iOS 26's Digital Glass Design: Home Screen Widgets, Camera, and More

In a lengthy report outlining his WWDC 2025 expectations today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman shared more details about iOS 26's rumored new design.

iOS 26 white
According to Gurman, iOS 26 will feature a "digital glass" design inspired by visionOS, the operating system for Apple's Vision Pro headset. That is a well-known rumor by now, but he goes on to provide some more specific details, as listed below:

  • There will be more use of light and transparency.
  • There will be redesigned app icons, but he does not expect them to be round.
  • Toolbars and tabs will be redesigned, with a focus on pop-out menus.
  • Home Screen widgets have been redesigned to match the new "digital glass" look.
  • Safari will feature a more transparent, glassy address bar.
  • The glass-like design changes should extend to the Camera app, which will be revamped with a focus on simplicity.

The design changes are expected to extend to iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, and watchOS 26.

Apple will announce iOS 26 and other software updates in just three days from now, during its WWDC 2025 keynote, which kicks off on Monday, June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. The first iOS 26 beta should be seeded to developers shortly after the keynote, and the update will likely be released to the general public in September.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26
Related Forum: iOS 26

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Top Rated Comments

Kylo83 Avatar
8 months ago
Unfortunately, nothing Apple does now gets me excited. I think this is gonna be an underwhelming keynote.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DennisdeWit Avatar
8 months ago
Guess this will be an underwhelming Keynote. 3 app overhauls, a paintjob and minor new functions.

2025 is not Apple’s year.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wonderings Avatar
8 months ago
I don't understand why people are not as enthusiastic as they used to be under Jobs for these amazing new OS updates that consist primarily of a new skins?? Where is the sarcasm button?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jgdeschamps Avatar
8 months ago
About to enter full circle, baby! Glass-like transparency and depth effects... MacBooks already look an awful lot like a skinny version of the Titanium Powerbooks...! :p



Attachment Image
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CopyChief Avatar
8 months ago
This sounds like an accessibility nightmare.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thiscatisfat Avatar
8 months ago

About to enter full circle, baby! Glass-like transparency and depth effects... MacBooks already look an awful lot to a skinny version of the Titanium Powerbooks...! :p


Ah. The golden age of Apple's UI. Looks so good it makes you wanna lick it.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)