Reddit’s iOS redesign is almost here as Liquid Glass appears in beta

When iOS shifted its design interface to Liquid Glass last year, it was expected that several third-party iOS apps would eventually adopt some of its elements. Now, it’s Reddit joining the club with the latest TestFlight update. It’s not just available on iOS, but on iPadOS as well.

On iOS 26, you’ll find a bar at the bottom called the Liquid Tab Bar. Users can swipe between tabs, while the bar displays Apple’s signature glass-like animation. It was originally launched with Apple’s own apps, but third-party apps eventually began adopting the design. Instagram has already been testing a Liquid Glass UI too, and we’ve covered that here.

The Reddit update brings the bottom bar, as well as the new iOS 26 keyboard. You can see the new keyboard in action in the image below.

This is an iteration of the previous redesign, which consisted of a glowing orange search bar at the top and new navigation elements. The key complaint with the previous design was navigation, and the Liquid Glass UI might address that, if done right.

Since the redesign is still in beta, there are still some inconsistencies. The icons that represent tabs are not supposed to have color, according to Apple’s official Liquid Glass design suggestions for tab bars. So this might be fixed in the public version.

Presently, it’s unclear how long Reddit will keep this redesign in beta. If you’re interested in checking it out, you can join the beta program for TestFlight on iOS, and you can find the official guide here.

While most reactions were positive, since the bottom toolbar is a functional as well as aesthetic improvement, some users criticized readability. People are also annoyed at WhatsApp on iOS for taking so long to implement the new design, and Meta’s A/B testing in general.

All in all, Reddit adopting Liquid Glass will probably lead to more social media platforms doing it. The redesign for the X app is still pending. I’m hoping to see that soon, considering the fact that they’re on a roll with adding new features lately.

Featured image credit: AdCapable3445/Reddit

We stand out from the tech-media crowd because we break news stories; we mainly bring you stuff that you won’t find anywhere in the mainstream tech media. Our stories have been picked up by some of the world’s most popular websites and media outlets—more info is available here.