How can I remove the “Liquid Glass” transparency effect after updating to iOS 26?

Your only option to reduce the effect is at Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Reduce Transparency. Other than that, I would suggest to stick with your current versions if you do not like the look of Liquid Glass. It was previewed over 3 months ago at the WWDC event.

Yes, going to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Reduce Transparency is the best option. But there’s no official way to properly disable it so if that option in Accessibility, you’ll have to live with Liquid Glass. I personally love it and much prefer it, but everyone has their opinion.

JoaoBarroso wrote:

Hello, the notification to update appeared, so I updated to 18.7 and left 26 for later, after asking a question here to clear up my doubts.

The question I have is whether after the update there’s any way to remove this “Liquid Glass” and try to have something closer to 18, without all those transparencies.

My friends updated and I had the chance to try it out — it really looks ugly, like a poorly finished Chinese theme, hard to read and confusing.

I don’t even understand how something like that came out of the design team and was approved. The same question applies to Tahoe, I also updated it for the same reason.

If that’s not possible, I think I’ll stick with 18.7 and 15.7.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While you may not understand how anyone could come up with the liquid glass look, I REALLY like it. ChrisJ4203 posted a link to another thread I also participated in. The directions list provided really only works for the lock screen, not the your home screen. While you can reduce the liquid glass look, you can't completely eliminate it. But like all things which are new, you'll find it's not bad at all. Just different and to my eyes, better.

You can certainly stay on iOS 18.7 for a while. But just like Apple has done in the past, they won't support 18.7 permanently. At some point in order to get new features and security updates, you will have to update to iOS 26.

See the information in this thread. How to disable Liquid Glass effect in iOS… - Apple Community

Short update, reducing liquid glass helps a little, make your own desktop HD and folders images to remove

the transparency effect, in system settings go to "Desktop and Dock" set widgets to stage manager and

always dim then disable iPhone widgets.

Set your favorite default browser if you wish to remove Safari new look and reduce Tahoe excessive round corners. In Menu Bar set to automatically hide to regain screen real estate.

If anyone knows how to reduce remove round corners in Text edit windows please let me know.

I made the mistake to upgrade to Tahoe OS 26.1 I am old enough to remember the old Aqua feature

I thought it would be that nice but Liquid Glass is not a good look more important everything got bigger

including widgets on the desktop but why ? They were just fine hidden in the Finder bar, yes I know how

to reduce them and still they look ridiculously big especially the battery%, overall Tahoe feels like a kindergarten

toy and who thought it would be a good thing to make a Mac OS look like an iPhone?

I'll try to re install 18.7 and stay there until Apple will inevitably remove Liquid Glass and giant widgets.