Apple rolls back the iOS 26 Liquid Glass design after user backlash. Try the new Tinted option that restores clarity and comfort on iPhone.
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What’s Next for iOS 26 Liquid Glass?
A Quick Retreat from a Bold Vision
When iOS 26 was unveiled, Apple described Liquid Glass as a fresh visual language meant to add depth and elegance to iPhone screens. The new interface layered translucent textures that subtly revealed content beneath menus and apps a concept that looked futuristic in demos, but proved divisive once in users’ hands.
Reports soon poured in about text becoming difficult to read, with some users even complaining of mild dizziness when scrolling through certain screens. The aesthetic ambition was clear, but so were the accessibility concerns.
The “Tinted” Option: Apple’s Subtle Compromise
In the fourth beta of iOS 26, Apple quietly rolled out a new accessibility tweak buried in Settings → Display & Brightness → Liquid Glass. This menu now offers two modes:
- Transparency preserving the original design that “reveals more of the content beneath,” staying true to Apple’s initial artistic direction.
- Tinted — “increasing opacity and adding contrast,” effectively softening the transparency to improve readability.
In practice, the change mirrors Apple’s design philosophy from the era of iOS 7 — a more minimal and flat look that many users found clearer and easier on the eyes.
A Step Backward, or a Lesson Learned?
This quiet adjustment feels like an implicit acknowledgment from Apple that Liquid Glass may not have been ready for prime time. Despite its visual appeal, the interface failed to strike the balance between design innovation and user comfort.
By reintroducing a more opaque option, Apple appears to be retreating to familiar territory — one shaped over a decade ago with iOS 7’s flat design revolution. It’s a rare moment when the company, often confident in its design choices, publicly bows to user criticism.
Looking Ahead
Whether this marks the end of Liquid Glass or just a transitional phase remains to be seen. Apple may continue refining the feature, perhaps finding a middle ground that satisfies both aesthetics and accessibility.
For now, users enrolled in the beta of iOS 26.1 can test the new setting and decide for themselves whether they prefer the modern shimmer of transparency or the reassuring clarity of the classic iPhone interface.
