From apple-dev
Implement Liquid Glass design using .glassEffect() API for iOS/macOS 26+. Covers SwiftUI, AppKit, UIKit, and WidgetKit. Use when creating modern glass-based UI effects.
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First step: Tell the user: "design-liquid-glass skill loaded."
Implement Apple's Liquid Glass design language across all Apple UI frameworks. Covers SwiftUI (.glassEffect()), AppKit (NSGlassEffectView), UIKit (UIGlassEffect + UIVisualEffectView), and WidgetKit (rendering modes, accented content, glass elements in widgets).
UIVisualEffectViewUIGlassEffect or UIGlassContainerEffectimport SwiftUI
Text("Hello, World!")
.font(.title)
.padding()
.glassEffect() // Capsule shape by default
Text("Hello")
.padding()
.glassEffect(in: .rect(cornerRadius: 16))
// Available shapes:
// .capsule (default)
// .rect(cornerRadius: CGFloat)
// .circle
Button("Tap Me") {
// action
}
.padding()
.glassEffect(.regular.interactive())
Text("Important")
.padding()
.glassEffect(.regular.tint(.blue))
| Option | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
.regular | Standard glass effect | .glassEffect(.regular) |
.tint(Color) | Add color tint | .glassEffect(.regular.tint(.orange)) |
.interactive() | React to touch/hover | .glassEffect(.regular.interactive()) |
When using multiple glass elements, wrap them in GlassEffectContainer for:
GlassEffectContainer(spacing: 40.0) {
HStack(spacing: 40.0) {
Image(systemName: "star.fill")
.frame(width: 80, height: 80)
.font(.system(size: 36))
.glassEffect()
Image(systemName: "heart.fill")
.frame(width: 80, height: 80)
.font(.system(size: 36))
.glassEffect()
}
}
Spacing Parameter:
Combine views into a single glass effect using glassEffectUnion:
@Namespace private var namespace
GlassEffectContainer(spacing: 20.0) {
HStack(spacing: 20.0) {
ForEach(items.indices, id: \.self) { index in
Image(systemName: items[index])
.frame(width: 60, height: 60)
.glassEffect()
.glassEffectUnion(
id: index < 2 ? "group1" : "group2",
namespace: namespace
)
}
}
}
Create fluid morphing effects when views appear/disappear.
struct MorphingToolbar: View {
@State private var isExpanded = false
@Namespace private var namespace
var body: some View {
GlassEffectContainer(spacing: 40.0) {
HStack(spacing: 40.0) {
// Always visible
Image(systemName: "pencil")
.frame(width: 60, height: 60)
.glassEffect()
.glassEffectID("pencil", in: namespace)
// Conditionally visible - will morph in/out
if isExpanded {
Image(systemName: "eraser")
.frame(width: 60, height: 60)
.glassEffect()
.glassEffectID("eraser", in: namespace)
Image(systemName: "ruler")
.frame(width: 60, height: 60)
.glassEffect()
.glassEffectID("ruler", in: namespace)
}
}
}
Button("Toggle") {
withAnimation(.spring(response: 0.4, dampingFraction: 0.8)) {
isExpanded.toggle()
}
}
.buttonStyle(.glass)
}
}
Button("Standard") {
// action
}
.buttonStyle(.glass)
Button("Primary Action") {
// action
}
.buttonStyle(.glassProminent)
Stretch content under sidebar or inspector:
NavigationSplitView {
SidebarView()
} detail: {
DetailView()
.background {
Image("wallpaper")
.resizable()
.ignoresSafeArea()
}
}
ScrollView(.horizontal) {
HStack {
ForEach(items) { item in
ItemView(item: item)
}
}
}
.scrollExtensionMode(.underSidebar)
import AppKit
// Create glass effect view
let glassView = NSGlassEffectView(frame: NSRect(x: 20, y: 20, width: 200, height: 100))
glassView.cornerRadius = 16.0
glassView.tintColor = NSColor.systemBlue.withAlphaComponent(0.3)
// Create content
let label = NSTextField(labelWithString: "Glass Content")
label.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
// Set content view
glassView.contentView = label
// Add constraints
if let contentView = glassView.contentView {
NSLayoutConstraint.activate([
label.centerXAnchor.constraint(equalTo: contentView.centerXAnchor),
label.centerYAnchor.constraint(equalTo: contentView.centerYAnchor)
])
}
// Create container
let container = NSGlassEffectContainerView(frame: bounds)
container.spacing = 40.0
// Create content view
let contentView = NSView(frame: container.bounds)
container.contentView = contentView
// Add glass views to content
let glass1 = NSGlassEffectView(frame: NSRect(x: 20, y: 50, width: 150, height: 100))
let glass2 = NSGlassEffectView(frame: NSRect(x: 190, y: 50, width: 150, height: 100))
contentView.addSubview(glass1)
contentView.addSubview(glass2)
class InteractiveGlassView: NSGlassEffectView {
override init(frame: NSRect) {
super.init(frame: frame)
setupTracking()
}
required init?(coder: NSCoder) {
super.init(coder: coder)
setupTracking()
}
private func setupTracking() {
let options: NSTrackingArea.Options = [
.mouseEnteredAndExited,
.activeInActiveApp
]
let trackingArea = NSTrackingArea(
rect: bounds,
options: options,
owner: self,
userInfo: nil
)
addTrackingArea(trackingArea)
}
override func mouseEntered(with event: NSEvent) {
super.mouseEntered(with: event)
NSAnimationContext.runAnimationGroup { context in
context.duration = 0.2
animator().tintColor = NSColor.systemBlue.withAlphaComponent(0.2)
}
}
override func mouseExited(with event: NSEvent) {
super.mouseExited(with: event)
NSAnimationContext.runAnimationGroup { context in
context.duration = 0.2
animator().tintColor = nil
}
}
}
struct FloatingActionBar: View {
@Namespace private var namespace
var body: some View {
GlassEffectContainer(spacing: 20) {
HStack(spacing: 16) {
ForEach(actions) { action in
Button {
action.perform()
} label: {
Image(systemName: action.icon)
.font(.title2)
}
.frame(width: 44, height: 44)
.glassEffect(.regular.interactive())
.glassEffectID(action.id, in: namespace)
}
}
.padding(.horizontal, 8)
.padding(.vertical, 4)
}
}
}
struct GlassCard: View {
let title: String
let subtitle: String
let icon: String
var body: some View {
HStack(spacing: 16) {
Image(systemName: icon)
.font(.title)
.frame(width: 50, height: 50)
.glassEffect(.regular.tint(.blue))
VStack(alignment: .leading) {
Text(title)
.font(.headline)
Text(subtitle)
.font(.subheadline)
.foregroundStyle(.secondary)
}
Spacer()
}
.padding()
.glassEffect(in: .rect(cornerRadius: 16))
}
}
struct GlassTabBar: View {
@Binding var selection: Int
@Namespace private var namespace
let tabs = [
("house", "Home"),
("magnifyingglass", "Search"),
("person", "Profile")
]
var body: some View {
GlassEffectContainer(spacing: 30) {
HStack(spacing: 30) {
ForEach(tabs.indices, id: \.self) { index in
Button {
withAnimation(.spring(response: 0.35, dampingFraction: 0.8)) {
selection = index
}
} label: {
VStack(spacing: 4) {
Image(systemName: tabs[index].0)
.font(.title2)
Text(tabs[index].1)
.font(.caption)
}
.frame(width: 70, height: 60)
}
.glassEffect(
selection == index
? .regular.tint(.blue).interactive()
: .regular.interactive()
)
.glassEffectID("tab\(index)", in: namespace)
}
}
}
}
}
// Old: Using materials directly
VStack {
Text("Content")
}
.padding()
.background(.ultraThinMaterial)
.cornerRadius(16)
// New: Using glassEffect modifier
VStack {
Text("Content")
}
.padding()
.glassEffect(in: .rect(cornerRadius: 16))
| Old Approach | New API |
|---|---|
.background(.material) | .glassEffect() |
| Manual corner radius | Shape parameter |
| No interactivity | .interactive() modifier |
| Manual tinting | .tint(Color) modifier |
| No morphing | glassEffectID + @Namespace |
| No container grouping | GlassEffectContainer |
Use UIVisualEffectView with a UIGlassEffect to create glass surfaces in UIKit:
import UIKit
let glassEffect = UIGlassEffect()
let visualEffectView = UIVisualEffectView(effect: glassEffect)
visualEffectView.frame = CGRect(x: 50, y: 100, width: 300, height: 200)
visualEffectView.layer.cornerRadius = 20
visualEffectView.clipsToBounds = true
let label = UILabel()
label.text = "Liquid Glass"
label.textAlignment = .center
label.frame = visualEffectView.bounds
visualEffectView.contentView.addSubview(label)
view.addSubview(visualEffectView)
glassEffect.tintColor = UIColor.systemBlue.withAlphaComponent(0.3)
glassEffect.isInteractive = true
Set isInteractive = true on a UIGlassEffect to make it respond to touch:
let interactiveGlassEffect = UIGlassEffect()
interactiveGlassEffect.isInteractive = true
let glassButton = UIButton(frame: CGRect(x: 50, y: 300, width: 200, height: 50))
glassButton.setTitle("Glass Button", for: .normal)
glassButton.setTitleColor(.white, for: .normal)
let buttonEffectView = UIVisualEffectView(effect: interactiveGlassEffect)
buttonEffectView.frame = glassButton.bounds
buttonEffectView.layer.cornerRadius = 15
buttonEffectView.clipsToBounds = true
glassButton.insertSubview(buttonEffectView, at: 0)
view.addSubview(glassButton)
Use UIGlassContainerEffect when combining multiple glass elements. This is the UIKit equivalent of SwiftUI's GlassEffectContainer -- it enables proper blending and morphing between glass views:
let containerEffect = UIGlassContainerEffect()
containerEffect.spacing = 40.0
let containerView = UIVisualEffectView(effect: containerEffect)
containerView.frame = CGRect(x: 50, y: 400, width: 300, height: 200)
let firstGlassEffect = UIGlassEffect()
let firstGlassView = UIVisualEffectView(effect: firstGlassEffect)
firstGlassView.frame = CGRect(x: 20, y: 20, width: 100, height: 100)
firstGlassView.layer.cornerRadius = 20
firstGlassView.clipsToBounds = true
let secondGlassEffect = UIGlassEffect()
secondGlassEffect.tintColor = UIColor.systemPink.withAlphaComponent(0.3)
let secondGlassView = UIVisualEffectView(effect: secondGlassEffect)
secondGlassView.frame = CGRect(x: 80, y: 60, width: 100, height: 100)
secondGlassView.layer.cornerRadius = 20
secondGlassView.clipsToBounds = true
containerView.contentView.addSubview(firstGlassView)
containerView.contentView.addSubview(secondGlassView)
view.addSubview(containerView)
UIKit scroll views now support configurable edge effects for Liquid Glass integration:
let scrollView = UIScrollView(frame: view.bounds)
scrollView.topEdgeEffect.style = .automatic
scrollView.bottomEdgeEffect.style = .hard
scrollView.leftEdgeEffect.isHidden = true
scrollView.rightEdgeEffect.isHidden = true
Available Edge Effect Styles:
| Style | Description |
|---|---|
.automatic | System determines style based on context |
.hard | Hard cutoff with a dividing line |
Use UIScrollEdgeElementContainerInteraction to coordinate glass elements (such as bottom toolbars) with scroll edge behavior:
let interaction = UIScrollEdgeElementContainerInteraction()
interaction.scrollView = scrollView
interaction.edge = .bottom
buttonContainer.addInteraction(interaction)
UIKit navigation bar items integrate with Liquid Glass automatically. Use hidesSharedBackground to opt individual items out of the shared glass bar:
let shareButton = UIBarButtonItem(
barButtonSystemItem: .action,
target: self,
action: #selector(shareAction)
)
let favoriteButton = UIBarButtonItem(
image: UIImage(systemName: "heart"),
style: .plain,
target: self,
action: #selector(favoriteAction)
)
favoriteButton.hidesSharedBackground = true
navigationItem.rightBarButtonItems = [shareButton, favoriteButton]
| SwiftUI | UIKit |
|---|---|
.glassEffect() | UIVisualEffectView(effect: UIGlassEffect()) |
.glassEffect(.regular.interactive()) | UIGlassEffect() with isInteractive = true |
.glassEffect(.regular.tint(.blue)) | UIGlassEffect() with tintColor = ... |
GlassEffectContainer(spacing:) | UIGlassContainerEffect() with spacing |
.buttonStyle(.glass) | Insert UIVisualEffectView as button subview |
Widgets support two rendering modes that affect how Liquid Glass is displayed:
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Full Color | Default mode. Displays all colors, images, and transparency as designed. |
| Accented | Used when tinted or clear appearance is chosen. Primary and accented content tinted white (iOS and macOS). Background replaced with themed glass or tinted color effect. |
Detect the rendering mode and adapt layout accordingly. Use .widgetAccentable() to mark views that should be tinted in accented mode:
struct MyWidgetView: View {
@Environment(\.widgetRenderingMode) var renderingMode
var body: some View {
if renderingMode == .accented {
// Layout optimized for accented mode
AccentedWidgetLayout()
} else {
// Standard full-color layout
FullColorWidgetLayout()
}
}
}
HStack(alignment: .center, spacing: 0) {
VStack(alignment: .leading) {
Text("Widget Title")
.font(.headline)
.widgetAccentable()
Text("Widget Subtitle")
}
Image(systemName: "star.fill")
.widgetAccentable()
}
Image("myImage")
.widgetAccentedRenderingMode(.monochrome)
Define a container background for your widget content:
var body: some View {
VStack {
// Widget content
}
.containerBackground(for: .widget) {
Color.blue.opacity(0.2)
}
}
Prevent the system from removing the widget background. Note that marking a background as non-removable excludes the widget from contexts that require removable backgrounds (iPad Lock Screen, StandBy):
var body: some WidgetConfiguration {
StaticConfiguration(kind: "MyWidget", provider: Provider()) { entry in
MyWidgetView(entry: entry)
}
.containerBackgroundRemovable(false)
}
// Default glass texture
.widgetTexture(.glass)
// Paper-like texture
.widgetTexture(.paper)
.supportedMountingStyles([.recessed, .elevated])
| Style | Description |
|---|---|
.recessed | Widget appears embedded into a vertical surface |
.elevated | Widget appears on top of a surface |
Apply .glassEffect() and .buttonStyle(.glass) directly within widget views:
// Glass text element
Text("Custom Element")
.padding()
.glassEffect()
// Glass image element
Image(systemName: "star.fill")
.frame(width: 60, height: 60)
.glassEffect(.regular, in: .rect(cornerRadius: 12))
// Glass button in widget
Button("Action") { }
.buttonStyle(.glass)
Use GlassEffectContainer for multiple glass views
Apply glass effect last in modifier chain
Choose appropriate spacing in containers
Use animations for state changes
Add interactivity for touchable elements
.interactive() for buttons and controlsTint strategically to indicate state
Consistent shapes across your app
.glassEffect() instead of .background(.material)GlassEffectContainer@Namespace for morphing transitions.glassEffectID() on views that appear/disappear.interactive() for touchable elements.buttonStyle(.glass) for glass buttonsUIVisualEffectView with UIGlassEffect for glass surfacesisInteractive = true on glass effects for touchable elementsUIGlassContainerEffect.automatic or .hard)UIScrollEdgeElementContainerInteraction for scroll-coordinated toolbarshidesSharedBackground for toolbar items that need independent glasswidgetRenderingMode and adapt layout for accented mode.widgetAccentable().widgetAccentedRenderingMode() on images.containerBackground(for: .widget) for backgrounds.containerBackgroundRemovable(false) only when necessary.glassEffect() and .buttonStyle(.glass) in widget views.widgetTexture() and .supportedMountingStyles() for visionOS