iOS 26 Liquid Glass Design Explained Why iPhone Users Are Loving and Hating the New Update
- Snehal Pandey
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
The first day when Apple decided to roll out the latest iteration of iOS, 26, I got a hunch that people would not respond favorably to it. However, even I did not foresee such a drastic division between the followers of the new design trend called “Liquid Glass” and people who could not understand why the screen suddenly changed on their iPhones.
For the last few days, I have been testing iOS 26 on my own device, and it is safe to say that this operating system does have its strong points as well as some flaws.
A Design That Feels Alive
This time around, Apple's Liquid Glass theme is its biggest departure from anything seen before since the iOS 7 redesign. Depth, translucency, and motion are at the center of this overhaul. No more static menus. Instead, notifications glow, and icons bend light rays.
The message couldn't be clearer – make everything look three-dimensional and tactile. And under optimal conditions, this new design actually looks gorgeous and is reminiscent of something Apple would come up with. But that is until you get into the thick of things.
Suddenly, everything turns out to be much messier than initially planned. Text overlays are visible through blurred backgrounds. Icons obscure notifications and other elements. Certain lighting conditions even make the UI difficult to read. The whole ordeal made me think back to iOS 7's early days.
The Hidden Fixes Apple Doesn’t Shout About
Here’s what many users don’t realize yet: Apple quietly built in several ways to tone down Liquid Glass without forcing you to abandon iOS 26 altogether.
After digging through settings (as any seasoned tech journalist would), I found the real power lies here:
Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size
This is where iOS 26 transforms from overwhelming to manageable.
Reduce Transparency
This is the nuclear option. It strips away much of the blur-heavy design and replaces it with more solid, opaque elements. Menus become clearer, backgrounds stop interfering, and suddenly your phone feels… usable again.
Increase Contrast
Personally, this is the sweet spot. It keeps the design language intact but tones down the chaos. The glass becomes more “frosted” than fully transparent still modern, but far easier on the eyes.
I found myself settling here. It preserves Apple’s intent without sacrificing readability.
App Icons
In addition to new features, Apple added customization features for app icons which could be accessed by long pressing the home screen and going to the Customize tab.
There will be two distinct appearances available:
Clear Icons – highly attractive, although difficult to use with lighter backgrounds
Tinted Icons – much easier to use, thanks to higher contrast and visibility
As I tested both variations of these icons, “Clear” worked well in screenshots while “Tinted”, particularly in combination with Increase Contrast, were easier to work with in real life.
Living With Liquid Glass
In a couple of days with iOS 26, I can be frank it’s still got its glitches for sure.
Entering a passcode on my iPhone? It’s a bit more difficult to decipher than usual.
Scanning through app options? The icons seem to move around under the light.
Notifications? Sometimes tough to understand at first sight.
These aren’t game changers alone, but together they give the impression that the design doesn’t want you around that is, until you start fiddling with it.
It’s kind of the theme here: iOS 26 doesn’t need to be fixed; it needs to be modified.
Why You’re Probably Not Going Back
Despite the complaints, here’s the reality most users won’t downgrade.
Because iOS 26 isn’t just about design. It’s packed with features that are hard to walk away from:
Smarter call screening for spam and scams
New messaging features like polls
Enhanced capabilities tied to newer hardware like AirPods Pro 3
Features like live translation and even heart rate monitoring via compatible AirPods
Rolling back to an older version means giving all of that up. And for most people, that’s not worth it.
A Familiar Apple Pattern
If you’ve followed Apple long enough, this cycle feels familiar.
Big visual change.
Initial backlash.
Gradual adaptation.
We saw it with iOS 7. We’re seeing it again now.
Liquid Glass isn’t going anywhere. If anything, it’s the foundation for Apple’s design language moving forward across its ecosystem. What will change is how Apple refines it and how we, as users, learn to work with it.
iOS 26 shows us that being innovative sometimes means venturing into unfamiliar territory.
Apple has definitely taken risks with their UI design, and in doing so, produced an interface that is exciting yet somewhat challenging. Fortunately, with some adjustments to be made, the interface can be made even more practical without sacrificing its novelty.
The truth is, I didn’t like the Liquid Glass interface at first, and it took some tweaking before I could fully adapt to it.
But if past experiences teach us anything, that is exactly what will happen to most people.
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