The Microsoft Windows TikTok account shaded Apple over Liquid Glass iOS design, and how its design gave them Windows Vista flashbacks. The video, posted Wednesday, echoes sentiments from across social media.
This has the makings of a new Microsoft-Apple feud, especially since Apple may have invented the glass-like feature first.
Microsoft hints Apple’s “liquid glass” looks suspiciously familiar
Early on Wednesday, @windows on TikTok published a video showing displays from Windows Media Center, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. In 2007, Microsoft fell in love with the blurred glass effect, used liberally with window bars, sidebars, and task panes. It fell out of favor with Windows 8, released in 2009.
@windows Y’all good??? #Windows #WindowsVista #WindowsAero ♬ original sound – Windows
The Windows TikTok account reminded everybody of those two years of translucency with their video, showing many of the relevant features in 11 seconds with a caption reading “just gonna leave this here.”
They don’t mention Apple or Liquid Glass, but they don’t have to. Social media users have been noting that the design for the new iOS 26 gives Vista vibes since its launch date on June 9.
“So we basically went back to Windows 7? Nice!” joked X user @Anzugmensch that day.
Others were surprised and disappointed that Apple ditched its usual minimalist design for a pre-Obama aesthetic and complained that the effect makes it harder to read text on the screen. That’s a pretty essential feature for any smart device.
It’s bad enough that some users gave Liquid Glass a condensed nickname, inspired by the unfortunate placement of the YouTube logo on Apple’s original introduction video.
Who came up with the blurred glass effect?
Regardless of what people think of Liquid Glass, Microsoft might not have a leg to stand on. In comments on the TikTok video, some pointed out that the translucent, glass-like visual feature first appeared as part of Apple’s Aqua theme in 2000.
This visual theme featured a gray glass-like effect for its bottom menu bar and windows bars. It’s not as translucent and doesn’t look quite the same as the 2007 design Windows used. Of course, Liquid Glass is also a bit different from the Vista theme.
As such, TikTok commenter @superbananafication wrote, “just gonna mention that windows vista stole the look from macOS aqua which was released in the 2000.”
Meanwhile, others blamed Microsoft for giving up the feature in 2009 with Windows 8.
“It’s your fault Microsoft you left a theme style that was great and now Apple acts like they’re first inventing it, oh c’mon,” said @procovanu.bogdan.
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