Several Indian media outlets fell for a satirical post on X by digital entrepreneur Jon Yongfook, who wrote that he and the design team had been fired by Apple following the unveiling of the new ‘Liquid Glass’ design for iOS 26.
At WWDC 2025 (Worldwide Developers Conference), which is Apple's annual developer conference, the company unveiled a refreshed user interface called Liquid Glass, featuring shiny, reflective, and transparent elements that give iOS a more “glassy” appearance.
The Claim: Apple Fired 'Liquid Glass' Designer
Jon Yongfook (@yongfook) had posted on X on June 10, 2025, saying, "I was fired by Apple today. Me and my design team have spent the last 18 months tirelessly testing different levels of gaussian blur on backgrounds when foreground elements are in focus. If you are looking for experts in the blur, glass liquid, grass or fur UI space, lmk."
News outlets including Republic TV, NDTV Profit, News 24, and Gadgets 360 Hindi based their articles on the satirical post claiming that Apple had fired the designer and team behind the iOS 26 Liquid Glass.
What We Found
1. No Apple Affiliation
Jon Yongfook’s X and LinkedIn profiles do not mention him working at Apple or leading a design team. His bio states he is the founder of Bannerbear, a SaaS platform for automated image generation, and a former employee of Aviva.
2. Yongfook's Clarification
Additionally, Yongfook, posted on X on June 11, 2025, clarifying that his earlier post was a 'satire'.
3. Liquid Glass Launch At WWDC
The company's Human Interface Design team is led by Apple's VP of Design, Alan Dye, who introduced the Liquid Glass design during the WWDC 2025 keynote.