Apple is reportedly preparing a slight redesign for macOS 27 after months of criticism surrounding the company’s ambitious Liquid Glass interface introduced with macOS Tahoe. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the upcoming update will focus less on radical visual reinvention and more on repairing usability problems that frustrated Mac users across macOS 26.
The report claims Apple engineers are working on interface adjustments that reduce the readability and transparency issues caused by the highly reflective Liquid Glass aesthetic. While Apple apparently remains committed to the design language long term, macOS 27 could represent an admission that Tahoe’s execution went too far in prioritizing style over usability.
The changes are expected to debut at WWDC 2026 next month, where Apple will unveil its next generation operating systems, including iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and watchOS 27.
The redesign controversy became one of the biggest talking points surrounding Apple software in the past year. Liquid Glass was introduced as Apple’s first major cross-platform visual overhaul since the flat design era that began with iOS 7. The interface added glass-like layering, refraction effects, floating menus, and dynamically reflective UI elements inspired heavily by visionOS.
But while Apple promoted the design as futuristic and immersive, many users complained it reduced clarity and introduced visual clutter, especially on Macs where productivity workflows depend on clean information density.
Reports now suggest Apple internally believes the original Liquid Glass vision was not fully realized in macOS Tahoe due to engineering compromises. AppleInsider noted that the upcoming tweaks are closer to how Apple’s design team intended the interface to look from the beginning.
The company also appears to be testing new Safari features for the next software generation. One rumored addition is AI-powered automatic tab grouping in Safari, which could organize browser tabs into categories without manual input.
The feature would build on Tab Groups introduced years earlier, but with Apple Intelligence potentially handling organisation automatically. Bloomberg’s report suggests the functionality is already being tested internally ahead of WWDC.
Interestingly, the latest reports indicate Apple is taking a gradual approach overall with iOS 27 and macOS 27 rather than launching another dramatic redesign cycle. Multiple reports claim the company plans years of refinement instead of rapidly replacing Liquid Glass after only one generation.
Some rumors also point to Apple experimenting with more customization options for the interface, including potential system-wide controls that let users reduce or increase Liquid Glass intensity. A recent 9to5Mac report suggested Apple is listening more carefully to community backlash and developer criticism surrounding the redesign.
That could become important as Apple tries balancing aesthetics with accessibility and readability concerns. Critics argued that the heavily translucent interface sometimes hurt usability for visually impaired users or those working in bright environments.
WWDC 2026 is expected to be especially important for Apple as the company attempts to stabilize public perception around its software direction. The event will likely focus heavily on Apple Intelligence, Siri improvements, and AI integration across devices, but the macOS 27 redesign tweaks may quietly become one of the conference’s most closely watched announcements.
Apple has not officially confirmed any of the reported changes. However, the consistency across MacRumors, AppleInsider, 9to5Mac, and Bloomberg reporting strongly suggests Apple is actively refining the Tahoe-era interface before the next major release cycle.
