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Liquid Glass is dividing the internet: Which side are you on?

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2 months ago

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At WWDC 2025, Apple's annual developers conference, the company debuted a bold new look for Apple software: Liquid Glass.

Apple calls this its "broadest design update ever." Liquid Glass will arrive with the fall launch of iOS 26 (see also: macOS Tahoe 26, visionOS 26, iPadOS 26, et al), a free software update that delivers a suite of new features and updates to iPhones. So far, most people are understandably focused on how Liquid Glass will change their iPhone, but the new look will affect most Apple devices.

WWDC ran through iPhone updates at a rapid clip, though Liquid Glass was the clear headline. Of course, a lot of Apple users are still catching up on everything we learned at WWDC 2025. Though iOS 26 and Liquid Glass don't officially land until the fall, the developer's beta is available now, which has allowed early adopters to share screengrabs and previews of Liquid Glass on social media. Apple has also shared previews of the new look and customization options.

row of iphones showing apple liquid glass design on home screen

Thi sis what your home screen could look like with Liquid Glass.
Credit: Apple

And the reactions so far have been extremely divided.

Liquid Glass is Apple's biggest redesign in over 10 years, and while it maintains Apple's signature aesthetic, it introduces new animations and personalization options. Translucent elements are the key characteristic of Liquid Glass, and widgets and other on-screen elements now bend and refract light like glass. According to an Apple press release, "This translucent material reflects and refracts its surroundings, while dynamically transforming to help bring greater focus to content, delivering a new level of vitality across controls, navigation, app icons, widgets, and more."

At first glance, many Mashable tech reporters thought the new design looked beautiful, particularly the new clear mode. In clear mode, all of your widgets and icons become translucent, creating a feeling of openness and extra space. It's the same effect you get by adding a mirror to a room. Users will also be able to customize the appearance of Liquid Glass elements in Icon Composer, a feature available on iOS, macOS, and watchOS.

customization options for liquid glass in macos tahoe

A preview of the Icon Composer settings for Liquid Glass.
Credit: Apple

However, while Liquid Glass has advocates among early adopters, it has also attracted some harsh critics, who say the new design language creates confusing clashes between layers that affect readability.

In particular, critics have been focused on one aspect of the iPhone's Liquid Glass display: the appearance of Control Center. This is the swipe-down window that contains quick access to settings and utilities like Bluetooth, your calculator and flashlight, and screen brightness. And in clear mode, the design can be undeniably awkward. (Remember that these types of videos and images can be faked, so take social media posts like this with a grain of salt.)

Remember: this is a developer's beta. The final look of Liquid Glass will almost certainly change before the fall launch. In fact, identifying bugs like this is the whole purpose of a beta.

But don't expect nuance from social media conversations. Some users say Liquid Glass would have Steve Jobs rolling in his grave, while others are equally sure Liquid Glass is the natural successor to Jobs' vision for Apple design.

So, are you on Team Clear? We've gathered some of the top reactions from X, where Liquid Glass is a big topic of debate.

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Buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 at Best Buy and get a free $50 e-gift card

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6 hours ago

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August 7, 2025

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SAVE $50: As of Aug. 6, buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 for $349.99 at Best Buy and get a free $50 e-gift card.


Samsung Galaxy Watch8 on white background

Credit: Amazon


Samsung Galaxy Watch8

$349.99
at Samsung

Get a free $50 e-gift card with purchase

A good smartwatch can be your constant companion when it comes to handling your day. It can track your fitness, handle notifications and texts, and even help you make calls, all while giving you a full spectrum of body-centric metrics. If you're already using an Android phone or want a reliable brand for your purchase, you should consider heading to Best Buy to grab a Samsung smartwatch and get a little extra.

As of Aug. 6, buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 for $349.99 at Best Buy and get a free $50 e-gift card.

SEE ALSO:

All the best smartwatches for every wrist and interest

The 2025 Galaxy Watch8 has a slew of features, including Google Gemini integration, something Samsung managed to get before Google could implement in its Pixel Watch lineup. It also has a wide variety of health and fitness options, including preset workout data, sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, and much more to help you make sure you can face the day at your best.

Beyond those things, the Galaxy Watch8 also lets you handle comms straight from your wrist so you can make calls, text, use some of your favorite apps, and organize your life. Your personal AI assistant is voice-activated as well, so it can help you get things done even when your hands are busy.

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A key YouTube feature broke for Android users

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6 hours ago

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August 7, 2025

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You'd think Android and YouTube would work together flawlessly, but early this week, that wasn't the case.

As reported and confirmed by 9to5Google, YouTube users on Android devices couldn't change the playback speed on videos. Changing the speed to anything other than 1x would simply not work, as the setting change wouldn't save, acting as if you hadn't done it at all. Obviously, that's not a great user experience, considering that Android and YouTube are both Google's responsibility. It seems a bit strange for Android users specifically to lose access to a core YouTube feature, but that's what happened.

SEE ALSO:

Google is killing millions of old links. How to check yours.

Thankfully, it seems that as of Wednesday morning, the issue has been fixed, per a YouTube community note. The note states that any users still experiencing the issue should simply close and reopen the app. Hopefully, by doing that, you can fix the problem and get back to frame-by-frame analysis of movie trailers at 0.25x speed.

For once, it paid off to use a Google app on iOS instead.

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Him trailer: Producer Jordan Peele turns football practice into a bloodbath

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6 hours ago

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August 7, 2025

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On top of directing horror hits Get Out, Us, and Nope, Jordan Peele has produced several exciting genre projects, from Dev Patel's Monkey Man to Nia DaCosta's Candyman, which he also co-wrote. Next up on his production slate is the football horror film Him, directed by Justin Tipping.

SEE ALSO:

'If I Had Legs I'd Kick You' trailer: Rose Byrne is a mother losing control in A24 drama

Co-written by Skip Bronkie, Zack Akers, and Tipping, Him introduces promising young football star Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers). Not only does Withers have acting experience from projects like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Atlanta, he was also part of Florida State University's 2017 football team as a wide receiver. Hopefully his experience playing was nothing like Cameron's in Him, though, because the trailer makes it out to be a full-on nightmare.

After suffering a traumatic brain injury at the hands of an unhinged fan, Cameron thinks his football dream is dead. But when his hero, legendary quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), offers to train him at his personal compound, he's excited to accept.

However, Isaiah's training methods are far more violent than Cameron realized. (And football is already pretty violent!) We're talking smashing footballs into players' faces until they bleed as punishment.

But that's just the start of the horrors that await in Him, which demands that Cameron sacrifice everything to be the GOAT he so badly wants to be. Check out the unsettling trailer above.

Him also stars Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker, Jim Jefferies, and MMA fighter Maurice Greene, as well as hip-hop artists Guapdad 4000 and Tierra Whack.

Him hits theaters Sept. 19.

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