How to disable Liquid Glass effect in iOS 26?

There is no "toggle" to see.

Re: IOS slow or increased battery usage?

Here's what Apple and some Trade Press have to say:

Performance and battery impact

Apple’s hardware and software are designed together to deliver great performance and great battery life. As new features and improvements are added, they can change the way we use our devices, as you explore and utilize these new capabilities. Here are some important things to keep in mind:

Immediately after completing an update, particularly a major release, you might notice a temporary impact on battery life and thermal performance. This is normal, as your device needs time to complete the setup process in the background, including indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps. 

New features are exciting and help you get even more out of your Apple product, though some may require additional resources from the device. Depending on individual usage, some users may notice a small impact on performance and/or battery life. Apple continually works to optimize these features in software updates to ensure great battery life and a smooth user experience.

from:

About Apple software updates - Apple Support

The main takeaway? After installing iOS 26, or any other major software update, there will be an initial period of additional background processing that puts a strain on your device. This should be a non-issue after the first couple days.

from:

https://9to5mac.com/2025/09/15/apple-explains-why-ios-26-could-affect-your-iphones-battery-life/

I advise don’t update to 26 stay on 18.6 etc. there is no going back. It is very challenging. I think it was a mistake that they did. I don’t know many users that are happy about the update. It would be wise of Apple to give an option to continue to run 18 and get updates and security patches and not migrate to 26.

I did not buy a new device because of 26. I just returned an iPad and kept my old one running, 18.6 etc.

So sad!

😭

Exactly, you get the point if you are visually challenged, it makes it impossible to use their devices. I concur. I don’t believe they thought it is form without function. If you are visually challenged, it makes it absolutely impossible to use it as a viable device.

I can deal with most of the Liquid Glass issues, but I cannot tolerate the sub-screen when I am dialing my phone, with Favorites/REcents/Contacts/Keypad/Voicemail. It cover-up the delete button and the "dial" button. It's totally nuts. I haven't seen anyone address this issue. Talk about "Accessibility". I spent half an hour trying to call a phone number and I can't do it because of this outrageously dysfunctional "feature".

Nice! This worked for me

worked fine, but the phone still slow.

I agree, the new UI is really hard on the eyes, and the weird effects that come into play when you turn on the accessibility settings is very unpleasant!

I never saw any toggle for glass versus solid on my iPhone 12 mini

Agreed. Liquid Glass is atrocious! There must be a way to disable this mess. Did any one consider those who have visual impairment? I say NO. Come on Apple. Find the solution.

mailsaka wrote:

We just want our stable interface back.

Personally, I find nothing about Liquid Glass unstable. And, I like it.

Thanks, worked perfectly for me.

Brianf290 wrote:

Thanks, worked perfectly for me.

You presumably only wanted to change the lock screen clock. Their answer only did that, didn't answer the original poster's question

If you have recently updated to iOS 26.1 (not to be confused with 26.0.1)

there is additional relief available, but it is not obvious:

Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass.

Here, you'll find two options: Clear and Tinted.

'Tinted' further reduces the translucency of the glass effect, making it not very glass-like any more.

Did you try long pressing on a blank spot, then tapping Edit, top left?