What is old is new again, and nowhere in technology is that axiom more apparent than in user interface design. Apple’s recent unveiling of iOS 26’s Liquid Glass design language has not only sent ripples through the iPhone and iPad communities, but has reignited a conversation on the cyclical nature of UI innovation—a conversation deeply relevant to long-time Windows fans. As the elements of Liquid Glass rolled out in developer and public betas, keen-eyed observers were quick to point out how familiar this “new” glassy aesthetic feels, evoking direct memories of both Windows Vista’s Aero Glass and Windows 10’s Fluent Design System with its signature Reveal effect. In hindsight, perhaps 2025 is the year the past truly catches up with us—and according to a growing number of voices within both Apple and Microsoft circles, the credit for today’s trends is owed to a far longer legacy.
Apple’s branding of Liquid Glass focuses heavily on “depth, light, and dynamism,” with translucent surfaces and rich subtle lighting forming the bedrock of iOS 26’s refreshed menus, control panels, and notification banners. Tapping or dragging your finger across a menu now produces a soft, animated glow that seems to chase your touch, glimmering beneath crystal-like layers. In marketing speak, Apple positions Liquid Glass as a fresh chapter—yet for those with longer memories in the OS world, it reads as a direct successor to Microsoft’s daring visual experiments from nearly two decades ago.
When Microsoft debuted Aero Glass in Windows Vista, users were both awed and divided. Aero Glass wrapped window borders, title bars, and some menus in shimmering, translucent glass panels that blurred whatever lay behind. It looked futuristic in 2006, but taxed system resources and sometimes muddied readability. Despite mixed first impressions, Aero Glass set a template for visual hierarchy and depth in UI design, putting subtlety and layering ahead of flatness—a decision that would reverberate through Microsoft’s next several platforms.
Years later, Microsoft’s Fluent Design refined this concept, introducing Acrylic backgrounds—the modern descendent of Aero—and, crucially, the Reveal effect. Reveal’s brilliance was its reactivity: hovering your mouse or finger over Start menu tiles and app buttons caused a diffuse halo of light to bloom beneath the pointer. For many, this was the first time a major desktop OS imbued the act of interaction with such an explicitly “physical” sensation. As Windows 10 matured, Reveal and Acrylic became signatures of a more polished, tactile system, even as their prevalence in Windows 11 has since diminished.
Apple’s new Liquid Glass is unmistakably reminiscent of this heritage, but with its own technological spin. Instead of merely mimicking the look of frosted glass or faint glows, Liquid Glass plays up vibrancy and movement, pairing translucency with dynamic, finger-following illumination. The menus don’t just reflect light; they subtly shift and wobble as you drag, responding not only visually but kinetically to the user’s touch. It’s here, in these gestures, that Apple signals its ambition: to forge a UI that is not only beautiful but essentially alive.
To be fair, translucency and lighting effects have long been shared lingua franca for digital designers, from Mac OS X’s water-themed Aqua visuals in 2001, to Linux distributions’ Compiz blur cubes, to even smartphone overlays like HTC’s Sense UI in the late 2000s. The difference lies in the specifics: Aero Glass aimed for a material, almost tactile transparency; Fluent's Acrylic and Reveal foregrounded subtlety and interaction. Apple’s Liquid Glass leans into color and motion with far more gusto, decorating its UI elements with rounder corners and glossier, bolder lighting cues than Microsoft ever did.
What truly sets the current moment apart, however, is the interactivity on display. The finger-following lighting in Liquid Glass feels, in practice, more kinetic and reactive than even Fluent Design’s Reveal effect. While Windows 10’s Reveal traced a light halo behind the pointer or finger, Apple’s implementation actually animates the very menu surface, letting it shimmer and jostle as the user moves. This transforms a passive glow into an active, almost playful element of the interface—one that not only acknowledges the user, but seems to play back.
But there’s no denying that Apple’s Liquid Glass is, at its core, a revival of Windows-born ideas. As outlets such as Windows Latest and other tech publications have documented, the resemblance between iOS 26’s glowing touches and Windows 10’s live tile Reveal is essentially unmistakable. Even the visual layering and color diffusion owe heavy debts to Aero Glass. In the world of UI, this is less a sin than an inevitability: successful paradigms are too powerful, and too ingrained, for any platform to ignore forever.
Apple, in contrast, leverages its own Metal rendering pipeline and advanced neural engines for real-time lighting and deformation of UI elements. The animation fidelity on offer—menus that slightly deform and jitter as if made of soft glass—suggest that Apple’s implementation is more advanced. The company’s tight hardware-software integration allows for more aggressive optimization, putting effects that would have slowed Vista-era desktops in the hands of everyday mobile users without apparent compromise.
Yet if Apple’s Liquid Glass represents the mainstreaming of design trends pioneered in Redmond, it also offers a missed opportunity for Microsoft. Many longtime Windows users lament that the company abandoned its most distinctive visuals just as they were coming into their own. Fluent Design, after a promising debut, has been dialed back in Windows 11, its Reveal effect all but absent from new system menus. Meanwhile, Apple—by packaging the same ideas in a more consistent, widely used interface—could well define the next era’s aesthetics.
Perhaps most fascinating is what comes next. Will the reemergence of maximalist, interactive UI elements trigger another round of design arms races? Might Microsoft, Google, or smaller players retool their own systems—reviving or reinventing glass, depth, and light—now that Apple has revalidated their worth? It is quite possible, given the sector’s history, that five years from now, the pendulum will swing back to flat minimalism once more.
For now, though, iOS 26’s Liquid Glass carries the torch, inviting millions to rediscover the tactile pleasures—and subtle, daily joys—first unveiled not by Apple, but by a roaring wave of Windows innovation a generation ago. As ever, the best ideas endure, adapting with each cycle to new technologies, tastes, and expectations. In this light, the superficial déjà vu is less a reason to mock, and more a signal of design’s ceaseless drive to revisit, refine, and revive that which works. The past, in all its glossy, glowing hues, is never truly behind us. Rather, it gleams—refocused and reborn—right under our fingertips.
Source: Windows Latest iOS 26's Liquid Glass finger-light reflect looks like Windows 10 Fluent Design
The “Translucent Revolution” Returns
Apple’s branding of Liquid Glass focuses heavily on “depth, light, and dynamism,” with translucent surfaces and rich subtle lighting forming the bedrock of iOS 26’s refreshed menus, control panels, and notification banners. Tapping or dragging your finger across a menu now produces a soft, animated glow that seems to chase your touch, glimmering beneath crystal-like layers. In marketing speak, Apple positions Liquid Glass as a fresh chapter—yet for those with longer memories in the OS world, it reads as a direct successor to Microsoft’s daring visual experiments from nearly two decades ago.When Microsoft debuted Aero Glass in Windows Vista, users were both awed and divided. Aero Glass wrapped window borders, title bars, and some menus in shimmering, translucent glass panels that blurred whatever lay behind. It looked futuristic in 2006, but taxed system resources and sometimes muddied readability. Despite mixed first impressions, Aero Glass set a template for visual hierarchy and depth in UI design, putting subtlety and layering ahead of flatness—a decision that would reverberate through Microsoft’s next several platforms.
Years later, Microsoft’s Fluent Design refined this concept, introducing Acrylic backgrounds—the modern descendent of Aero—and, crucially, the Reveal effect. Reveal’s brilliance was its reactivity: hovering your mouse or finger over Start menu tiles and app buttons caused a diffuse halo of light to bloom beneath the pointer. For many, this was the first time a major desktop OS imbued the act of interaction with such an explicitly “physical” sensation. As Windows 10 matured, Reveal and Acrylic became signatures of a more polished, tactile system, even as their prevalence in Windows 11 has since diminished.
Apple’s new Liquid Glass is unmistakably reminiscent of this heritage, but with its own technological spin. Instead of merely mimicking the look of frosted glass or faint glows, Liquid Glass plays up vibrancy and movement, pairing translucency with dynamic, finger-following illumination. The menus don’t just reflect light; they subtly shift and wobble as you drag, responding not only visually but kinetically to the user’s touch. It’s here, in these gestures, that Apple signals its ambition: to forge a UI that is not only beautiful but essentially alive.
Is This Imitation, Inspiration, or Reinvention?
Any discussion that pits Apple’s Liquid Glass against Windows’ Aero and Fluent inevitably courts accusations of copying and creative inertia. Social media lit up after Apple’s WWDC keynote, with not only journalists but even Microsoft itself stoking the fire. A now-viral video, posted from Microsoft’s own X (formerly Twitter) account, lightly mocked Apple’s effort by juxtaposing new iOS 26 visuals with old Vista Aero demos. But does this “borrowing” constitute theft, tribute, or merely the natural course of UI evolution?To be fair, translucency and lighting effects have long been shared lingua franca for digital designers, from Mac OS X’s water-themed Aqua visuals in 2001, to Linux distributions’ Compiz blur cubes, to even smartphone overlays like HTC’s Sense UI in the late 2000s. The difference lies in the specifics: Aero Glass aimed for a material, almost tactile transparency; Fluent's Acrylic and Reveal foregrounded subtlety and interaction. Apple’s Liquid Glass leans into color and motion with far more gusto, decorating its UI elements with rounder corners and glossier, bolder lighting cues than Microsoft ever did.
What truly sets the current moment apart, however, is the interactivity on display. The finger-following lighting in Liquid Glass feels, in practice, more kinetic and reactive than even Fluent Design’s Reveal effect. While Windows 10’s Reveal traced a light halo behind the pointer or finger, Apple’s implementation actually animates the very menu surface, letting it shimmer and jostle as the user moves. This transforms a passive glow into an active, almost playful element of the interface—one that not only acknowledges the user, but seems to play back.
But there’s no denying that Apple’s Liquid Glass is, at its core, a revival of Windows-born ideas. As outlets such as Windows Latest and other tech publications have documented, the resemblance between iOS 26’s glowing touches and Windows 10’s live tile Reveal is essentially unmistakable. Even the visual layering and color diffusion owe heavy debts to Aero Glass. In the world of UI, this is less a sin than an inevitability: successful paradigms are too powerful, and too ingrained, for any platform to ignore forever.
Critical Analysis: The Strengths of Liquid Glass (and its Heritage)
Despite the easy jokes about Apple “copying Microsoft,” Liquid Glass is not simply a case of recycling. Instead, it stands out both for refining an old formula, and for expanding it in crucial, experience-enhancing ways. Several clear strengths—and key risks—are now emerging as users and developers dig deeper into the beta software.1. Enhanced Depth and Hierarchy
One of Aero Glass’s original virtues was its ability to clarify which windows and UI layers were “above” or “below” others—a useful hint in complex task environments. Liquid Glass carries this forward with a cleaner, less resource-intensive approach. Its translucency is more finely tuned for readability, and its lighting effects help signal interactivity and focus, especially on touch devices. Unlike Aero, which risked turning everything into unreadable fog, Apple’s system makes careful use of blur and contrast, keeping essential elements distinct while still conveying a sense of depth.2. Playful, Responsive Interactions
Fluent Design’s Reveal effect brought the concept of feedback to desktop computing, inviting users to “play” with their OS and rewarding exploration. Liquid Glass amplifies this approach: each touch, tap, or drag produces a visible, animated response. This not only entertains but reassures users that the OS is responsive to their input—a crucial detail, especially as more computing migrates to touch-centric devices. For accessibility, these visual cues can guide the user more intuitively than static buttons ever could.3. Consistency and Polished Animations
One of the long-standing challenges of both Aero and Fluent Design was consistency. In Windows Vista, few apps supported Aero Glass, resulting in jarring transitions from glassy window frames to flat, dated dialogs. Fluent Design’s Reveal and Acrylic were likewise inconsistently implemented, even across Microsoft’s own applications. Based on early iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 betas, Apple’s Liquid Glass is both more pervasively and more consistently applied, with standardized lighting and motion behaviors from system menus to third-party app controls. This gives users a seamless, less fragmented experience—a hallmark of Apple’s focus on design coherence.4. Performance That Meets Modern Standards
Aero Glass was criticized for its performance penalty, especially on modest hardware. Early reports indicate that Apple’s Liquid Glass operates with far fewer slowdowns, thanks to years of GPU acceleration and hardware improvements. Whether this holds for older devices remains to be seen, but the initial performance is promising compared to the judder and lag that haunted Vista-era machines.Potential Risks and Unanswered Questions
While Apple’s approach to Liquid Glass is winning praise for its beauty and polish, several risks—many learned from Microsoft’s history—remain in play.1. Visual Accessibility Concerns
Not everyone experiences transparency and lighting cues the same way. For users with low vision or sensitivities to motion, liquid-like backgrounds and glowing effects can prove fatiguing or even disorienting. Apple, like Microsoft, has taken steps in its accessibility settings to mitigate some of these issues, allowing users to reduce translucency or disable some animations. But the highly kinetic nature of Liquid Glass could still present new barriers for some, and watchdog groups are already evaluating how comprehensive Apple’s controls are.2. The Fate of Consistency Over Time
Microsoft’s biggest design pitfall was inconsistency: as new UI schemes rolled out, old ones lingered, apps updated at different rates, and users complained of a “patchwork” feeling. Early iOS 26 builds suggest Apple is better positioned to avoid this fate, but as developers begin to adopt—or ignore—Liquid Glass elements, fragmentation could creep in. Whether Apple can enforce a coherent, platform-wide design language, especially as millions of third-party apps update at their own pace, will be the true test over the next year.3. Resource Demands on Older Devices
No matter how optimized, vivid translucency and real-time lighting are visually demanding. While initial tests on flagship iPhones and iPads are promising, the fate of older hardware—an area where Apple notoriously phases out new features—remains unclear. Early beta testers have yet to report significant issues, but once iOS 26 arrives on the mainstream market, the experience on devices two to three generations back will become clear.4. Originality and Innovation Fatigue
For the design-savvy, Apple’s embrace of “glass” and “light reflect” metaphors may feel more like a greatest-hits medley than a true leap forward. While mainstream users are likely to appreciate the shine and interactivity, critics argue that recycling past motifs, however refined, may indicate underlying stagnation in UI innovation. Whether Liquid Glass inspires other platforms to innovate in response—or settles into comfortable homage—will determine if this moment is a plateau or a launching pad.Comparing the Technical Foundations
While the visuals of iOS 26’s Liquid Glass and Windows 10’s Fluent Design Reveal look similar, their technical implementations diverge under the hood. Aero Glass relied on DirectX-driven APIs to composite window surfaces with blur and shadow effects, which, while groundbreaking for its time, was inflexible and heavily dependent on GPU power. Fluent Design built on newer DirectComposition frameworks, allowing for more dynamic, energy-efficient effects drawn from both touch and mouse input.Apple, in contrast, leverages its own Metal rendering pipeline and advanced neural engines for real-time lighting and deformation of UI elements. The animation fidelity on offer—menus that slightly deform and jitter as if made of soft glass—suggest that Apple’s implementation is more advanced. The company’s tight hardware-software integration allows for more aggressive optimization, putting effects that would have slowed Vista-era desktops in the hands of everyday mobile users without apparent compromise.
Platform Lessons: Why Windows’ Past Still Matters
The Liquid Glass moment is, above all, a reminder that UI innovation is rarely the product of isolated genius. Instead, advances often percolate through a community of designers, each riffing on, discarding, or perfecting what came before. For Microsoft, the creation of Aero Glass was a deliberate push against minimalism; for Apple, its current embrace of maximalism may be a response to a decade of flat, clinical design. Both companies recognized—at different moments—the user’s desire for feedback and delight.Yet if Apple’s Liquid Glass represents the mainstreaming of design trends pioneered in Redmond, it also offers a missed opportunity for Microsoft. Many longtime Windows users lament that the company abandoned its most distinctive visuals just as they were coming into their own. Fluent Design, after a promising debut, has been dialed back in Windows 11, its Reveal effect all but absent from new system menus. Meanwhile, Apple—by packaging the same ideas in a more consistent, widely used interface—could well define the next era’s aesthetics.
Looking Ahead: Imitation, Innovation, or Evolution?
Reflecting on this design convergence, one can only conclude that what matters is less who borrows what, and more how these ideas serve users in practice. Apple has clearly drawn inspiration from Microsoft’s forays into glass and light, but it has also expanded them in meaningful ways: through kinetic interactions, broader application, and stronger performance. In turn, Microsoft’s legacy reminds the industry of the risks of overreaching, fragmenting, or losing focus.Perhaps most fascinating is what comes next. Will the reemergence of maximalist, interactive UI elements trigger another round of design arms races? Might Microsoft, Google, or smaller players retool their own systems—reviving or reinventing glass, depth, and light—now that Apple has revalidated their worth? It is quite possible, given the sector’s history, that five years from now, the pendulum will swing back to flat minimalism once more.
For now, though, iOS 26’s Liquid Glass carries the torch, inviting millions to rediscover the tactile pleasures—and subtle, daily joys—first unveiled not by Apple, but by a roaring wave of Windows innovation a generation ago. As ever, the best ideas endure, adapting with each cycle to new technologies, tastes, and expectations. In this light, the superficial déjà vu is less a reason to mock, and more a signal of design’s ceaseless drive to revisit, refine, and revive that which works. The past, in all its glossy, glowing hues, is never truly behind us. Rather, it gleams—refocused and reborn—right under our fingertips.
Source: Windows Latest iOS 26's Liquid Glass finger-light reflect looks like Windows 10 Fluent Design
