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Apple has been refining Liquid Glass during the developer beta testing process, and both beta two and beta three have introduced some major tweaks. There was little outcry over the updates that Apple made in the second beta, but the third beta's design updates have frustrated some users who feel that Apple is removing too much of the Liquid Glass aesthetic.

iOS-26-Beta-2-vs-Beta-3-Dawn-of-Justice.jpg

For context, Apple made navigation bars more opaque across many apps in iOS 26 beta 3, and we've got a series of side-by-side comparisons that demonstrate what's different. In all of the comparison images, beta 2 is on the left and beta 3 is on the right.

Apple Music

Apple Music's bottom navigation bar is more opaque, and it has the frosted glass look that Apple is now favoring. The change is most noticeable when scrolling over a background that has color. In beta 2, the navigation bar was almost translucent, allowing much of the background color to shine through. That effect is significantly reduced in beta 3.

ios-26-nav-bar-transparency-beta-3.jpg


apple-music-dark-mode-ios-26-beta-3.jpg

Safari

The changes in Safari vary depending on what you're doing, the background color of the website, and which Tab View design you're using. In general, the URL bar is more opaque and less prone to notable shifts in color. Less of the background comes through.

safari-ios-26-beta-3.jpg

The URL bar will still change from light to dark if the content you're scrolling over is predominantly dark, but there's a higher threshold for that to kick on.

safari-bottom-tab-ios-26-beta-3.jpg

It's easiest to see the difference with the Compact View, because it was the most translucent view to begin with.

App Store

The App Store's navigation bar has one of the most noticeable changes, and it's almost entirely opaque now.

ios-26-beta-3-app-store.jpg
Light Mode


app-store-ios-26-beta-3-dark-mode.jpg
Dark Mode


Podcasts

As with Apple Music, translucency has been almost entirely eliminated in the Podcasts navigation bar. The change is easiest to see with backgrounds that have color.

ios-26-beta-3-podcasts.jpg


Apple TV

The Apple TV app has a darker background and the change is more subtle. The overlaying navigation bar is a darker glass color, but transparency appears to be similar.

apple-tv-app-ios-26-beta-3.jpg

Photos

For the Photos app, Apple tweaked the design in a similar way to the Apple TV app. The navigation bar is darker, but there's been little change to transparency.

photos-appios-26-beta-3.jpg

Calendar

Calendar's navigation buttons are more opaque, both in Light Mode and Dark Mode.

ios-26-beta-3-calendar.jpg


Keyboard

The Spotlight Search keyboard is both more and less translucent. The keyboard itself has slightly more background visible, but the search bar is darker.

keyboard-ios-26-beta-3.jpg


Dark Mode

Dark Mode has retained more transparency than Light Mode for the most part, so you may see less of a difference if you have Dark Mode enabled permanently. Some menu bar elements are darker than before, but white text on a dark background is more readable so Apple had to increase the opaqueness less.

safari-dark-mode-ios-26-beta-3.jpg

This isn't true for all apps, though, and there are areas with dark navigation bars that also have less translucency.

Color Dependency

The difference that you see between beta 2 and beta 3 can vary quite a bit depending on the color in the background. With some white backgrounds, it's hard to tell that the Liquid Glass has a more frosted appearance, and the updates are mostly noticeable with light colors.

ios-26-beta-3-apple-news.jpg

Over content that is are darker, navigation bars will often transition to their Dark Mode view that appears more translucent, as can be seen in the Safari screenshot below. This is the same effect you'll see with Dark Mode enabled.

safari-dark-ios-26-beta-3.jpg


Notifications, Lock Screen, and Home Screen

On the Lock Screen, the time is ever so slightly more opaque than it was before. With some background colors, notifications also have a darker background than before, but this isn't always noticeable. Home Screen and Control Center haven't changed much if at all.

ios-26-b2-b3-comparison.jpg


For App Library, the search bar doesn't have blurred edges when scrolling, which makes it easier to see. Apple hasn't changed translucency... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: iOS 26 Liquid Glass Design Drama: Beta 2 vs. Beta 3 Changes in Every App
 
Last edited:
liquid glass to dirty or foggy glass...

wonder how much of the design will be still around, once iPadOS 26 and IOS 26 are released.

What has gone wrong in testing and when it was green lighted that they did notice the overall readability and legibility as a big issue?

I'm ambivalent on this change, not fond of either the old nor the new design in particular. It was meh, it is meh, but as long as it's consistent and not outright user hostile it will do.
 
MacRumors and some users, tries to say that the buttons themselves have less glass effects and ignore the screenshot that there is a clear white and black haze layer between the content and the glass buttons which creates this effect depending on the light mode and background. the buttons themselves are not more opaque as in the design elements the Glass elements sit on top of every UX element on screen. where is the fundamental analysis of the design and physics of this instead of blind non detailed look . hilarious takes being had
 

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Please, Apple, just make sure that there is a switch in Accessibility that lets me turn off this useless eye candy. I want UI elements that are contrasty and easy to read, regardless of what is behind them. In the WWDC keynote, Federighi bragged about how this new design "blurs the lines between software and hardware." He should have stopped at "blurs the lines."
 
MacRumors caught lying again for clicks

Article : “The App Store's navigation bar has one of the most noticeable changes, and it's almost entirely opaque now.”

They cutely put it on top of area where glass impact is not felt to make the point
 

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I just reported this article as the testing performed has been horribly badly reported on, there is a setting that enables the frosted glass look that is clearly turned on in the beta 3 examples, and not on in the beta 2 examples, that seems to have been missed by the tester, the reality is beta 3 is cleaner and easier to read, but the frosted glass effect IS NOT a beta 3 change, but merely a setting (Reduce Transparency in Accessibility I believe) that is turned on. Please get the testers to run there tests again making sure the settings are identical between devices so as not to get this kind of reporting error.
 
What an absolute mess. I know we’re still in beta but c’mon.

It’s so inconsistent and all over the place. Hopefully it’s much better by final release.

Honestly I wish they’d just scrap it but unfortunately it’s their big selling point of iOS 26 lmao.
 


Apple has been refining Liquid Glass during the developer beta testing process, and both beta two and beta three have introduced some major tweaks. There was little outcry over the updates that Apple made in the second beta, but the third beta's design updates have frustrated some users who feel that Apple is removing too much of the Liquid Glass aesthetic.

iOS-26-Beta-2-vs-Beta-3-Dawn-of-Justice.jpg

For context, Apple made navigation bars more opaque across many apps in iOS 26 beta 3, and we've got a series of side-by-side comparisons that demonstrate what's different. In all of the comparison images, beta 2 is on the left and beta 3 is on the right.

Apple Music

Apple Music's bottom navigation bar is more opaque, and it has the frosted glass look that Apple is now favoring. The change is most noticeable when scrolling over a background that has color. In beta 2, the navigation bar was almost translucent, allowing much of the background color to shine through. That effect is significantly reduced in beta 3.

ios-26-nav-bar-transparency-beta-3.jpg

Safari

The changes in Safari vary depending on what you're doing, the background color of the website, and which Tab View design you're using. In general, the URL bar is more opaque and less prone to notable shifts in color. Less of the background comes through.

safari-ios-26-beta-3.jpg

The URL bar will still change from light to dark if the content you're scrolling over is predominantly dark, but there's a higher threshold for that to kick on.

safari-bottom-tab-ios-26-beta-3.jpg

It's easiest to see the difference with the Compact View, because it was the most translucent view to begin with.

App Store

The App Store's navigation bar has one of the most noticeable changes, and it's almost entirely opaque now.

ios-26-beta-3-app-store.jpg

Podcasts

As with Apple Music, translucency has been almost entirely eliminated in the Podcasts navigation bar. The change is easiest to see with backgrounds that have color.

ios-26-beta-3-podcasts.jpg


Apple TV

The Apple TV app has a darker background and the change is more subtle. The overlaying navigation bar is a darker glass color, but transparency appears to be similar.

apple-tv-app-ios-26-beta-3.jpg

Photos

For the Photos app, Apple tweaked the design in a similar way to the Apple TV app. The navigation bar is darker, but there's been little change to transparency.

photos-appios-26-beta-3.jpg

Calendar

Calendar's navigation buttons are more opaque, both in Light Mode and Dark Mode.

ios-26-beta-3-calendar.jpg


Keyboard

The Spotlight Search keyboard is both more and less translucent. The keyboard itself has slightly more background visible, but the search bar is darker.

keyboard-ios-26-beta-3.jpg

Color Dependency

The difference that you see between beta 2 and beta 3 can vary quite a bit depending on the color in the background. With some light backgrounds, it's hard to tell that the Liquid Glass has a more frosted appearance, and the updates are mostly noticeable with colors.

ios-26-beta-3-apple-news.jpg



safari-dark-ios-26-beta-3.jpg

Dark Mode

Dark Mode has retained more transparency than Light Mode for the most part, so you may see less of a difference if you have Dark Mode enabled permanently. Some menu bar elements are darker than before, but white text on a dark background is more readable so Apple had to increase the opaqueness less.

safari-dark-mode-ios-26-beta-3.jpg

This isn't true for all apps, though, and there are areas with dark navigation bars that also have less translucency.

Notifications, Lock Screen, and Home Screen

On the Lock Screen, the time is ever so slightly more opaque than it was before. With some background colors, notifications also have a darker background than before, but this isn't always noticeable. Home Screen and Control Center haven't changed much if at all.

ios-26-b2-b3-comparison.jpg


For App Library, the search bar doesn't have blurred edges when scrolling, which makes it easier to see. Apple hasn't changed translucency.

app-library-ios-26-beta-3.jpg

Other App Changes

Most of Apple's built-in apps have tweaked buttons and navigation bars in iOS 26 beta 3, with repeats of the design changes listed above... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: iOS 26 Liquid Glass Design Drama: Beta 2 vs. Beta 3 Changes in Every App
Drama? It's better like this now.
 
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