Everyone had an opinion on Apple’s new Liquid Glass design when the company unveiled it a few months ago. While this iOS 26 change is the first big shakeup for iOS’s look in over a decade, it also brings back memories of Windows Vista, which many folks would rather not relive.
However, one online designer has imagined what Windows 12 might look like if it followed a similar philosophy. YouTube channel AR 4789’s video Windows 12.2: The Next Evolution shows a mocked-up version of what the next Windows release could look like. And while it doesn’t mention Liquid Glass specifically, you can see those fingerprints all around it.
Join me on a walkthrough of this design concept as we see if this is something Microsoft should pursue.
This video only serves as a concept mockup; you can’t download an ISO of it or install a design pack to use it.
Initial setup and first impressions
The setup process isn’t much different than how Windows currently works, though it’s much more visually attractive. The transitions between pages are smoother, nothing looks like it was left over from Windows 7, and everything feels more modern.
Choosing a wallpaper during the setup process is different, at least since the last time I installed Windows. That helps make your computer feel like your own right from the start, instead of setting a different wallpaper later when you finally remember to.
I did notice a few problems during the setup process of the video, though. There are typos and poor grammar throughout, which are understandable since this is only meant to serve as a mockup and not a final product. A company as large as Microsoft would fix all these before shipping it.
Also, when asked about adding a second keyboard layout, the Skip button is in the right position and used as the primary option, which isn’t consistent with the other options that have Skip on the left side.
Exploring the desktop and File Explorer
Aside from the wallpaper, the default desktop environment looks about the same as Windows 11. What stood out to me first is how the taskbar not being at the very bottom of the screen looks more modern.
I don’t like how the desktop icons have an ugly border around them; it reminds me of using an Android icon pack that doesn’t have custom icons for some apps, so they get a generic white border.
The Start Menu isn’t bad; it looks akin to Windows 10’s, with the polarizing live tiles. I prefer that design compared to what Windows 11 offers.
File Explorer looks about the same as its Windows 11 version, with minor touch-ups to match the visual style. Seeing this reminded me of how fast File Explorer can be on a new computer, as it takes ages to load anything on mine.
The circle for maximizing windows instead of the classic square is different. It’s not good or bad, but a change that stood out. What’s not great is how the icon doesn’t change when the window is already maximized, which is confusing. On Windows 11, maximized windows have that icon replaced by two overlapping squares to show that clicking it again will restore the window to its smaller size.
Settings and personalization
In this mockup, the Settings app has an address bar at the top, which could make it easier to navigate than the current iteration. With how many items are in Settings now, it’s easy to lose track of where you meant to go.
The animation when switching from light to dark mode is cool, and I’m also a fan of the fuzzy green and blue wallpaper. The colors applied to the desktop and taskbar look sleeker than those on Windows 11.
The Start Menu search panel is less overwhelming with random nonsense you don’t want, similar to how it looks once you disable web results in Windows 11.
The one-click theme customization is neat. Being able to apply a Windows 7 style that easily would be a fun way to change your desktop up. It’s great how everything from notifications to File Explorer to the icons changes along with this.
I also appreciate how these themes can be different on various virtual desktops, which would go a long way in helping distinguish them at a glance. I don’t see Microsoft ever doing this since the company wants people to use its latest release, but it’s fun to think about.
I especially like the different taskbar personalization styles, like Compact and Mini. Those are interesting ways to play with a longtime piece of Windows. Dragging widgets directly onto the desktop is cool, since that’s not natively supported in Windows 11.
The transition to the lock screen is slick, though I’d like to see a fresher lock screen for Windows 12. This is too similar to Windows 11 and isn’t that exciting. Plus, it has the existing clutter of promoting Copilot and showing stock data you don’t care about.
Is this what we have to look forward to?
Looking at the entire visual design of this mockup, it strikes me as more consistent than Windows 11’s work-in-progress feel. Nothing here is a huge advancement that reinvents the old ways, but it’s more pleasant to look at.
This demo doesn’t show any of the old-school tools like Control Panel or Disk Management; those would presumably not get the Liquid Glass treatment. I wouldn’t go out of my way to install a visual pack to make my computer look like this, but I think some of the ideas shown here are good steps to take towards the next visual iteration of Windows.
What do you think—should Microsoft hire this designer to work on Windows 12, or should the next OS take a different direction? I’m interested to hear what you think.
