPadOS 26, a lot of the functionality works “ok” with touch, much like Windows 11 does, but it’s clear the true power is unlocked with a keyboard and trackpad, pushing the iPad ever closer to the MacBook.
watchOS 26: A Smarter, Chatty, and Glassy Companion
On the watchOS front, the updates were more than just skin deep, though the new skin is the first thing you’ll notice. The Apple Watch inherits the same “Liquid Glass” UI, which gives the Smart Stack, notifications, and app icons a translucent, layered look that feels modern and clean. Even the popular Photos watch face gets an update, with glassy numerals that float over your pictures.
The headline feature, powered by Apple Intelligence, is the new “Workout Buddy.” This feature aims to be your personal AI-powered coach, delivering real-time audio feedback through your connected headphones. Using generative AI voices modeled on Apple Fitness+ trainers, it analyzes your workout history—including pace, heart rate, and Training Load—to provide contextual motivation. It will celebrate milestones like “You just crushed your 100th running mile this year!” and give you a brief audio summary of your performance after you’ve finished.
However, its execution has already proven to be divisive. While the idea of personalized encouragement is compelling, the Workout Buddy’s chipper, and at times, incessant, chatter has been described by early testers as “annoyingly talkative.” While you can disable it for certain workout types, the inability to simply dial back the frequency of its interjections without silencing it completely feels like a misstep.
Beyond the chatty coach, watchOS 26 brings other welcome refinements. The Workout app itself has been redesigned with four new customizable corner buttons for quicker access to goals and settings. The Smart Stack is now more proactive, using your routines and location to surface relevant “hints,” like suggesting the Workout app when it detects you’ve arrived at your gym. Finally, after all these years, a native Notes app is coming to the wrist, and a clever new “wrist flick” gesture allows you to dismiss notifications and silence calls when your hands are full. These are solid, practical updates, but the talkative Workout Buddy is what everyone will be discussing.
A Fresh Coat of Paint or a Glimpse of the Future?
And that brings us to the overarching feeling of WWDC25. While the Liquid Glass UI is a visual triumph and the iPadOS updates are a significant step forward, it’s hard to shake the feeling that we’re still operating within the same fundamental framework Apple has had for years. The new features, while welcome, feel more like refinements than revolutions.
There was no “one more thing” that hinted at a new product category, no groundbreaking new developer framework that will reshape the app landscape. Instead, we received a highly polished, incredibly capable, and visually stunning iteration on what we already have.
For many, this will be more than enough. The seamless integration of the Apple ecosystem is its greatest strength, and this year’s updates certainly reinforce that. The Liquid Glass UI is a joy to behold, and the new multitasking features in iPadOS 26 will undoubtedly make a real difference to a specific set of users.
However, for those hoping for a glimpse of Apple’s next big move, WWDC25 felt more like a fresh coat of paint on a beloved, familiar home rather than the groundbreaking ceremony for a new one. It’s a beautiful coat, to be sure, but the foundation remains unchanged.
