Fuzzy blurry mess

[AlanMarron]

use dark icons and a darker wallpaper. I find it to be so much better than standard or liquid glass options

True. My brother’s user experience with 26 is improved because he likes dark on his iPhone and iPad.

I’m stuck in 1984 when a selling point of Macintosh was a light screen with dark text—like the physical reality of a desktop with books and note pads.

 

[scrane]

I’m such an old dog that I’ve seen everything that was in vogue fall from fashion, only to return a generation or so later. Now that generations have compressed to 15 years, I expect that I will live to see flat, quickly identifiable icons, etc make a comeback. Of course, others insist that we’ll be switching to audio “interfaces” and visuals won’t matter. Nothing but GPS into the lake.

I'm old, too, and I've learned to not fixate on the small things, and to roll with the punches. In today's world my phone's operating system is the least of my concerns.

 

[boswald]

I think Liquid Glass would've been better received if they would've left the icons and borders alone. Just my opinion, of course.

 

[Parowdy]

I genuinely can’t see what you are referring to. Both screens look absolutely fine to me. And I would also say, both screens look as clear as each other.

That may be the case for you. Don’t know if you have impaired vision, but the two attached screenshots show very different levels of clarity and definition.
While the 2nd looks like an iPhone 4-8, the first looks like an iPhone 2-3G.

 

[Parowdy]

Download the 2 screenshots, open them in the Viewer and zoom both at 1:1. The icons from the iPad are nearly 3 times taller.

In order to compare icons between the 2 images, you guys are zooming the icons from the iPhone, which will of course become more pixelated, even if the iPhone screenshot has a higher dpi.

But if I download both and don’t zoom in, one still appears to lack definition and detail…

 

[Parowdy]

It’s because of the bevels on all the elements. It’s not blurry but all the tiny bevels add up and at a distance that looks blurry. The photos app is the worst offender but I got used to it. Look at it up close and you’ll see what I mean. It’s sharp

That’s technically correct. But op had a very valid point. Picking up my mothers old iPhone 8 with its lower ppi, it looks a lot more sharp than iOS 26 on my 15 Pro.

What you’re saying is like „look closely at the print, you’ll see yellow and blue and magenta dots.“ maybe, but the overall picture isn’t in any of these colors, so why would that technicality matter if what’s perceived is different entirely.

 

[rb2112]

The problem with Linux is that it's too niche for a desktop OS. It's fantastic if you want to tinker, and you can find software that does what you need. I've done my time there, and I don't have the energy to fight with it these days. I no longer use computers for the sake of using a computer. Now when I use a computer it is to do something. All that tinkering was fun back in the day, but now I don't want to have to work just to be able to do some work. Anyway, Linux won't run the software I need to work with so it's a hard pass. Everything I need, and 98% of what I want, runs perfectly on macOS. I'm happy here.

I am in the same boat. Like you, I would appreciate it if Mac would allow themes and more customizing. They choose not to, which is disappointing. Won't stop me from using my Mac however.

 

[arc of the universe]

FWIW, I don't see the top screen icons as blurry. I see them as having a little depth.

i think you are on to something with this post.

the phenomenon you reference is being seen by some people as having added depth to certain aspects of the icon (which is what apple intended).

the same phenomenon is definitely being seen by others as "blurred", and unclear, and washed-out.

the Apps icon that @turbineseaplane provided really points out the difference.
i (and i think anybody, including you), can see exactly what @turbineseaplane is pointing out.
all people can clearly see that they are different.

i like the new icon language.very much.
its different, and whimsical, and fun.
i also liked iOS 7 (back in my halcyon years of Helvetica Neue Ultralight ..)
here is a quote about iOS 7 ( i copied this from the net provided by google Ai):
quote
OS 7's design language marked a radical shift from skeuomorphism (realistic textures) to a minimalist, flat, and colorful style, emphasizing transparency, depth through motion/parallax, and clean typography (Helvetica Neue). It introduced vibrancy with blurred backgrounds, layered interfaces, and intuitive gestures like Control Center, creating a lighter, more modern feel that focused on content and functionality.
end quote
( a great iOS 7 review is found on Cult of Mac :

Why iOS 7 Is A Masterpiece of Design

My first impression on seeing iOS 7 on my iPhone was: What is this, a My Little Pony theme? But after scrutinizing, analyzing, deconstructing and living

www.cultofmac.com

not coincidentally, a LOT of people hated iOS 7, too.

my eye, and your eye, are picking up that blurriness but translating that immediately into a depth effect.
i think the reason why many people dislike the new design language for icons is that their perception simply ends at the blur. its understandable and natural that they really can't tolerate the way the icons look.

when i see iOS 26's icons, i see them as if they were 3-D tiddlywinks. i like this effect.

for most other people. i think apple would need to improve its display screens to render this depth affect in a more realistic way.

apple committing to this new icon design language and to Liquid Glass before it could be better implemented (it really looks like its only about half done) is very similar to apple announcing Maps way back when it totally sucked, and to pre-announcing the mythic Apple Intelligence.
even though i like it, it can still be objectively called a failure. apple itself has self-admitted this in doing something very un-apple-like by giving iOS 26.2 a way to lessen the impact of Liquid Glass a bit.

it is not a coincidence that apple's SVP in charge of UI design is no longer with the company, within weeks of the release of iOS 26.

 

[AlanMarron]

apple committing to this new icon design language and to Liquid Glass before it could be better implemented (it really looks like its only about half done) is very similar to apple announcing Maps way back when it totally sucked, and to pre-announcing the mythic Apple Intelligence.
even though i like it, it can still be objectively called a failure. apple itself has self-admitted this in doing something very un-apple-like by giving iOS 26.2 a way to lessen the impact of Liquid Glass a bit.

In my admittedly small circle of friends and acquaintances, those with sparkling, new hardware are either thrilled with LG or have barely notice the upgrayedd.

I’m slowly warming to 26, but only as LG has been downgraded and refined. LG is definitely not the same in 26.3dev1 as it was in 26.0.

 

[HouseLannister]

for most other people. i think appple would need to improve its display screens to render this depth affect in a more realistic way.

The solution to a software problem is not to make more expensive hardware and make us think our existing phones are obsolete and need replacing. What's next? Prescription iPhones to correct my depth perception? How about just hiring competent designers who value functionality over style?

 

[I7guy]

[…]

it is not a coincidence that apple's SVP in charge of UI design is no longer with the company, within weeks of the release of iOS 26.

Indeed, I wonder if he agreed to deliver iOS 26 before leaving the company for greener or different pastures.

 

[T5BRICK]

I’m going to be really honest. When I upgraded from iOS 18 to 26, I had to check in settings to see if it installed.

Comparing the screenshots in the original post, I will say they look different, but not bad. The softer edges could also be described as blurry, but from what I can tell that was the intent.

Also, zooming in the 3x the original size of an icon (as seen a couple times in this thread) to show a perceived problem is typical Macrumors behavior. 🤷‍♂️

 

[AlanMarron]

I'm old, too, and I've learned to not fixate on the small things, and to roll with the punches. In today's world my phone's operating system is the least of my concerns.

If iOS isn’t one of your top concerns, you’re doing “old” wrong.