For better or for worse, nothing determines iOS 26 about the same as Liquid glass. Apple's new design language has been met with praise and criticism, with some users enjoying the updated look and others complaining about UI issues with visibility and consistency.
Apple seemed to be equally ambivalent about the update. playing around with the exact look of Liquid Glass throughout the iOS 26 beta period. The company seemed to have trouble finding a certain balance between the glassy design effect that Maybe looks really cool and its overall readability. For example, if buttons are too clear, they will miss more background elements, which can make them difficult to see. But if you reduce the glass effect too much by adding tint to the background of icons and menus, Apple risks losing the charm of the design entirely. (Some critics have dubbed it “Frost Glass” for comparison.)
While Apple appears to still be improving Liquid Glass, the company appears to have decided that part of the problem is down to user preference. So instead of sticking to one design view, Apple now allows You choose whether the liquid glass will appear clearer or more tinted.
To be clear or not to be clear
This new environment came as something of a surprise. Apple didn't release it until… fourth beta For iOS 26.1 And macOS 26.1just two weeks before the official release of the updates. The switch you can find in Settings > Display and brightness (iOS and iPadOS) or System Preferences > Appearance on Mac (macOS) gives users a simple choice of how Liquid Glass will look on their specific system: “Transparent”, which is more transparent and true to Liquid Glass's original intent; or Shaded, which increases the opacity of menus and windows. You'll probably be able to read these elements better, but you won't see as much of the background showing through.
What are your thoughts so far?
“Transparent” (left) and “Tinted” (right).
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Giving users what they ask for (sort of)
During the pre-beta period, some users called on Apple to add a Liquid Glass slider to iOS, iPadOS and macOS. The idea was to allow users to fine-tune the appearance of Liquid Glass. Apple appears to have taken a different approach, offering only two levels of transparency with the new control. While a slider (or at least more transparency options) would be great, what we get is better than nothing for users who prefer the more opaque look of Liquid Glass.
Before Apple added this special settings page, There was a workaround that could be used to “undo” Liquid Glass.: By turning on the Reduce Transparency option in Accessibility settings, you can achieve the same result as choosing the new Tinted option. I think you'll find that “Tinted” will provide a nicer appearance, since that's what Apple intentionally implemented to work with the Liquid Glass design, and reducing transparency is just a general effect that turns off transparency effects in iOS, iPadOS, or macOS.
