I am not on any betas just curious if Liquid Glass can be turned off or is it mandatory? I am hoping, probably in vein, that it is like AI and can be switched off.
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Is Liquid Glass optional or mandatory?
- Thread starter agregson
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turn it off and then what happens? no, it's the new GUI for mac os, and like previous GUis, it is what it is
You can use “Reduce transparency” and other accessibility settings to make it more bearable
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/mac-help/mchl11ddd4b3/
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/mac-help/mchl11ddd4b3/
Take a full backup when the public release comes out, and upgrade.
It really isn't that big of a change compared to Sequoia. I prefer the new look, but if you don't then restore back to Sequoia.
Of course, if you're not comfortable doing restores (it's a good idea to test this skill every now and again anyway!), then wait a month or so then go play with some laptops in an Apple store, or watch Youtube videos.
You could do the latter already, but who knows how today's beta will compare to the finished (well, 26.0 anyway) product.
It really isn't that big of a change compared to Sequoia. I prefer the new look, but if you don't then restore back to Sequoia.
Of course, if you're not comfortable doing restores (it's a good idea to test this skill every now and again anyway!), then wait a month or so then go play with some laptops in an Apple store, or watch Youtube videos.
You could do the latter already, but who knows how today's beta will compare to the finished (well, 26.0 anyway) product.
I really like the new look in Tahoe. Needs some refinement, but it looks fabulous in the main on my M3 Air.
i don't understand why anyone would revert to a previous OS over the GUI, as opposed to adapting to it, especially as there are new options, functionality, and under-the-hood improvements.
what happens when os 27 drops? 28? if they're still based around liquid glass (very likely), do you miss out on everything else in the newer OSes? or do you finally update later... something you could have done at os 26 🤔
what happens when os 27 drops? 28? if they're still based around liquid glass (very likely), do you miss out on everything else in the newer OSes? or do you finally update later... something you could have done at os 26 🤔
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Thanks for comments. I had hoped (probably naively given Apple’s desire to control and dictate the user experience) there would be an option to disable the effects and simply have an opaque and flat version.
It is not that I dislike adopting new features. I simply prefer a flat, more minimal look. Others may prefer the glass look. I just hoped there would be an option to allow selection of which elements to use and not use.
As has happened in the past with Apple OS releases some are superb and some not so (personally rather than universally). Liquid Glass will have to be one of those things I will have to learn to endure and not cringe every time I have to suffer looking at it. Sorry. I know some love it. I can also imagine more than a few will dislike it.
I did wonder if liquid glass was an Apple distraction. Knowing it will be polarising and generate a lot of debate it could be a very handy and welcome distraction from other OS changes and non-features such as AI.
It is not that I dislike adopting new features. I simply prefer a flat, more minimal look. Others may prefer the glass look. I just hoped there would be an option to allow selection of which elements to use and not use.
As has happened in the past with Apple OS releases some are superb and some not so (personally rather than universally). Liquid Glass will have to be one of those things I will have to learn to endure and not cringe every time I have to suffer looking at it. Sorry. I know some love it. I can also imagine more than a few will dislike it.
I did wonder if liquid glass was an Apple distraction. Knowing it will be polarising and generate a lot of debate it could be a very handy and welcome distraction from other OS changes and non-features such as AI.
I'm on all the betas (macOS, iOS, iPadOS) and had concerns and all I can say is.... meh. it's fine. I haven't noticed any problems. I actually quite like how Safari looks now in Tahoe.
There was a lot of controversy based on the apple PR release at WWDC but those examples were really exaggerated and in reality it's far less.... glassy than that. Have had zero difficulty reading stuff.
I was initially very skeptical myself. But yeah. Its fine. Forget you heard about Liquid Glass, install the new OS whenever you normally would and you'll be fine.
I came so close to wiping my Air and rolling back to Sequoia in the first 24 to 36 hours. I was trying to keep old wallpapers and backgrounds, and trying to retain the look of Sequoia as much as possible. I was just getting ready to reformat the Mac and use Time Machine to restore Sequoia when I decided that perhaps I should at least try Tahoe as it has been designed to be used.
Even something as simple as changing the desktop image and the background image in Safari made a significant difference to the look, legibility, and feel of Tahoe. I had also turned reduce transparency settings on, so I switched those off, and even reset the menu bar, control centre, and general appearance settings (seems my user-defined colour choices were not as good as I first thought). A day later, I was so happy that I had kept Tahoe. When I look at my spare Air that is still running Sequoia, I look back at Tahoe and find I love it just a little bit more.
In my case, the problems with Tahoe in the first 36 hours were all down to user error and the misplaced conviction that I would hate Tahoe, having only seen screenshots and videos of it. I didn’t know my own mind.
Because the new design language looks like s**t, my friend.
Left : current
Right : future
Attachments
I wouldn't call it user error, just that it needs a certain colour-scheme for many of the elements to remain legible.
Future betas may well become more intelligent, and amend font colours/liquidity to cope with this, or we'll just learn to limit our choices - especially iMessage backgrounds.
almost everyone I’ve shown it to in real life has not been able to tell a difference from the current iOS.
literally the only way to get anyone to notice the Glass, is by using the clear home screen, which is completely optional.
I also put the latest tvOS beta on the Apple TV that everyone uses, no one has said that they’ve noticed anything new. Nothing.
you left out 'to me', ie 'the new design language looks like s**t to me'. but glad we're friends 👍
Pretty much. What I HAVE noticed though is some quality of life features like better battery info, better safari tab management, etc, on iOS.
And WAY faster QR code scanning (which I use to log in with passkeys constantly). Seriously, QR code reading is like 2-3x as fast.
Here's an example of Liquid Glass on macOS Tahoe. Legibility / usability issues? Not a thing.
My settings are default out of the box as an upgrade from Sequoia
My settings are default out of the box as an upgrade from Sequoia
Because said user believes it represents a step backwards, and has sound reasons for believing so?
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Because said user believes it represents a step backwards, and has sound reasons for believing so?
it's fine to not like a new GUI, but that doesn't mean it's a 'step backwards'; it's a change one might not like.
"especially as there are new options, functionality, and under-the-hood improvements."
if you're not aware of this, it might be worth doing some research. any OS is more than it's GUI.
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Thanks for that. I much prefer the left. I prefer flat, clean and opaque and no visual effects other than simple, subtle colour or graphical highlights for hover, activate and focus
😆
That’s a very poor way to defend something, almost apologetic. By this logic, every successive product or service delivered by a company is automatically an improvement just because it’s new?
So you’re essentially that: if I have difficulty navigating the new Tahoe user interface because of the design choices Apple made, then it’s okay because that’s a change that I don’t like?
I agree. It is not a step backwards. Just a step forward in a direction I don’t like. I don’t mind having these things just offer an option as on AI to switch it off and give the user choice albeit within the very limited scope of choice Apple wish to provide users.
And why not offer a limited number of preferences so users can select which they prefer - just as some prefer light, some prefer dark and some prefer auto switch. There is a choice for these and it is not forced. There is also a choice on basic layout, screen use, icon size and so on. Again users have preferences so offer them choices even if the range is limited. So why force something so different as liquid glass on everyone regardless of preference?
Nail on head: choice. User’s frustrations are that Apple is saying it’s this way and you will like it.
hmm, like all the GUI options apple's offered us over the last decade or so? 🤔 at least there is light/dark, and appearance options, and accessibility options...
It reminds me of the glorious days of Yosemite announcement when everyone said Apple had completely lost it in terms of interface design because the OS looked like a toy... Fast forward to 2025 and now people crave for the flat UI ☺️
Joking aside, there might be elements of the UI that need to get accustomed to, but so far what I've seen is much less dramatic than some would led us to believe. Apple has never been keen on letting users play with the UI, and as far as I'm concerned it's better this way.
After all it's Apple's OS, it's their ecosystem, and ultimately yes it's their choice, not ours. As long as functionality, stability is there, I welcome the new look - which, to be honest, doesn't look drastically different.
(Now if only there was a way to default Logic's track zoom to 8 so both channels are visible at all times!! Just a side note
)
Joking aside, there might be elements of the UI that need to get accustomed to, but so far what I've seen is much less dramatic than some would led us to believe. Apple has never been keen on letting users play with the UI, and as far as I'm concerned it's better this way.
After all it's Apple's OS, it's their ecosystem, and ultimately yes it's their choice, not ours. As long as functionality, stability is there, I welcome the new look - which, to be honest, doesn't look drastically different.
(Now if only there was a way to default Logic's track zoom to 8 so both channels are visible at all times!! Just a side note
)