Design Like Apple? Liquid Glass Comes to Figma

With the arrival of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe, Apple has unveiled a dramatic visual shift—Liquid Glass. This isn’t just another design update; it's a bold reimagination of how digital interfaces should feel: organic, fluid, and immersive. In response to this evolution, Figma has introduced native support for Glass effects, making it possible for designers to prototype the Apple-inspired UI right inside Figma.

But before you start redesigning your apps with this sleek new look, it's crucial to understand how Figma’s Glass feature works—and its current limitations.

✨ What Is Liquid Glass?

Liquid Glass is Apple’s most advanced interface system since the flat design wave of iOS 7. It simulates optical glass with properties like:

• Translucency

• Real-time refraction

• Edge highlights

• Dynamic fluid motion

• Subtle depth and lighting

This design philosophy aims to bring life and physicality back to digital interfaces, making them more intuitive and emotion-driven.

Now, with Figma’s new Glass support, you can experiment with this modern aesthetic without third-party plugins or complex workarounds.

🧠 Key Considerations Before Using Figma Glass

Figma’s Glass effect is currently in beta, and while it's visually impressive, it comes with some essential caveats that every designer should know.

1. 🖼️ Glass Is Limited to Frames

You can only apply Glass to frames, not to text layers, shapes, or components. If you want to style a shape or button with the Glass effect, you’ll need to nest it inside a frame.

2. 🌐 Limited Support in Figma Sites

Just like SVG limitations, Figma Sites doesn't fully support Glass. While the effect renders on the canvas, it breaks during publishing, triggering errors. This means it’s not yet ready for web-based prototypes.

3. 📏 Uniform Corner Radius Is Required

Figma Glass won’t render on frames with mixed corner radii. All corners must have the same radius for the effect to work. Custom cards or asymmetrical layouts will need adjustments.

4. 🧊 Glass-on-Glass Doesn't Layer Realistically

Stacking multiple Glass frames won’t result in compounded transparency. Only the background or blur layer affects the rendering. You won’t get the layered depth that Apple’s native UI might simulate.

5. ❌ No SVG Export Support

Glass frames cannot be exported as SVGs. If your workflow depends on SVGs, you’ll need to export Glass layers as PNG, JPG, or view them inside Figma’s prototype mode.

6. 🌈 No Environmental Reflections (Yet)

Unlike Apple’s implementation, which includes reflections and surrounding color interactions, Figma’s version is simpler and doesn't simulate the environment around the layer.

7. 🐢 Performance May Be Impacted

This is a GPU-intensive effect. If you’re working with complex files or using older hardware, expect some performance slowdowns. The Figma team is actively improving this, but be mindful when designing large-scale UIs.

🎨 Design Like Apple, But with Caution

The new Glass effect brings Apple’s Liquid Glass aesthetic to life inside Figma. But to truly design like Apple, you’ll need to use this feature intentionally and sparingly. Overuse may hurt usability and slow down performance.

Pro Tips:

• Use Glass for navigation bars, overlays, and modal backgrounds.

• Maintain visual hierarchy by limiting layering.

• Preview frequently in prototype mode to ensure performance.

🔄 What’s Next?

Figma has made it clear that Glass is still in development. We can expect:

• Support for more object types (like text and shapes)

• Improved compatibility with Figma Sites

• Optimizations for export and rendering

• Better performance across devices

📌 Final Thoughts

Figma’s support for Glass is a game-changer for designers looking to align with Apple’s latest UI standards. But as with all beta features, knowing what it can and can't do will save you time and headaches.

If you’re ready to design like Apple, Figma’s Liquid Glass gives you the tools—just make sure you understand the rules.

🔖 Tags:
#FigmaGlass #LiquidGlass #UIDesign2025 #iOS26 #FigmaTips #DesignLikeApple #UXDesign #BetaFeatures #UITrends #macOS26