Why Apple’s redesign falls flat

[ad_1] <img class="e_Ng" decoding="async" loading="eager" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="Android 16 vs iOS 26 UI" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-vs-iOS-26-UI.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-vs-iOS-26-UI-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-vs-iOS-26-UI-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-vs-iOS-26-UI-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-vs-iOS-26-UI-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-vs-iOS-26-UI-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-vs-iOS-26-UI-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-vs-iOS-26-UI-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="Android 16 vs iOS 26 UI" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-vs-iOS-26-UI.jpg"/> Robert Triggs / Android Authority

Neglect summer season already; it’s software program season, and it’s positively raining betas. Between Android 16 and the brand new iOS 26, I’ve been knee-deep in cell OSs and, effectively… I've notes.

In the event you’re an everyday reader, you would possibly know that I’m not an enormous fan of Google’s new Materials 3 Expressive. I don’t hate it, however actually don’t love its paranoia of something approaching a right-angle. However in comparison with what Apple’s been cooking up in iOS 26, Materials 3 Expressive seems just like the modern-day Creation of Adam.

Which UI design is greatest? 266 votes

Liquid Glass

19%

Materials 3 Expressive

81%

Like Android’s newest redesign, iOS 26 and its new “Liquid Glass” UI are constructed to be extra reactive and attentive to the person’s aesthetic desire. It’s additionally designed to unify the look throughout Apple’s product portfolio. Nevertheless, it falls effectively in need of the mark.

I’m positive you’ve seen loads of photos of it on-line already, and it’s as positively illegible as everybody says. Extreme use of transparency and refraction makes any overlay menu a headache-inducing mess and, from an accessibility standpoint, it’s a catastrophe.

Materials 3 Expressive would possibly look flat by comparability, however its smart, configurable shade palettes keep away from these sorts of jarring clashes and eyesores. It’s straightforward to learn and navigate, and will get the job finished with a splash of easy customization.

<img class="e_Ng" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="calc(min(calc(100vw - 1.875rem), 51.25rem) / 2)" title="Android 16 DND menu" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-DND-menu.jpg 504w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-DND-menu-30w-64h.jpg 30w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-DND-menu-499w-1080h.jpg 499w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-DND-menu-399w-864h.jpg 399w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-DND-menu-176w-380h.jpg 176w" alt="Android 16 DND menu" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-DND-menu.jpg"/><img class="e_Ng" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="calc(min(calc(100vw - 1.875rem), 51.25rem) / 2)" title="iOS 26 DND menu" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-DND-menu.jpg 504w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-DND-menu-30w-64h.jpg 30w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-DND-menu-499w-1080h.jpg 499w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-DND-menu-399w-864h.jpg 399w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-DND-menu-176w-380h.jpg 176w" alt="iOS 26 DND menu" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-DND-menu.jpg"/> A UI must be purposeful before everything, a lesson Apple has seemingly forgotten with Liquid Glass. Apple critically must dial the transparency again earlier than this ships. As well as, my iPhone 15 Professional has been extremely scorching and chugs down battery life since updating to iOS 26. It’s too early to inform if these graphics-heavy results are responsible, however there’s a motive Home windows ditched Vista’s Aero Glass theme.

Liquid Glass is not simply headache-inducing, it is an accessibility nightmare.

Apple additionally launched icon theming again with iOS 18 and has a brand new clear choice to essentially cement its Glass design change. Nevertheless, the dearth of any shade deprives icons of instantaneous recognition, making the entire UI more durable to navigate. Whereas Google’s color-themed icon efforts aren’t nice, no less than they’re simply distinguished from the background. Android additionally supplies a lot smarter customized theming throughout the UI, making settings and choices straightforward to see at a look, no matter your shade palette. Apple nonetheless doesn’t do this, and its newest glass icons are too exhausting to eyeball. It’s dangerous design — plain and easy.

<img class="e_Ng" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="calc(min(calc(100vw - 1.875rem), 51.25rem) / 2)" title="Android 16 Settings Menu" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-Settings-Menu.jpg 504w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-Settings-Menu-30w-64h.jpg 30w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-Settings-Menu-499w-1080h.jpg 499w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-Settings-Menu-399w-864h.jpg 399w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-Settings-Menu-176w-380h.jpg 176w" alt="Android 16 Settings Menu" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Android-16-Settings-Menu.jpg"/><img class="e_Ng" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="calc(min(calc(100vw - 1.875rem), 51.25rem) / 2)" title="iOS 26 Glass Theme Settings Menu" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-Glass-Theme-Settings-Menu.jpg 504w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-Glass-Theme-Settings-Menu-30w-64h.jpg 30w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-Glass-Theme-Settings-Menu-499w-1080h.jpg 499w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-Glass-Theme-Settings-Menu-399w-864h.jpg 399w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-Glass-Theme-Settings-Menu-176w-380h.jpg 176w" alt="iOS 26 Glass Theme Settings Menu" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-Glass-Theme-Settings-Menu.jpg"/> To be honest, the glass impact isn’t horrible when paired with apps that provide largely stable background colours. Nonetheless, utilizing it side-by-side with Google’s newest tweaks, it’s exhausting to not conclude that Apple isn’t excited by bettering performance. The digital camera app is a major instance; outsized cartoonish bubbles and a labyrinth of hidden layers have changed the modern, simply accessible, camera-inspired format.

Customization is King

<img class="e_Ng" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="Material 3 Expressive vs Liquid Glass Settings Customization" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Material-3-Expressive-vs-Liquid-Glass-Settings-Customization.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Material-3-Expressive-vs-Liquid-Glass-Settings-Customization-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Material-3-Expressive-vs-Liquid-Glass-Settings-Customization-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Material-3-Expressive-vs-Liquid-Glass-Settings-Customization-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Material-3-Expressive-vs-Liquid-Glass-Settings-Customization-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Material-3-Expressive-vs-Liquid-Glass-Settings-Customization-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Material-3-Expressive-vs-Liquid-Glass-Settings-Customization-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Material-3-Expressive-vs-Liquid-Glass-Settings-Customization-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="Material 3 Expressive vs Liquid Glass Settings Customization" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Material-3-Expressive-vs-Liquid-Glass-Settings-Customization.jpg"/> Robert Triggs / Android Authority

Placing questionable aesthetic decisions apart for a minute, iOS 26 apes Materials 3 Expressive with its customizable “Management Middle,” aka Android’s Fast Settings menu. Now you can rearrange and resize icons, permitting you to suit kind of on display, relying in your wants.

In some methods, iOS 26 permits for much more customization with the power to stretch toggles each vertically and horizontally. The media heart, for example, will be made taller or shorter relying on how a lot info you need to show, and even moved round, which you'll be able to’t do on Android. Nevertheless, some toggles can’t be resized in each course, so once more, it will possibly look a large number.

<img class="e_Ng" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="calc(min(calc(100vw - 1.875rem), 51.25rem) / 2)" title="Material 3 Expressive Customizable Settings" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Material-3-Expressive-Customizable-Settings.jpg 504w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Material-3-Expressive-Customizable-Settings-30w-64h.jpg 30w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Material-3-Expressive-Customizable-Settings-499w-1080h.jpg 499w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Material-3-Expressive-Customizable-Settings-399w-864h.jpg 399w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Material-3-Expressive-Customizable-Settings-176w-380h.jpg 176w" alt="Material 3 Expressive Customizable Settings" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Material-3-Expressive-Customizable-Settings.jpg"/><img class="e_Ng" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="calc(min(calc(100vw - 1.875rem), 51.25rem) / 2)" title="iOS 25 Customizable Settings" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-25-Customizable-Settings.jpg 504w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-25-Customizable-Settings-30w-64h.jpg 30w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-25-Customizable-Settings-499w-1080h.jpg 499w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-25-Customizable-Settings-399w-864h.jpg 399w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-25-Customizable-Settings-176w-380h.jpg 176w" alt="iOS 25 Customizable Settings" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-25-Customizable-Settings.jpg"/> Nevertheless, Apple’s UI implementation is the actual subject for me. Android 16 separates resizing and repositioning by requiring a long-press on the toggle. iOS makes an attempt to do each concurrently, which means it’s all too straightforward to tug as a substitute of resize, inflicting a Microsoft Phrase-style cascade of format chaos. I discovered it infuriating to make use of.

Likewise, Android has addressed a major redundancy bugbear; the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles now instantly open a small window so that you can configure the required settings. iOS 26 is caught someplace between, permitting you to toggle Wi-Fi on/off shortly however not Bluetooth, which requires you to leap by a number of menus to seek out the pairing web page. Totally different outcomes relying on press length or location simply add to the insanity.

Throwing stones at Apple’s glass home

<img class="e_Ng" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="iOS 26 Liquid Glass icons" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-Liquid-Glass-icons.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-Liquid-Glass-icons-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-Liquid-Glass-icons-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-Liquid-Glass-icons-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-Liquid-Glass-icons-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-Liquid-Glass-icons-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-Liquid-Glass-icons-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-Liquid-Glass-icons-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="iOS 26 Liquid Glass icons" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/iOS-26-Liquid-Glass-icons.jpg"/> Robert Triggs / Android Authority

After spending an admittedly brief time flipping by the newest variations of Android and iOS, I’ve come away with a major distinction in thoughts.

Whereas not excellent, Materials 3 Expressive is primarily centered on making Android extra user-friendly. It’s extra customizable, tweaked to current info extra clearly, and consists of new additions like Stay Updates. It’s a quality-of-life enchancment to an OS we already like; an improve fairly than a redesign.

iOS 26, by comparability, is just about all about appearances. Cherry-pick Liquid Glass on the proper backdrop and it seems nice, however the replace fixes little or no of my long-running bugbears when navigating the OS. Customization is marginally higher, however nonetheless solely pores and skin deep and too usually breaks its personal aesthetic guidelines. Menus stay a laborious back-and-forth arm wrestle that’s now arguably worse in locations, and the glass design hampers fairly than helps readability. It’s a lick of paint on a creaking basis.

A flashy redesign cannot cowl up Apple's lack of AI management.

The cynic in me would possibly accuse Apple of making an attempt to divert consideration away from its lack of real concepts and abysmal state of Apple Intelligence with a shiny new interface. In spite of everything, these are the highest two enhancements within the iOS 26 press package. Nevertheless, the implementation is so poor that I'm now genuinely involved in regards to the platform’s course of journey. Critically, who let this beta cross high quality management?

To cite ex-Apple design chief, Jonny Ive, again on the launch of iOS 7 in 2013: “I feel there's a profound and enduring magnificence in simplicity; in readability, in effectivity. True simplicity is derived from a lot extra than simply the absence of litter and ornamentation. It’s about bringing order to complexity.”