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

[klasma]

All the people who suggest using reduce transparency must never have used it themselves. Reduce transparency reduces (even more, rather removes it completely) almost everywhere, not just for Liquid Glass elements.
IT IS NOT A VIABLE OPTION FOR MOST PEOPLE.

It also averages over the colors on the screen, a bit like a blur with infinite radius, which, while making the background a uniform color, can also reduce contrast compared to the transparent version. So that choice can leave you between a rock and a hard place.

Reduce Transparency also doesn’t change the fact that floating controls over content make the UI busier and increase cognitive load.

 

[TVreporter]

Insert “Pam from The Office saying it’s the same photo” meme here

 

[StellarVixen]

Perfect. Go big or go home. Some people hated Aqua too and wanted Platinum back, and we know how much Aqua grew on people over time. Just let the things play out.

 

[thiscatisfat]

Just reading this thread and while I do love Liquid Glass, sometimes it can be hard to read. Here’s an example where I can barely make out the artists name under the current song.

But I like it how it is, and this is only when two colours don’t blend well, a few pixels up or down and the issue would be gone.

That could be a bug, the letters should turn white with darker background:

It’s still hit and miss in B4, this won’t be an issue in the final version.

 

[Rogifan]

So you haven’t used it and you already have legibility issues? How? 😄

I have eyes and have seen plenty of screenshots?

 

[User 6502]

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

That seems very much an overdramatic overreaction. iOS 26 is a minor tweak to the look and feel of iOS. If anything else, it is far too bland and unambitious. I wish they introduced way more transparencies and made more bold decisions. As is most people won't even notice a thing changed.

 

[Aries79]

My eyes prefer the beta 3 look

 

[McWetty]

Gee, I didn’t know software design was this simple. I guess someone should let Apple’s iOS team know.

What do you have against sliders? Then you can have it as transparent or frosted as you want. That concept is pretty simple. Who hurt you?

 

[BigBlur]

I miss the Beta 1 control center. It was perfect.

View attachment 2530921

Agreed. People love to make fun of Windows for having an inconsistent UI, but here we are with inconsistencies in iOS...

Swipe down on the left side for the Notification Center, and things are translucent; but swipe down on the right side for the Control Center, and things are frosted. It makes no sense to me.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

this is just bad honestly, you can barely see the bottom of images button

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

it's funny (tragic) how the glass effect is so much different in ios than it is in macos. In macos it's essentially a blurred window with minor breakage on the edges.

so we agree liquid glass on mac is different right ?

 

[sbdyontheweb]

I cant believe they are insisting with this unreadable design, has Apple became insane ?! time is running out to fix this ****

 

[thiscatisfat]

Agreed. People love to make fun of Windows for having an inconsistent UI, but here we are with inconsistencies in iOS...

Swipe down on the left side for the Notification Center, and things are translucent; but swipe down on the right side for the Control Center, and things are frosted. It makes no sense to me.

Oh yeah, cool transparency warping glass effect aside, currently iOS UI is a hot mess. No way they will iron all this out by September. Not a chance.

 

[AlexStudios]

There really is no middle ground for everyone, is there?

 

[Jkeith85]

Please don’t tell me you drive. If you can’t see that, you probably shouldn’t.

He can see it. It just looks washed out and blurry, but yes, you can imagine what it is.

 

[thiscatisfat]

He can see it. It just looks washed out and blurry, but yes, you can imagine what it is.

Yeah but you scroll, and as you do it changes and you can clearly see where the button is and you know what the button does. Your focus is on the content (photos), not on the button. It’s not like it’s washed out and blurry all the time, screenshots don’t do it justice.

 

[klasma]

Please don’t tell me you drive. If you can’t see that, you probably shouldn’t.

Luckily, traffic signs aren’t put on signposts with transparent plates and barely visible borders.

 

[transpo1]

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!

Haha, true. But regardless, Apple just needs to set it to their desired look and give us sliders in the Settings > Display & Brightness setting to control the transparency. Then they can be done with this madness.

 

[GrassShark]

Things aren’t going well.

 

[MNWildFan]

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

Exactly

I genuinely wonder who those that complain about something so trivial have a life outside of here

Some of y'all really need to touch grass

 

[MNWildFan]

🤣 JFC, Apple is lost.

No, they aren't lost

What do you want them to do, release something so half baked without extensive testing???

It's for things like that that beta testing exists in the 1st place

 

[klasma]

Some of y'all really need to touch grass

Touch glass you probably mean.

 

[MNWildFan]

Touch glass you probably mean.

Haha, I see what you did there and I like it

 

[IceCool]

Glass is back, baby!

 

[Lotsacaffine]

Switch active view icon to same white/black as other views and problem solved 👌