# Bookmarked: Frosted Flakes, Toasted Takes: Liquid Glass Transparency Taxes Content

- Author: @gurupanguji
- Date: 2025-07-23
- URL: https://gurupanguji.com/blog/2025/07/23/frosted-flakes-toasted-takes-liquid-glass-transparency-taxes-content/
- Categories: link, technology
- Tags: apple, design, mac, macos, operating-systems, os-x, technology, ui, ux, visual-design

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> The fact I'm feeling any relief looking at Android's UI is not a great sign. But then I scroll something behind the glass button that looks amazing and I want them to stick with this glass effect forever.
>
> ...
>
> "Liquid glass has some trade-offs but when it hits, it's really fucking rad," is the most honest way to pitch it in my book. It's just [tough](https://birchtree.me/blog/everyone-says-they-want-opinionated-design-until-they-get-it/) when a platform holder with over 1 billion users tries something bold.
>
> ...
>
> All that said, I can't help shake the fact that [every time](https://birchtree.me/blog/liquid-glass-isnt-vista-2-0-its-ios-7-2-0/) I've seen a major platform adopt a new design system with heavy transparency, they have all retreated to more opaque designs in the years afterwards, and it's hard not to imagine this happening again.

*Source:* [iOS and Android are heading in completely opposite design directions](https://birchtree.me/blog/ios-and-android-are-heading-in-completely-opposite-design-directions/)

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<p>I don't like <a href="/blog/2025/07/23/big-mac-little-content-liquid-glass-serves-up-extra-bezels-with-no-fries/">repeating criticisms</a>. We don't need to rationalize this all to make sense. Because it's up to Apple to justify these changes. </p>
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<p>Here's a hypothetical internal Apple conversation about these posts:</p>
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> Apple employee: Folks, have you seen the criticisms from all these people who really seem to have a positive sentiment for our UX prior to Liquid Glass. Maybe, we should listen to them and tone this all down.
>
> Liquid Glass supporter: Remember we cannot keep everyone happy. Even the criticisms come with, it looks "cool." Change is hard and people just need time with it.

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<p>Remember that <a href="https://apenwarr.ca/log/20140701">smart people can rationalize anything</a> to themselves. Personally, I don't have the optimism that Matt seems to have for Liquid Glass. If anything, it's made me despise it more. </p>
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<p>I believe <strong>the tradeoff of reduced content area just to look cool is boneheaded and wrong</strong>. Tweaking transparency does help with legibility, sure. But, that was just <em>one of the things wrong</em>. </p>
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<p>Deep sigh. </p>
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**Related:** Where it went next: [Tahoe troubles](/blog/2026/01/15/tahoe-troubles/).