How do I remove the liquid glass look from app icons on iOS 26?

Nwpray wrote:

It’s totally not, turning on the contrast makes a solid white line. With it off you still have the reflective glassy looking edges. Not to mention in some folders the icons overlap the edges now. I really want to turn off whatever nonsense this was.

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/864d2285-1b6b-4952-9c73-fe6f94278b30

Why does the appearance bother you so much? the functions are the same or better in 26.

ridley_walker wrote:

This is one of the worst UI updates in memory. Apple needs to provide an option to revert to the previous style, liquid glass is awful.

I also think it's a giant step forward and adds a layer of visual interest which is terrific. You can choose to dislike it if you want. But remove it you can't, so maybe just get used to it and worry about something else which may have a greater meaning in the overall scheme of things.

Thanks for your tips! But, unfortunately, increasing contrast does nothing to remove the Liquid Glass blur on the icons, and reducing transparency just makes the Dock and system bars much darker, whether on iPhone, Mac, or iPad. It’s really frustrating. Apple should fix this, because we’re paying for Retina displays and incredible M-series screens, yet the icons end up looking blurry and uncomfortable to look at. The M5 has an amazing image and video resolution, but the icon blur completely breaks the visual experience.

I know this doesn’t help fix the issue that all of us are faced with. I just want to add my two cents that this was a horrible idea from Apple. To change the UI so much that you can’t go back to a normal looking icon and text. You change everything and put glass looking highlights around an app. They needed to put a disable or change theme instead of forcing you to view this hideous rollout. So much for being a stock holder.

Thank you for your help!

The only thing I don't like, because it really disturbs my eyes, is the fact that the icons are always blurry, no matter what I do.

I will write to the link you sent. Thanks!

It looks like no one has mentioned that you can just turn off the liquid glass effect from the home screen.

Hold down on the home screen for a couple of seconds to enter the edit mode. The app icons will start quivering with a minus sign and in the top right corner of the screen there will be an edit button. It beings up a screen that lets you select the glass look you want, or you can go back to default.

There are some other options that you might like to try instead of going back to default, like having slightly larger icons without any text underneath, or tinted glass, etc.

Juliet_tea wrote:

Is there a way to turn glass off? It feels almost like an optical illusion.. things look blurry. Apple was suppose to be intuitive. I’ve never wanted an android phone until now.

You can't turn it off comletely but you can make adjustments:

Liquid Glass - Love It Or Hate It - It's … - Apple Community

JasonToddd wrote:

Should we all just keep reaching out to Apple and hoping they fix it? or just go to Android phones

If you have feedback for Apple, you should give it to them:

Product Feedback - Apple

Personally, I like Liquid Glass and have let Apple know that. As for whether or not you should switch to an Android phone, well 1) I doubt anyone here cares what you decide and 2) Android is moving to something similar to Liquid Glass called, I think, "Materials 3.0."

Zae37 wrote:

I couldn’t find what you did? I hate the new liquid display, as well. Far too busy and cluttered. What solution did you provide?

Go through this --> Liquid Glass - Love It Or Hate It - It's … - Apple Community

Teddy.C wrote:

This is the BEST information page I have found to help with Liquid Glass issues. Please read it - it helps!

I'm glad you like it. I certainly don't need to read it, since I wrote it, but I do hope others read it and it helps them.

Candle-lady wrote:

It is not at times, it is ALL THE TIME.

The changes to the app icons, assuming you have them set to Default, is hardly even noticeable. They have a slight ring round them is all. I don't believe you can no longer see them.

LD150 wrote:

Candle-lady wrote:

It is not at times, it is ALL THE TIME.

The changes to the app icons, assuming you have them set to Default, is hardly even noticeable. They have a slight ring round them is all. I don't believe you can no longer see them.

Which one cannot you see?

Teddy.C wrote:

Can someone just tell us how to revert back to the previous IOS? I want to get rid of the new version! It is slow and when changing screens it blurs many of the icons. 26 is junk!

Hello~ You can’t go back. I think that’s been stated many times in this thread.

~Katana-San~

THIS IS WHY I TURN AUTO UPDATES OFF. I WANT CHOICES. SERIOUSLY? You can’t edit Liquid Glass to back to default? I’ve had eye surgery. I bought a new iPad as a gift to my 69 year old self upon my teacher retirement.

[Edited by Moderator]

WhyITurnAutoUpdatesOFF wrote:

I agree it’s so hard for my 69 year old eyes.

Not hard on my 64-year-old eyes. It's horrifying to think that in a mere five years, I could be in your state.

I’m just about done with Apple going to communistic ways.

Do you actually understand what Communisim is? It doesn't just mean "things I don't like or approve of." It's an actual political/economic system. And, Apple, as one of the largest companies in the world seems pretty Capitalistic to me.