Comprehensive guide to Apple's Liquid Glass design system introduced in macOS 26, iOS 26, and across all Apple platforms. Covers SwiftUI (.glassEffect(), GlassEffectContainer, .interactive(), .tint(), glassEffectID morphing, .buttonStyle(.glass), .buttonStyle(.glassProminent), glassEffectUnion), AppKit (NSGlassEffectView, NSGlassEffectContainerView), UIKit (UIGlassEffect, UIGlassContainerEffect, UIScrollEdgeEffect), and WidgetKit (accented rendering mode, widgetAccentable). Use whenever building UI with the new Apple design language, adopting glass effects, styling buttons or toolbars, or creating modern macOS/iOS interfaces. Always consult this skill when asked about new Apple design.
Apple's new material design combining glass optics with fluid interaction. Available across all platforms.
// Basic glass effect (capsule shape by default)
view.glassEffect()
// Custom shape
view.glassEffect(in: .rect(cornerRadius: 16))
view.glassEffect(in: .circle)
// Tinted glass (suggests prominence)
view.glassEffect(.regular.tint(.blue))
// Interactive (responds to touch/pointer)
view.glassEffect(.regular.interactive())
// Button styles
Button("Primary") { }.buttonStyle(.glassProminent)
Button("Secondary") { }.buttonStyle(.glass)
// Container for multiple glass views (required for merging/performance)
GlassEffectContainer(spacing: 40) {
HStack(spacing: 40) {
ItemView().glassEffect()
ItemView().glassEffect()
}
}
// Morphing transitions between glass views
@Namespace var ns
view.glassEffect().glassEffectID("myID", in: ns)
// Unite multiple views into single glass shape
view.glassEffect().glassEffectUnion(id: "group1", namespace: ns)
GlassEffectContainerGlassEffectContainer.interactive() on buttons/controls → ✅ Add .interactive() for touch/pointer response.glassEffect() before layout modifiers → ✅ Apply after .frame(), .padding(), etc.NSVisualEffectView with .material for new designs → ✅ Use NSGlassEffectView (AppKit) or .glassEffect() (SwiftUI)| File | When to Use |
|---|---|
references/swiftui-glass.md | SwiftUI glass effects, containers, morphing, button styles |
references/appkit-glass.md | AppKit NSGlassEffectView, NSGlassEffectContainerView, hover effects |
references/uikit-glass.md | UIKit UIGlassEffect, scroll edge effects, container effects |
references/widgetkit-glass.md | Widget accented rendering mode, widgetAccentable modifier |
Building SwiftUI interface?
├── Single glass element → .glassEffect() on the view
├── Multiple glass elements → Wrap in GlassEffectContainer
├── Need morphing transitions → Use @Namespace + .glassEffectID()
├── Grouping elements into one shape → Use .glassEffectUnion()
└── Buttons → .buttonStyle(.glass) or .buttonStyle(.glassProminent)
Building AppKit interface?
├── Single glass element → NSGlassEffectView with contentView
├── Multiple glass elements → NSGlassEffectContainerView
└── Hover/interaction → NSTrackingArea + animator().tintColor
Building Widgets?
├── Support tinted/clear appearance → Check widgetRenderingMode
├── Mark accent content → .widgetAccentable()
└── Custom glass in widget → .glassEffect() (same as SwiftUI)
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Glass views don't merge when close | Wrap in GlassEffectContainer with appropriate spacing |
| No animation when glass appears/disappears | Use withAnimation { } + glassEffectID |
| Glass button doesn't respond to hover | Add .interactive() to the glass effect |
| Too many glass effects = performance drop | Limit glass effects; use GlassEffectContainer |
| Widget looks wrong in tinted mode | Check widgetRenderingMode environment, use widgetAccentable() |