Reportedly 100% compatibility: Apple to require all apps adopt “Liquid Glass” in iOS 27

Apple makes Liquid Glass mandatory

It has been reported that Apple (苹果公司) will expand the “Liquid Glass” (液态玻璃) design introduced in iOS 26 and require all apps to adopt it in iOS 27. According to AppleInsider as relayed by IT之家, Apple recently held a three‑day internal workshop in New York where developers were told the design will continue to roll forward across the ecosystem — and that the company is prepared to enforce the change. Reportedly Xcode 27 will strip the “deferred adaptation” privilege and prevent apps from opting out, forcing visual refactors ahead of the update.

Background and developer pushback

Liquid Glass debuted in iOS 26 in 2025 and has provoked mixed reactions. Some users and developers have complained that the heavy semi‑transparent, rounded visuals reduce reading clarity and impose work for apps that were previously stable. When a former Apple human‑interface lead moved to Meta, some observers speculated the design might be scaled back. That evidently did not happen; sources say Apple’s design team was “very surprised” by calls to abandon the style and is intent on pushing it throughout iOS.

Impact and timeline

If the reports are accurate, developers will face a hard deadline: rebuild app interfaces to meet the new guidelines or risk non‑compliance once Xcode 27 enforces the rules. Apple has reportedly signaled it will offer more flexibility at the 2026 WWDC, including additional customization options for developers and a rumored global “intensity” slider for users to tone down the semi‑transparent effect. Still, mandatory visual changes will raise testing and localization costs, especially for large app ecosystems in markets such as China.

Why this matters beyond design

This move underscores Apple’s tight control over the iOS experience — a control that has drawn regulatory scrutiny in the US, EU and China over the company’s treatment of developers and platform policies. For global app makers the question is blunt: adapt quickly or face friction in distribution. Will developers accept another sweeping UI mandate? Or will this prompt a sharper public pushback against Apple’s centralized design enforcement?