Apple’s flashy Liquid Glass redesign might be the star of the iPhone, iPad and Mac experience, but Google has made one thing very clear: don’t expect Pixels to copy it anytime soon.
In response to a concept image imagining what Android could look like with Apple-style translucent effects, Sameer Samat, President of the Android Ecosystem at Google, bluntly replied on X that Liquid Glass is “not happening” on Android. It’s a short comment. However, it says a lot about where Google sees Android design heading next.
The timing is notable because Apple’s Liquid Glass interface has quickly become one of the most divisive parts of iOS 26. While some users like the futuristic transparent layers and glossy effects, others feel it makes the interface harder to read. They also feel it is unnecessarily busy. That backlash may explain why Google is keen to distance Android from the trend altogether.
Instead, Google appears committed to continuing its own Material Design direction, particularly the newer Material 3 Expressive look introduced for Android. The company has spent years refining Material into a design system focused on usability and adaptive layouts. Moreover, it is focused on clearer navigation rather than purely decorative visuals.
That doesn’t mean the wider Android market is avoiding Apple-inspired ideas, though. Brands including Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus and Xiaomi have gradually introduced more glass-like interface elements, floating menus and translucent panels that feel increasingly close to Apple’s latest design language. Oppo’s ColorOS is probably the clearest example, leaning heavily into frosted effects and layered animations.
Google itself is reportedly adding more blur effects in Android 17, but blur alone isn’t really what defines Liquid Glass. Apple’s redesign goes much further. It reshapes menus, icons and system layers around reflective, translucent surfaces that constantly shift depending on what’s on screen.
We’ll likely hear more about Google’s future plans during The Android Show on May 12. The company has already teased this as “one of the biggest years for Android yet.”
For now, though, Pixel users hoping for an iOS 26-style makeover probably shouldn’t hold their breath.
