Apple rolled out iOS 26.1, the first significant update to iOS 26, on Monday. This update is available for the iPhone 11 series and newer models, including the second-generation iPhone SE. A key feature of iOS 26.1 is a new toggle that allows users to adjust the Liquid Glass effect, making it less translucent. The original Liquid Glass setting, which debuted with iOS 26, was criticized for its high translucency, often reducing readability and appearing overly glossy. Many users found it distracting and inconsistent with various wallpapers. iOS 26.1 addresses these concerns by providing an opacity adjustment. Here’s how you can modify the Liquid Glass setting on your iPhone.
How To Turn Off the Liquid Glass Effect on iOS 26.1
- First, ensure your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS 26, specifically iOS 26.1, and not an earlier iteration like iOS 26.0.1.
- Once updated, you can easily customize the visual appearance of iOS 26. Navigate to Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass.
- Within this menu, you will find two distinct options: Clear and Tinted.
- Selecting the Clear option preserves the original glossy, glass-like interface. In contrast, the Tinted option reduces the effect, offering a more opaque and subtle look.
By choosing the Tinted option, the transparency of the Liquid Glass effect is diminished. This mutes the intense glossy reflections, resulting in a flatter, more neutral interface that significantly enhances readability and maintains visual consistency across different wallpapers.
While this might seem like a minor adjustment, it signals a significant shift in Apple’s design philosophy, demonstrating a rare instance of the company directly responding to widespread user criticism. This move highlights the substantial user backlash against the Liquid Glass effect, prompting Apple to revise one of its most debated design choices in recent iOS history.
Years of careful iteration in iOS design might have cultivated a greater openness to user feedback within Apple, or perhaps a more cautious approach to software innovation. Regardless, the Liquid Glass feature didn’t quite achieve the bold visual transformation Apple intended, especially for users who now prefer the more understated ‘tinted’ setting.