Apple’s Liquid Glass design is the most divisive aspect of iOS 26. By rendering items on the iPhone’s screen semi-transparent, this new feature achieves a stylish, frosty appearance that contrasts with earlier iterations. Nonetheless, transparency can hinder visibility, and the Liquid Glass aesthetic may become overwhelming when maximized.
In iOS 26, Apple offers various options to tone down the aesthetic. Guidelines are provided on how to activate Liquid Glass for optimal impact, enabling users to lessen it according to their preferences.
Certain elements of the Liquid Glass design are more challenging to deactivate. Luckily, in the recently released iOS 26 developer beta 2, Apple has implemented adjustments to diminish the transparency effect more effectively than in the former beta. The effect was also modified in beta 3, but some alterations were reverted in the final public beta released on July 24.
The Control Center now enhances background blurring, making foreground icons clearer. While the Liquid Glass design is visually striking, this modification significantly boosts the visibility of essential settings. The transparency effect is not completely eliminated but is notably less pronounced.
Additionally, Apple provides a feature to lessen transparency throughout the user interface via Accessibility – Display & Text Size – Reduce Transparency. This feature was present in iOS 26 beta 1 but now contributes to an even greater reduction in transparency.
Activating high contrast mode (Settings – Accessibility – Display & Text Size – Increase Contrast) introduces a border around certain floating elements of the user interface, such as the Search field in Settings.
These subtle modifications enhance readability while retaining a touch of the frosty Liquid Glass effect.
The initial public beta was released on July 24, broadening access for additional users. As it stands, it is still a beta version, so anticipate some issues until iOS 26 is finalized in September.
UPDATE: Jul. 25, 2025, 3:25 p.m. The content was revised after the release of the iOS 26 public beta in July.