Apple updates iOS 26 "Liquid Glass" design showcase to highlight third‑party adaptations

What Apple released

ITHome (IT之家) reports that Apple has updated its Liquid Glass (液态玻璃) design showcase library to demonstrate how third‑party apps are adopting the new visual language introduced in iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS 26. The refreshed gallery presents side‑by‑side screenshots showing interface differences between earlier builds (referenced as iOS 18 in the gallery) and the new Liquid Glass treatments, giving developers and designers concrete examples of the style in the wild.

How developers are using it

The library highlights implementations across common UI elements — tab bars, navigation buttons, bottom toolbars, pop‑up menus and standalone search buttons — many of which Apple first debuted in its own apps. Apps featured include AllTrails, Carrot Weather, Fantastical, Kroger, SketchPro, Trello and Le Monde, illustrating adoption across categories from productivity to news and retail. Apple frames the showcase as a resource for teams of all sizes to learn how to create "natural, fluid and responsive" experiences across its platforms.

Why it matters

Why should Western readers care? UI language shapes user expectations and the upgrade path for millions of apps in Apple's ecosystem. By curating third‑party examples, Apple is nudging developers toward a consistent look and feel — a form of platform governance that matters for user experience and for how apps are updated in major markets, including China. The showcase also serves as guidance for developers who must reconcile their designs with global and regional user preferences.

What’s next

Apple previously released an initial Liquid Glass gallery after iOS 26 shipped and has made only minor tweaks to the visual system since, such as adding a slider to adjust the Liquid Glass intensity on the lock screen. It has been reported that iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 will largely retain the Liquid Glass aesthetic; reportedly, Apple may add a system‑wide transparency slider in a future release to give users and developers more control.