WWDC 2025 Deep Dive: iOS 26, Liquid Glass UI & iPadOS Game Changer

Marques Brownlee opens by setting the stage for Apple's 2025 WWDC event, highlighting the tension in the tech world dominated by AI advancements like Gemini and GPT. He notes Apple's choice to focus less on AI hype and more on other software improvements, which was unexpected given the current AI frenzy.

"They could either double down on Apple Intelligence and just lean right in... Or they could shelf some of that stuff but show a whole bunch of other stuff and hope that that's good enough." 0:16

Key points:

• Apple chose to emphasize a broad range of software updates rather than heavily pushing AI.
• All Apple operating systems are now unified under the version number 26, simplifying naming conventions.
• Introduction of a new design language called liquid glass, applying a transparent, glass-like aesthetic across UI elements.

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The biggest update is iOS 26, which features a fresh, glassy look with transparent icons, widgets, and even the lock screen clock adapting to backgrounds. Marques expresses mixed feelings about this design, especially regarding readability.

"This glass aesthetic... looks cool sometimes but it also is a little hard to read sometimes." 5:44

Other notable iOS 26 features:

• Redesigned camera app with a simplified interface hiding advanced settings behind swipes.
• New FaceTime landing page for quick access to contacts.
• Unified phone app combining voicemail, missed calls, and contacts.
• Introduction of Call Screening and Hold For Me features, inspired by Pixel phones, to automatically screen unknown calls and wait on hold.
• iMessage improvements including native polls, typing indicators in group chats, and customizable chat backgrounds.
• Live translation integrated into FaceTime, Messages, and Phone app using on-device AI models, enabling real-time voice translation during calls.

Marques hints at a future video dedicated to iOS 26’s best features and cautions about the potential downsides of the liquid glass design on usability.

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watchOS 26 adopts the liquid glass UI with reflective buttons and large touch areas. Marques highlights two standout features:

• A new wrist flick gesture to dismiss notifications, calls, and alarms quickly by flipping the wrist.
• Workout Buddy, a customizable, energetic voice assistant that motivates users during workouts by sharing stats and encouragement.

"If you ever get a notification and you don't wanna do anything with it... you can just flip it and it goes away." 6:55

He notes the continued absence of group fitness challenges, a feature many have hoped for but Apple has yet to implement.

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tvOS 26 receives subtle liquid glass effects, with shimmering icons and more content, but no major overhaul.

macOS 26, codenamed Tahoe, embraces the glass aesthetic more boldly:

• Transparent menu bar and widgets.
• Control Center with a more playful, cartoonish look, which Marques finds less appealing.
• Introduction of Live Activities in the menu bar, allowing users to track ongoing events like deliveries or flights with quick access to detailed info.
• The new phone app on Mac mirrors iOS features like voicemail and Hold For Me.

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One of the most exciting updates for productivity enthusiasts is the revamped Spotlight search, which now supports:

• Animated UI separating file searches, shortcuts, and app actions.
• Keyboard shortcuts to trigger complex commands without opening apps.
• Enhanced file and window management capabilities.

Marques compares this to Raycast, a popular third-party productivity app, noting that Apple’s Spotlight is catching up by integrating many advanced features.

"This is what we call in the industry getting sherlocked." 10:11

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visionOS 26 continues the glass theme and adds:

• Persistent widgets that can be pinned in 3D space with customizable size, depth, and color.
• Improved photorealistic personas that look less ghostly and more lifelike.
• Support for PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers for better game control.
• A new immersive environment set on one of Jupiter’s moons.
• Native 360-degree video playback for cameras like GoPro, Insta360, and Canon.

Marques appreciates the persistent window and widget placement, a major improvement over previous versions.

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Marques calls iPadOS 26 a genuine "game changer" because it brings Mac-like multitasking and file management to the iPad:

• Liquid glass UI with updated icons and widgets.
• New multitasking system allowing users to resize apps into floating windows by dragging a handle.
• Ability to stack and arrange multiple floating windows freely.
• Introduction of Mac-style three-dot window controls (minimize, resize).
• A literal Mac menu bar at the top with File, Edit, View, and Help menus.
• Redesigned cursor that behaves more like a traditional Mac pointer.
• New Files app with Finder-like sorting and organization.
• Audio input selector for media apps, solving a long-standing iPad limitation.
• Background activities support, allowing tasks like video exports to continue when apps are closed.

"This moves the iPad... way further on the spectrum of compelling laptop alternatives for certain people." 15:51

Despite these advances, some basic features like multiple user profiles remain missing.

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Marques points out the surprisingly low emphasis on AI and Siri during the keynote:

• The word "Siri" was mentioned only twice in a 90-minute presentation.
• Apple’s AI strength lies more in ecosystem integration than raw AI power.
• Apple is releasing foundational AI models for developers to build on-device AI features.
• These models prioritize privacy and offline use but may not match the quality of cloud-based AI.
• The big upgrade to Siri’s large language model capabilities is delayed, with Apple stating it needs more time to meet quality standards and promising updates in 2026.

"This work required more time to reach our high quality bar and we look forward to sharing more about it in the coming year." 17:36

Marques also notes the addition of Visual Intelligence features like screenshot search, similar to Android’s "circle to search."

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Marques wraps up by expressing excitement to explore the betas and test these new features in depth. He invites viewers to share their thoughts and stay tuned for more detailed videos.

"This was a fascinating WWDC... Stay tuned for those videos." 18:05

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This detailed breakdown captures Marques Brownlee’s thorough walkthrough of WWDC 2025, emphasizing Apple’s design refresh with liquid glass, significant multitasking improvements on iPadOS, cautious AI integration, and the evolving ecosystem across all devices.