Apple's iOS 26, currently in its beta testing phase, is seeing a notable design adjustment with the release of Beta 3: a scaling back of the "Liquid Glass" visuals. This design element, which Apple introduced with iOS 26, aims to bring a translucent, glass-like appearance to various parts of the iPhone interface, including the Control Center, app interfaces, and even the lock screen. However, the initial reception to the Liquid Glass UI has been mixed, with some users expressing concerns about readability and contrast, especially when using light-colored wallpapers.
In response to this feedback, Apple has been refining the Liquid Glass design throughout the beta program. Beta 3 introduces a more opaque look to navigation bars and other interface elements in apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store. This change aims to improve the legibility of buttons and text, addressing complaints about the transparency making it difficult to distinguish interface elements from the content behind them. Safari has also received similar adjustments to its transparency levels based on the background color. Notifications now appear with a darker shade in some situations to make the text easier to read.
The modifications in Beta 3 have led to a divergence in user opinions. While some appreciate the increased clarity and usability, others feel that Apple is diminishing the unique aesthetic of iOS 26 by reducing the transparency too much. Some users have expressed that the changes make the interface look "cheaper" and that Apple is backtracking on its original vision. It has also been suggested that Apple may be reducing the visual effects to improve performance on older devices.
The extent of the changes in Liquid Glass's appearance can depend on the background color. With lighter backgrounds, the shift to a more frosted appearance is subtle, while the updates become more noticeable with lighter colors. Navigation bars may also transition to a more translucent dark mode view when scrolling over darker content.
Besides the Liquid Glass adjustments, iOS 26 Beta 3 includes other visual tweaks. Apple has added new color options for the default iOS 26 wallpaper, including "Halo," "Dusk," "Sky," and "Shadow," offering a range of blue and purple tones. These wallpapers also exhibit more unique color differences when viewed in Dark Mode. The colors for the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirDrop, and Cellular toggles in the Control Center have been tweaked to be brighter and more consistent with the rest of the system's visual design. There have also been minor design tweaks to the folders interface in Safari.
The iOS 26 Beta 3 update is available to registered developers and beta testers with iPhone 11 or newer models. Apple is expected to release a public beta version later in July.
