Apple had a big surprise in store for yesterday’s iOS 26.1 beta 4 release: there’s a new setting that lets users tone down Liquid Glass substantially systemwide. Here’s why I see this as a win overall for Apple and its users.
Liquid Glass now features a design choice in iOS 26.1
Last month, iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and more arrived with a brand new Liquid Glass design.
Apple pitched the new look as a major overhaul that helps set the design standard for the coming decade. And it doesn’t take much imagination to see how Liquid Glass might be a great fit for upcoming products like Apple Glasses.
But now we’ve learned that Apple plans to offer users a design choice in iOS 26.1.
iOS 26.1 includes the standard ‘Clear’ Liquid Glass design that exists today, but also a new ‘Tinted’ option.
Per Apple, “Tinted increases opacity and adds more contrast.”
You can find lots of side-by-side comparison shots here.
Some have seen this move as Apple backtracking on its design convictions, and giving into its critics. It’s also been viewed as evidence that Liquid Glass was fundamentally flawed in the first place.
I disagree completely.
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