are liquid glass api's backwards compatible
Asked on 06/18/2025
•@wwdc251 search
The Liquid Glass APIs introduced by Apple are designed to be integrated into apps using the latest design systems and frameworks. According to the information from the WWDC sessions, when you rebuild your app with Xcode 26, standard controls will automatically be rendered with the new design and materials, including Liquid Glass. This suggests that the new APIs are not backwards compatible in the sense that they require the latest tools and frameworks to take full advantage of the new design features. However, there is an option to continue using your app's current design with Xcode 26, which is intended to be removed in the next major update. This means that while you can maintain your existing design temporarily, full adoption of Liquid Glass will require updating to the latest development environment and frameworks.
For more details, you can refer to the Platforms State of the Union (18:18) session.
Platforms State of the Union
Discover the newest advancements on Apple platforms.
Get to know the new design system
Dive deeper into the new design system to explore key changes to visual design, information architecture, and core system components. Learn how the system reshapes the relationship between interface and content, enabling you to create designs that are dynamic, harmonious, and consistent across devices, screen sizes, and input modes.
Meet Liquid Glass
Liquid Glass unifies Apple platform design language while providing a more dynamic and expressive user experience. Get to know the design principles of Liquid Glass, explore its core optical and physical properties, and learn where to use it and why.