Liquid Glass Reference

Comprehensive adoption guide for Apple's Liquid Glass design system introduced at WWDC 2025.

Overview

Liquid Glass is Apple's new material design system for iOS 26+, replacing traditional blur effects with dynamic, context-aware glass surfaces. This reference covers system-wide adoption across your entire app.

What's Covered

Design System Components

App-Wide Adoption

• App icons and branding
• Navigation bars and toolbars
• Tab bars and bottom sheets
• Sidebars and split views

Interactive Controls

• Buttons and segmented controls
• Menus and context menus
• Popovers and alerts
• Search fields and filters

Platform Considerations

• iOS vs iPadOS vs visionOS
• Light mode vs Dark mode
• Accessibility (reduce transparency)
• Performance impact

Migration Strategies

From UIBlurEffect

• Replacing UIVisualEffectView with .glassBackgroundEffect()
• Material style mapping (light → regular, dark → clear)
• Animation transitions
• Backwards compatibility patterns

From Custom Blurs

• Recreating custom effects with Liquid Glass APIs
• Tinting and vibrancy
• Dynamic thickness adjustments

When to Use This Reference

Use this reference when:

• Planning system-wide Liquid Glass adoption
• Migrating from UIBlurEffect or custom blurs
• Designing new iOS 26+ features
• Reviewing UI for modern material design
• Preparing App Store screenshots with new materials

Key APIs

// Basic glass effect
.glassBackgroundEffect()

// Toolbar spacers (iOS 26+)
.toolbarRole(.navigationStack)

// Bottom-aligned search
.searchable(text: $query)
.searchFieldPlacement(.navigationBarDrawer(displayMode: .always))

// Search tab role
TabView {
    Text("Search").tabItem { Label("Search", systemImage: "magnifyingglass") }
}.tabRole(.search)

Related Skills

• liquid-glass — TDD-tested implementation skill with design review defense
• swiftui-26-ref — All iOS 26 SwiftUI features including Liquid Glass
• audit-liquid-glass — Quick scan for adoption opportunities

Documentation Scope

This is a reference skill — comprehensive guide without mandatory workflows. For discipline-enforcing implementation guidance with pressure scenario defense, use the liquid-glass skill.

Reference includes

• Complete API catalog
• Platform-specific patterns
• Migration checklists
• Accessibility considerations
• Performance optimization

Skills include

• Mandatory design review workflows
• Pressure defense (tight deadlines, authority pressure)
• Red flags and rationalizations
• Step-by-step implementation
• TDD-tested patterns

WWDC 2025 Sessions

Based on WWDC 2025 guidance for Liquid Glass adoption and iOS 26 material design system.

Size

38 KB - Comprehensive reference with complete adoption guide