What you’re observing is a “liquid glass” display effect on iOS 26 and higher, a layered visual design that creates depth and motion. The interface is composed of two distinct display planes:
- Fixed layer (foreground): This portion remains static and anchored at the top, serving as the stable reference point for the viewer.
- Dynamic layer (background): Beneath the fixed layer, a scrolling or moving frame shifts vertically as you navigate. To enhance the sense of separation, this background is rendered with a slight blur or softened transparency, giving the impression of looking through frosted glass.
As you scroll up or down, the blurred background moves fluidly while the foreground stays crisp and unmoving. This interplay produces a parallax-like illusion, where the eye perceives depth and dimensionality. Importantly, the effect is not limited to one edge—it occurs at both the top and bottom boundaries, reinforcing the layered glass aesthetic across the entire display.
See the pic below on iOS 26.4.1 (The effect includes both top and bottom portions)
