Apple Improves Liquid Glass in iOS 26 Beta 4, Reversing Some Beta 3 Changes

[MacRumors]

With the fourth beta of iOS 26, Apple has again made changes to the Liquid Glass design that's available across the operating system, tweaking how the menus and buttons appear in apps.

In response to criticism about too little Liquid Glass in beta 3, Apple has upped the translucency in several areas.

Beta 4 on left, beta 3 on right​

Navigation bars in apps like Photos, Music, the App Store, Podcasts, are slightly clearer, allowing more of the background color to show through.

Beta 4 on left, beta 3 on right​

Apple cut down on the frosted glass look, but the changes are small enough that text remains readable, so it appears to be more of a balance between beta 2 and beta 3.

Beta 4 on left, beta 3 on right​

Control Center, the Lock Screen, and the Home Screen look largely the same, so most of the transparency changes are focused on app navigation bars and buttons. On the Lock Screen, though, the background darkens as you scroll through notifications.

Beta 4 on right, beta 3 on left​

Apple will likely continue to make small changes to Liquid Glass based on user feedback, and we won't see the finalized version of the design until iOS 26 is released in the fall.

Article Link: Apple Improves Liquid Glass in iOS 26 Beta 4, Reversing Some Beta 3 Changes

 

[galad]

"Improve", for some weird meaning of "improve".

 

[Ctrlos]

Oh Apple, you donuts. Darkening the screen behind the control center is not a solution.

 

[abatabia]

What will all those vapid YouTube content creators that complained about beta 3 do now?

 

[gleepskip]

You might want to flip the screenshots in that last image or flip the other three. 4-3, 4-3, 4-3, (suddenly) 3-4.

 

[jz0309]

Oh Apple, you donuts. Darkening the screen behind the control center is not a solution.

Are you providing feedback to Apple or just commenting here?

 

[Devyn89]

Hooray, I’m glad they’re bringing back some transparency.

 

[SamRyouji]

Now that's more like it.
But how about realising one little known fact: "Please all, and you will please none."
You couldn't set unchangeable "this transparency" look that would be welcomed by all of your users. Some of them want opaque, some of them want full transparency, some of them would just like to be in the middle.
.
So how about adding one little three-steps slider for the transparency in the "Display & Brightness" setting? That would guarantee that you could please ALL users as they now have the control of how transparent your liquid glass would be.

 

[sziehr]

they went backwards and made it worse
we need it to be frosted look so it has contrast and can be read when there are reflections.
this might actually be a reason I just do not upgrade and then do not buy another iPhone apple. This is that kinda deal breaker, readability is not a joking matter

 

[jz0309]

What will all those vapid YouTube content creators that complained about beta 3 do now?

I wouldn't worry about that, they'll find something else... just like the MR posters ...

 

[moxin]

If by "improve" means going against the Liquid Glass then I'm sorry it's not an improvement; Apple should have gone with the Liquid Glass in Beta 1.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

I thought the whole point of Liquid Glass was to provide consistency? So far they’ve spent 4 betas tweaking how translucent this ‘material’ is, but to my eyes conceptually it’s no more improved than what we currently have, where usability is concerned.

 

[cbjxiii]

'Liquid Glass' is such an unnecessary and unwanted update. It's simply change for the sake of change because the functional improvements from each iteration of iOS are minimal, at best.

 

[TigerNike23]

Great, now it’s back to being unreadable. I hope they have a setting for this.

 

[brian3uk]

I hate them both equally so now what.

 

[212rikanmofo]

This is worse than beta 3. What the hell is going on at Apple with these UI designers?! Readability is difficult with this nonsense "Liquid Glass" crap. I rather have frosted glass since it's more legible. And forget about the old people because they sure as hell will be having a difficult time reading stuff when iOS26 final comes out this fall. I already have everyone in the "elder" age group telling me it's difficult to see stuff now. Whoever's in charge of the design and UI department needs to be fired.

 

[iPay]

Please don't improve Liquid Glass, just flush it down the drain!

 

[amethysm]

Both iOS and iPad OS keeps getting worse. Remember when both iPhones and iPad used iOS? That was much better, the interface was much cleaner and there was no need to learn to use another OS. Also now iOS 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 26, 27, 28... really Apple? Now iOS 26, not 19, is the nineteenth release of iOS. Steve wouldn't allow this mess.

 

[nfl46]

lol. It will be interesting to see how this all turns out by time it’s officially released.

 

[greg624]

I wish some of y’all would stop complaining so much.

 

[Devyn89]

'Liquid Glass' is such an unnecessary and unwanted update. It's simply change for the sake of change because the functional improvements from each iteration of iOS are minimal, at best.

I want it, and I like it. Sorry you don’t that genuinely sucks for you. Stop speaking for other people though.

 

[patrickbyrd325]

they went backwards and made it worse
we need it to be frosted look so it has contrast and can be read when there are reflections.
this might actually be a reason I just do not upgrade and then do not buy another iPhone apple. This is that kinda deal breaker, readability is not a joking matter

Boohoo

 

[jonblatho]

Now that's more like it.
But how about realising one little known fact: "Please all, and you will please none."
You couldn't set unchangeable "this transparency" look that would be welcomed by all of your users. Some of them want opaque, some of them want full transparency, some of them would just like to be in the middle.
.
So how about adding one little three-steps slider for the transparency in the "Display & Brightness" setting? That would guarantee that you could please ALL users as they now have the control of how transparent your liquid glass would be.

And then instead of getting to design my app two times (for light and dark mode), I get to design my app six times (or more, if you include the Increase Contrast accessibility setting). Fun!

 

[dominiongamma]

Please don't improve Liquid Glass, just flush it down the drain!

You can leave Apple anytime if you aren’t happy

 

[klasma]

What’s that about?