At WWDC25 we launched a new type of Lab event for the developer community - Group Labs. A Group Lab is a panel Q&A designed for a large audience of developers. Group Labs are a unique opportunity for the community to submit questions directly to a panel of Apple engineers and designers. Here are the highlights from the WWDC25 Group Lab for Design. Can you expand on how Liquid Glass helps with navigation and focus in the UI? Liquid Glass clarifies the navigation layer by introducing a single, floating pane that acts as the primary navigation area. Buttons within this pane seamlessly morph as you move between sections, and controls can temporarily lift into the glass surface. While avoiding excessive use of glass (like layering glass on glass), this approach simplifies navigation and strengthens the connection between menus, alerts, and the elements that trigger them. What should I do with customized bars that I might have in my app? Reconsider the content and behavior of customized bars. Evaluate whether you need all the buttons and whether a menu might be a better solution. Instead of relying on background colors or styling, express hierarchy through layout and grouping. This is a good opportunity to adopt the new design language and simplify your interface. What are scroll edge effects, and what options do we have for them? Scroll edge effects enhance legibility in controls by lifting interactive elements and separating them from the background. There are two types: a soft edge effect (a subtle blur) and a hard edge effect (a more defined boundary for high-legibility areas like column sorting). Scroll edge effects are designed to work seamlessly with Liquid Glass, allowing content to feel expansive while ensuring controls and titles remain legible. How can we ensure or improve accessibility using Liquid Glass? Legibility is a priority, and refinements are ongoing throughout the betas. Liquid Glass adapts well to accessibility settings like Reduce Transparency, Increase Contrast, and Reduce Motion. There are two variants of glass: regular glass, designed to be legible by default, and clear glass, used in places like AVKit, which requires more care to ensure legibility. Use color contrast tools to ensure contrast ratios are met. The Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) are a living document offering best practices. The colors and materials pages are key resources. Do you have any recommendations for convincing designers concerned with consistency across Android and Web to use Liquid Glass? Start small and focus on high-utility controls that don't significantly impact brand experience. Native controls offer familiarity and predictability to users. Using the native controls makes sure your app feels at home on the device. Using native frameworks provides built-in accessibility support (dynamic type, reduce transparency, increase contrast). Native controls come with built-in behaviors and interactions. Can ScrollViews include Liquid Glass within them? You can technically put a glass layer inside a scroll view, but it can feel heavy and doesn't align with the system's intention for Liquid Glass to serve as a fixed layer. Think of the content layer as the scrolling layer, and the navigational layer as the one using Liquid Glass. If there is glass on the content layer it will collide into the navigational layer. What core design philosophy guided the direction of iOS 26, beyond the goal of unification? The core design philosophy involved blurring the line between hardware and software, separating UI and navigation elements from content, making apps adaptable across window sizes, and combining playfulness with sophistication. It was about making the UI feel at home on rounded screens. Can we layer Liquid Glass elements on top of each other? Avoid layering Liquid Glass elements directly on top of each other, as it creates unnecessary visual complexity. The system will automatically convert nested glass elements to a vibrant fill style. Use vibrant fills and labels to show control shapes and ensure legibility. Opaque grays should be avoided in favor of vibrant colors, which will multiply with the backgrounds correctly. What will happen to apps that use custom components? Should they be adapted to the new design within the next year? The more native components you use, the more things happen for free. Standard components will be upgraded automatically. Look out for any customizations that might clash. Think about what is the minimum viable change, where your app still feels and looks very similar to what it did. Prioritize changes in core workflows and navigational areas. There are a number of benefits to using native components including user familiarity, built-in accessibility support, and built-in behaviors and interactions. Will Apple be releasing Figma design templates? Sketch kits were published on Monday and can be referenced. The goal is to ensure the resources are well-organized, well-named, and easy to use. It's a high priority.

Hi there, I am a day-to-day user of Apple devices, I have always loved how simple and easy to use they are. However, the recent iOS 26 update has really raised some concerns which I want to address. This includes some toggle options which would allow Apple users to customise some features of the experience, to make it more accessible and tailored for us. Firstly, I would to mention the removal of the “Home Bar“ at the bottom of iPhone and iPad screens. Now, I do understand that a lot of people have got used to swiping up from the bottom of the screen to return to the Home Screen, or their Recent Apps. But a lot of people actually really miss this feature, and it really made Apple. Also, some older people or people with accessibility issues have found it hard to use iOS 26. I think that the best way to resolve this would be to include a Toggle option within the “Accessibility“ menu of the Settings app. This way, if people like me would like it back, they can choose to bring it back to their screens. Next, I have noticed that when receiving an incoming call, the ”Slide to Answer” text is no longer animated. This may seem like a minor point to talk about, but it was actually more legible before. It doesn‘t make sense that other things, such as stopping alarms and powering off iPhone/iPad still have the animation effect, but the slide-to-answer text on incoming calls is no longer animated. This could be fixed to make it animated, or the user could choose to have animated text within the settings app. Lastly, I think that the app toolbar should make a real comeback to iMessage. I do know that this hasn’t been a thing since iOS 17, but I did find that the app toolbar above the keyboard was really easy to use, with apps, stickers, GIFs and more at your fingertips, instead of having to access a side menu. Like my other suggestions, this would be another good opportunity for a toggle option so the user can choose whether to have the toolbar or not. This would actually suit the new Liquid Glass style in iOS 26, because it could be made floating, with a Liquid Glass background. To sum up, I would like 3 toggle options which would allow Apple Users to customise their experience. These would be, Toggle Option to bring back the “Home Bar” Toggle Option for animated text on incoming calls Toggle Option to revive the iMessage app toolbar Thank you so much for reading. ** I am the User of an iPhone 14 Pro and iPad Pro M4, and use the Developer beta versions of iOS and iPad OS 26.

I have an issue when trying to upload my app through transporter saying the icon has an alpha channel and the format is wrong. I have changed this to make it the correct dimensions and not transparent etc but the same issue is coming up. Any advice on what to do?

How do I resolve this issue when trying to re-import a custom SF Symbol into Apple's SF Symbols app? Is there an exact export configuration I'm missing in Sketch or Figma?

Hello everyone, I’ve reached out to Apple’s review team multiple times, but unfortunately, I haven’t received any clear or specific guidance on why my app was rejected. My app has been rejected several times with the reason “Spam” under guideline 4.3, and I still don't understand exactly which part of the app is problematic. Even after providing the necessary information about the data, I resubmitted the app, and after a few days, it quickly moved into "In Review" status, but then was rejected within seconds with the same “Spam” message. I have sent over 13 messages asking for specific feedback, and all I get are vague responses saying “It’s spam, refer to 4.3, fix your app, and resubmit.” However, when I review the guidelines, I don’t see any specific reasons for rejection that apply to my app. I’m particularly confused because my app is a VPN, and when I check the guidelines, I see that apps in categories like dating and others are saturated, but VPN apps are not. My app uses completely dedicated servers, and the IP addresses are not found in any other apps. Still, my app keeps getting rejected. If anyone has encountered a similar issue or has any insight into what might be causing this, I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide detailed guidance on what specifically needs to be changed to get the app approved. Thank you!

We have found that on iOS 26 beta some of our app icons built from an Xcode 16 asset catalog containing a single 1024x1024 .png file have a Liquid Glass effect applied to them while others have not. The documentation states that If you choose not to use Icon Composer, you can still use an AppIcon asset catalog in your project containing individual app icon images and let the system apply the Liquid Glass material. and If you prefer, you can take advantage of the system’s automatically generated treatment that is applied to all app icons. Is there any insight into how the system treats app icons that have not yet been updated with Icon Composer?

Introduction The current iteration of dynamic weather wallpapers, while functional, has become visually stagnant. With the rapid advancement of Generative AI, there is a significant opportunity to transform these backgrounds from simple realistic simulations into dynamic, artistic experiences. The Core Concept The proposal is to replace or supplement standard weather backgrounds with AI-generated Vector Art that evolves in real-time. Instead of a static image, the wallpaper would be a living piece of art that adapts to: Local Time: Seamlessly transitioning from dawn's golden hues to midnight’s deep blues. Weather Conditions: Using distinct vector animations for rain, thunderstorms, or heatwaves. Location-Specific Context: Incorporating stylized vector landmarks of the user's current city. Key Features Artistic Variation: Users could choose from various styles, such as Minimalist, Flat Design, Isometric, or Cyberpunk, making the phone interface feel like a curated gallery. Information at a Glance: The vector elements themselves could convey data. For example, the intensity of "wind" animations could reflect actual wind speeds, or the "sun's" position could represent the actual UV index. Emotional Connection: Unlike realistic photos, vector art provides a "vibe" that is less cluttered and more visually soothing, improving the overall user experience and aesthetics of the Lock Screen. Conclusion Integrating AI-driven vector animations would make the Weather Wallpaper not just a tool, but a signature design feature. It would bridge the gap between utility and art, making every glance at the phone a unique experience.

I would really like to be able to categorize my contacts. I work for a grocery store and have contacts from various companies. I would like to be able to categorize them by company or group them as I see fit. Currently, I don't see a way to do this. Please add this in a future update. Having all contacts just alphabetically is not efficient enough. Also, I would like to be able to manually adjust the size of widgets. i.e. If I want more stocks to be visible, I would like to be able to lengthen the height/width of the widget beyond what it currently allows to view more information. Thank you. If you have any follow-up questions, please let me know. Torrey

After I upgraded to iOS 26, most of the App icons with white backgrounds appeared blurry, as if they had been blurred by Gaussian filtering. However, some of them were normal. As shown in the picture, if you observe carefully, you will notice that the DeepSeek Chrome Photos icon is blurry, while Expo Go and LightBlue are normal. Is this a bug of the system? Does anyone have the same problem?

Does anyone know if Apple is addressing the issue with buttons. They break the fundamental clarity stressed by Human guidelines by exposing an area around an element that is to be tapped. If that area is then defined as a part of the button it should by default then respond to the tap. But it doesn't. My app when you tap on those elements before Liquid Glass ALWAYS RESPONDS. With Liquid Glass, a glancing tap will get the requisite reaction but doesn't trigger the event it should. Also it's confusing that Liquid Glass but not a show stopper that Liquid Glass elements that are disabled respond by flashing at all instead being visible/inert even though nothing happens. It's unnecessary and confusing eye candy. How did the folly of this get passed Apple's UI team and when is it gonna be rectified. I've tried a number of ways to fix it and it just makes the buttons look like crap and then they become more opaque and stuff. Does anyone have a fix for this or is anyone aware of when a fix for this will be released as a part of an OS update? It could be as simple as a setting that defaults to on that says the area/circumference of the circle button (that you NEVER asked for) fully responds to touch events of the target area and it should default to YES!!

Hi everyone, I’m a mixed reality designer currently building visionOS experiences (RealityKit + SwiftUI), and I’m working on a course at Arizona State University where we develop a project in response to a real-world client. I’m looking to collaborate with someone in the visionOS ecosystem who would be open to sharing a simple prompt or brief (nothing confidential), which I can use to create a proposal response. The outcome would include: Spatial concept + storyboard Interaction design direction Rough scope, timeline, and team structure Optional small prototype in visionOS The goal on my side is to better understand how spatial work is framed and communicated in real-world scenarios, especially within Apple’s ecosystem. The ask is very lightweight: 1–2 short check-ins during April or async feedback via email A bit about my work: Built Spatial Synesthesia for Apple Vision Pro Eye tracking interaction that isolates instruments in a live orchestral mix based on color perception Working with computer vision and spatial anchoring in Unity and visionOS Focused on perception-driven interaction and minimal UI systems If you’re a developer, designer, or part of a small studio working in visionOS and this sounds interesting, I’d love to connect. Thanks in advance. Leo

I’m developing an app that includes a navigation bar with a centered title and a single right bar button item. I’ve noticed that when both the navigation bar title and the right bar button item’s title are relatively long, the navigation bar title becomes hidden. This issue only occurs on iOS 26. When running the same code on iOS 18, the layout behaves as expected, with both elements visible. Has anyone else experienced this behavior on iOS 26? Is this a known layout change or a possible bug?

Some SF Symbols (wifi for example) render fine with the variable. But many, mostly ones with the circle being variable, do not seem to work. The SF Symbols app shows them rendering with a variable fine. But in code it doesn't work. Am I missing something or is there a reason? var body: some View { HStack { Image(systemName: "01.circle", variableValue: 0.5) Image(systemName: "figure.wave.circle", variableValue: 0.5) Image(systemName: "wifi", variableValue: 0.5) }.font(.largeTitle) } }

Considering how important smooth/continuous corners are for Apple throughout their various native platforms (and hardware), can we expect Safari to soon adopt this CSS feature? It's already live in Chrome https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Reference/Properties/corner-shape For those who are unfamiliar with smooth corners and how Apple uses them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YElVQqNwrJ4&t=110s

Hi everyone, We noticed a readability issue with the CallKit incoming call UI on the lock screen in iOS 26. In our case, the “slide to answer” text appears too faint and unclear, making it difficult to read. The arrow button is visible, but the text itself has very low contrast against the background, especially on certain wallpapers or under lower brightness conditions. From the screenshot, you can see that: the caller name is clear, the overall incoming call UI is shown correctly, but the “slide to answer” label is barely visible. This seems to be a system UI / CallKit presentation issue rather than something controlled by the app, since we are using the standard CallKit incoming call flow. We would like to know: Has anyone else seen this issue on iOS 26? Is this considered a known UI regression or contrast issue in the new system design? Is there any supported way to improve the visibility of this text, or is it fully managed by the system? Any confirmation or related reports would be very helpful. Thanks.

Hi everyone 👋 I’m a new iOS developer working on my first app and I’ve run into a frustrating visual bug involving my app icon during the launch/close transition. Issue: When I use Icon Composer (the new tool introduced for iOS 26) to generate my app icon, I consistently see a thin white border or “fringe” around the icon only during the transition animation (when the app opens or closes). It disappears once the animation ends. What I tested and confirmed: • I exported the exact same design directly from Adobe Illustrator as a 1024×1024 PNG, fully opaque, RGB color mode, background color filling the entire canvas (no transparency, no borders, no rounded corners). • When I place that exported PNG directly into the AppIcon asset catalog in Xcode, the icon renders perfectly — no white fringe appears, just a slightly darker shade of blue during transitions (expected and acceptable). • But when I generate the icon using Icon Composer, the white edge always appears, even if I disable effects, use full coverage layers, or only keep a flat color layer. Notes: • Tested on iOS 26 (latest beta) using Xcode 16. • The issue seems specific to Icon Composer’s export format or metadata — maybe it’s not stripping alpha correctly or something related to the squircle mask? • I followed all recommended specs: 1024×1024 px, PNG, sRGB, no transparency, exported from Illustrator at 72ppi with solid background. Even tested without the logo, just the icon made with icon composer Is anyone else experiencing this issue with Icon Composer exports? Is there an official recommendation to avoid this during transitions or should I simply avoid Icon Composer for production icons for now and stick with Illustrator / Figma exports? Thanks so much Here’s a visual example:

Hello everyone, I’m looking for some advice or shared experiences regarding an app rejection under App Store Review Guideline 4.3(b) – Design – Spam. Our app was rejected and, after an appeal to the App Review Board, Apple maintained that the app “duplicates the content and functionality of similar apps in a saturated category.” We strongly disagree with this classification and are struggling to understand how Guideline 4.3(b) has been applied in our case. The app was developed as an original product: Custom-designed content (including original cards and interactions) A unique visual style and UI A distinct interaction flow focused on encouraging social interaction between users This was not a template-based or reskinned app, nor is it part of a series of similar submissions. We fully respect the App Store Review Guidelines and are open to making adjustments to better align with them. However, what we find difficult is the lack of specific, actionable feedback. We have not received clear guidance on which exact elements are considered duplicative or what changes would meaningfully address the concern. Some of the questions we are hoping the community can help with: In your experience, what typically triggers a 4.3(b) rejection in cases like this? Are there specific mechanics, terminology, or presentation choices that reviewers often interpret as problematic? Have others successfully resolved a 4.3(b) rejection without completely abandoning their app concept? We have already invested significant time and resources into this project, and being advised to create an entirely new app is not financially feasible for us. We are genuinely trying to understand how to proceed in a way that is constructive and compliant. Any insights, experiences, or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance. — Lars

I am requesting a dedicated toggle in Settings > Display & Brightness (or Accessibility) to enable/disable the Liquid Glass UI effects so that I am able to get frosted glass thingy effect that was in iOS 18 back.

Hi friends, I need a design and coding team to publish a fintech app. Can anyone help me with this?

This is my first attempt at creating a Wallet pass, actually a generic store card. When I see it with Pass Viewer on macOS, I get 1 look, when I see it with the iPhone simulator or iPhone proper, I get a different view. Neither is what I was hoping for, a simple vertical layout of an address. Could someone steer me in the correct direction? My json: "formatVersion": 1, "passTypeIdentifier": "pass.org.danleys.4KSBarcode", "serialNumber": "__SERIAL__", "teamIdentifier": "----", "organizationName": "4 K.I.D.S. Sake", "description": "4KSBarcode", "logoText": "4 K.I.D.S. Sake", "foregroundColor": "rgb(255, 255, 255)", "backgroundColor": "rgb(255,0,0)", "storeCard" : { "primaryFields" : [ { "key" : "ClientID", "label" : "", "value" : "" } ], "auxiliaryFields": [ { "key": "street", "label": "Address", "value": "339 Remington Blvd" }, { "key": "city", "label": "", "value": "Bolingbrook, IL 60440" } ] }, "barcode": { "format": "PKBarcodeFormatCode128", "message": "__SERIAL__", "altText": "__SERIAL__", "messageEncoding": "iso-8859-1" } } On macOS: On iOS: Thank you. Ed

I’m working with Reality Composer and noticed that images added directly to a scene appear significantly darker when viewed in AR. This seems different from how other objects in the scene respond to lighting, especially under varying real-world light conditions. Is this expected behavior? Are images treated with a different lighting model in Reality Composer? Is there any recommended way to get more consistent light response for image-based artworks?