With iOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, and watchOS 26, Apple is planning to debut a brand new design that is been described as taking inspiration from visionOS, the latest working system. With WWDC arising quickly, we thought we might take a more in-depth have a look at visionOS and a number of the design particulars that Apple would possibly undertake primarily based on present rumors and leaked data.
1. Translucency
Inside Apple, the iOS 26 redesign venture is named “Solarium,” which provides us some perception into Apple’s focus. A solarium is mainly an all-glass room that is designed to let in a whole lot of gentle.
Since launch, visionOS has had menus and interface components which can be translucent as a result of in an AR/VR surroundings, individuals want to have the ability to see their environment as a lot as doable to really feel immersed.
The translucent design components in visionOS higher mix into the background for an unobtrusive look, letting coloration and lightweight from the actual world mix by way of. It is not onerous to image how this kind of translucent design would work effectively in apps like Photographs, which we have already seen a mockup of.
2. Floating Navigation Bars and Menus
Floating menus and navigation bars go proper together with translucency. In visionOS, every part is basically floating within the open area round you, whether or not you are taking a look at your environment by way of the passthrough digital camera, or a digital actuality background.
In iOS 26, Apple may replicate this impact with shading and shadowing that makes interface components look barely raised over the content material within the background, for a comfortable, blurred depth impact.
visionOS has a whole lot of top-aligned toolbars fairly than backside bars, so it is doable we’ll see iOS shifting that manner too.
3. Rounded Buttons and Interface Parts
iOS already has rounded squares and rounded rectangles for icons, notifications, menus inside apps, search bars, and the entire card-style interfaces that we’re used to, however visionOS is even rounder. The floating navigation bars in iOS may very well be pill-shaped with extra starkly rounded edges.
visionOS additionally has extra dramatic rounding on the corners, and the app icons are totally spherical. iOS 26 may very well be rounder basically, extra carefully matching a number of the shapes in visionOS. Leaker Jon Prosser has claimed that there shall be an choice for spherical app icons, however it’s not clear if Apple would wish to go in that route for iOS as a result of Android has lengthy used spherical app icons. The enduring squircle has been one in all many design options distinguishing iOS from Android.
4. Glassy Look
With its translucency, the visionOS interface can look virtually like frosted glass. Apple’s WWDC 2025 design contains a frosted glass rainbow with shifting pastel colours, which is probably a touch at plans to undertake a frosted, sea-glass-style look that is not too far off from what we have already received in visionOS.
visionOS really makes use of a system-designed materials that Apple calls glass for app home windows. It lets gentle, digital content material, and objects within the environment present by way of menus and home windows. Glass adapts to background coloration and offers distinction for app content material whereas additionally making an allowance for individuals’s bodily environment. Apple may use the same materials design in iOS 26.
5. Refined Lighting Modifications
In visionOS, the translucent interface components can work together with lighting situations of the room the consumer is in. That does not translate to the iPhone, however iOS is outwardly going to have some delicate gentle results that can emphasize the translucency and glass-like design.
In visionOS, the home windows additionally solid shadows which can be responsive to go actions. That is not one thing that interprets to iOS, however lighting and shadow results that shift if you transfer your iPhone is a risk. The truth is, Prosser claims there is a glint on the Lock Display’s Flashlight and Digital camera (or personalized) buttons when shifting the iPhone.
Apple may use dynamic shadowing in apps and for widgets, and adaptive coloration may additional the impact by permitting interface components to mix with wallpaper and shift with ambient gentle.
6. Simplicity
For probably the most half, visionOS has a simplified design in Apple apps, with an airier really feel as a result of spacing that is wanted to make sure individuals have sufficient room to take a look at a button to work together with it. iOS 26 may undertake streamlined navigation and menu components for a much less cluttered look.
visionOS makes use of cleaner fonts, bolder textual content, and elevated line peak, which can or might not translate to iOS.
Apple is probably going taking a great have a look at navigation, menu choices, and structure, as a result of one of many essential elements of the redesign is extra cross-platform cohesion, in accordance with Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. He says that iOS 26 shall be “less complicated to make use of, sooner to navigate, and simpler to be taught.”
Design Consistency
It is not simply iOS 26 that is being overhauled. The visible modifications and tweaks to menus, buttons, and navigation may also lengthen to macOS 26, and naturally, iPadOS 26. watchOS 26 and tvOS 26 will see design refreshes, too.
Apple will undoubtedly present builders with new design pointers and sources to increase the up to date look to third-party apps.
WWDC Debut
The brand new design that we have been listening to a lot about is ready to be unveiled on the WWDC keynote occasion on Monday, June 9. It begins at 10:00 a.m. and whereas Apple will livestream it, if you cannot watch, you possibly can observe alongside right here on MacRumors.com or on our MacRumorsLive X account. Apple will present builders with the brand new working system updates full with redesign after the keynote occasion, and a public beta will observe in July. iOS 26 and its sister updates will launch to the general public in September.
