Apple’s Liquid Glass: Elon Musk, Carl Pei Praise But Beta Users Flag Display Troubles

“Liquid Glass … I kinda love it?” posted Nothing CEO Carl Pei on X.

“Cool,” wrote Elon Musk on Tim Cook’s X post, which introduced Apple’s new software design with Liquid Glass.

“I actually gasped when I saw this for the first time, they ain’t playin around,” said Parker Ortolani, a New York-based designer.

This is some of the praise that Apple’s new Liquid Glass interface for iOS 26 is garnering on social channels. 

During the 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, Apple revealed its biggest software update in about a decade, introducing a “Liquid Glass” interface and revealing the new nomenclature for iOS: iOS 26 (instead of iOS 19).

According to the Cupertino major, a new translucent material called Liquid Glass will make the user interface more dynamic, fluid, and personalised, giving a new look to home screen, lock screen, apps, and widgets.

However, not all is well with the much-hyped iOS 26 and Liquid Glass release, and it’s receiving its share of criticism as well.

Apple is also being criticised for Liquid Glass, for which there is clear consensus among tech experts and beta testers that it is unreadable and distracting. They suggest Apple should tone it down when iOS 26 launches in September.

Beta testers said that reading notifications is a problem, with some claiming readers have to squint to read glassy notifications. 

"I can’t see anything," one user said on X.

“This just seems harder to read? #ios26,” chimed another.

Reportedly, due to lack of background blur to conceal Home Screen’s icons and widgets, the iOS 26 Control Center’s buttons and sliders are nearly unusable in the initial developer beta. The interface looks like an unfinished product, and Apple will have to put in a lot to make it work.

Apple’s Liquid Glass has also been called out for poorly imitating Windows Vista’s Aero Glass interface from two decades back.

Furthermore, some users are badgering Apple for ignoring those with learning disabilities, who might have a tough time with this interface.

“So Apple is throwing accessibility to the wind with their liquid glass design? None of this looks easy to read especially for people like me with learning disabilities, specifically Dyslexia. What happened to universal design?” wrote one user.