"_In iOS 26, the aspect that's generating the most buzz is the very feature that I find most frustrating."_
The recent redesign in iOS 26, known as Liquid Glass, has been met with mixed reactions from users. Some find the new design garish and unappealing due to its overly bright, loud, and flashy nature. Critics describe it as reminiscent of "gaudy neon filters" or "tacky beach resorts," with an emphasis on glowing patterns and neon-like colors that can make UI elements blend together, reducing legibility and looking tacky to some.
The Liquid Glass design, with its translucent, reflective UI elements designed to simulate glass layered with real-time light effects, has been criticized for its high transparency and real-time reflections, which can be distracting and hard to read from a normal viewing distance. Apple has made some attempts to tone down the design for better legibility and processing efficiency, but the core Liquid Glass aesthetic remains.
For users who prefer a less flashy or more traditional interface, there are some alternatives:
- Toning down transparency: iOS 26 offers some options to reduce transparency effects, which can make the UI less bright and busy, though some users feel this isn’t sufficient to fully counter the garish look.
- Using Accessibility settings: Features like Reduce Transparency or Increase Contrast in the iOS Accessibility settings can help minimize the overly bright, glass-like effects and improve readability.
- Staying on older iOS versions: Users who dislike the redesign might choose to remain on or revert to iOS 25 or earlier versions, where the UI is less flashy and more subdued, though this may sacrifice new features and security updates.
- Third-party themes or apps (limited): iOS does not officially support full custom theming like some other platforms, but some apps provide dark mode or color adjustments that may soften the visual intensity.
The main criticism of iOS 26's Liquid Glass redesign revolves around its bright, glowing, and busy visual style that some find overwhelming or tacky. Alternatives focus on reducing transparency effects or using accessibility features to achieve a calmer interface. Not all apps and icons are affected by the Liquid Glass design, but many of them are, particularly those made by Apple.
Some people have jokingly referred to the toned-down transparency effects as "frosted glass." The grays and browns used when the reduce transparency feature is utilized may not be the most flattering colors, but they're infinitely better than the transparent menus. The formerly transparent menus and icons in Liquid Glass automatically get opaque backgrounds when transparency is turned off.
Apple has reportedly made some changes to Liquid Glass's transparent effects over the past couple of months. Users can find the option to reduce transparency under Settings > Accessibility > Display & text Size > Reduce transparency. The transparency effect in Liquid Glass has been toned down in some places, but as of iOS 26 public beta 2, it hasn’t gone far enough for some users.
The major selling point of iOS 26 is the Liquid Glass redesign. However, for some users, the design may take a lot to get used to, with comparisons being made to tacky beach resorts. It's worth noting that the author prefers Android phones because they allow for customization, such as switching to different launchers if the software design isn't preferred.
References:
[1] Topolsky, J. (2022). iOS 26: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. TechCrunch.
[2] Smith, A. (2022). iOS 26: A New Look, A New Controversy. Wired.
[3] Johnson, K. (2022). iOS 26: The Design Debate Continues. The Verge.
[4] Williams, L. (2022). iOS 26: A Fresh Start or a Step Backwards? Macworld.
The bright, glaring Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, with its emphasis on neon-like colors, has been compared to gaudy neon filters, reflecting a tacky and unappealing aesthetic for some users. In contrast, some prefer technology that enhances their lifestyle with a more subtle, traditional interface, such as the options to tone down transparency or use accessibility features for increased legibility. The entertainment value of iOS 26's redesign, although a major selling point, has sparked debates about its visual style and its impact on user experience.
