As manufacturers continue to prepare their UIs for Android 17, most UIs are focusing on polish this year than introducing new features. However, Honor could be taking a slightly different route with its MagicOS 11 as it could become the first Android OS to fully embrace Apple's Liquid Glass-like design to the core.
MagicOS 11 Goes All-in on Apple's Liquid Glass-Inspired UI Makeover
The official Honor Weibo account has posted a host of teaser videos revealing the design of the brand's upcoming Android 17-based MagicOS 11. The post's literal translation mentions MagicOS 11 "Liquid Glass" design, as the brand has also announced the Beta rollout of the same.
The teasers paint a very interesting story where, unlike other Chinese brands that have sprinkled translucent Liquid Glass-like aesthetics across a few parts of their UIs, Magic "iOS" (oh my bad, MagicOS) is fully embracing the design language.
The teasers posted by the brand show the comprehensive liquid glass UI integration across the home screen, Photos app, Magic Capsule and lock screen media player.
Image Credit: Weibo/ @Honor
Image Credit: Weibo/ @Honor
Image Credit: Weibo/ @Honor
However, the most interesting addition is a slider in the customisation section that allows you to change the strength of the Liquid Glass effects. For those wondering where they've seen it previously, Apple also introduced a Liquid Glass slider in iOS 27 at WWDC 26.
The effects, overall, are very similar to Apple's Liquid Glass, including the acrylic glass effect and Glassmorphism in specific elements as users scroll through the user interface. This effect is visible across app icons, widgets, lock screen player and bottom navigation bars.
Image Credit: Weibo/ @Honor
Image Credit: Weibo/ @Honor
That said, the MagicOS 11 beta registration has now begun and is available for the Magic 8 series, including the Honor Magic 8, Magic 8 Pro, Magic 8 Pro Air and Magic 8 RSR Porsche Design. The forms are still open and users will get a push notification for the update on June 24, 2026, if they are considered.
Like any other Chinese third-party UI, the stable MagicOS 11 update should roll out to the masses by the end of this year. All the aforementioned changes should make MagicOS 11 one of the most anticipated experiences, more than ColorOS 17 focusing more on polish.
More information about MagicOS 11's stable release date should surface as Beta testing commences. Until then, stay tuned.
