Level 1

63 points

How to disable liquid glass in iOS 26?

Is there a way to completely disable the liquid glass functionality on iOS 26? I'm not going to get into a lengthy diatribe over why it's awful, I just want it gone.

iPhone 13 Pro Max, iOS 18

Posted on Sep 16, 2025 8:14 AM

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LotusPilot

Level 10

331,214 points

Posted on Jan 4, 2026 5:31 AM

amdc101 wrote:

There is a serious issue around accessibility with the Liquid Glass display, it’s not just an aesthetic issue. I do personally think it’s an unnecessary overlay, and don’t like it, but part of that is that I work for a charity for blind people and in terms of apples usual excellence with accessibility this is a huge fail.

iOS/iPadOS 26.1 introduced a new setting that subtly charges the appearance of Liquid Glass:

Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass - select Clear or Tinted

Sadly, for iPad, this new setting makes very little difference for those that struggle with both the appearance and overlapping screen elements introduced with Liquid Glass - an issue that is often not understood by those that have perfect eyesight.

If you are experiencing difficulty with the new Liquid Glass UI, there are other settings that can significantly improve the appearance and suppress the majority of unwanted effects:

Settings > Accessibility > [Vision] Display & Text Size > Reduce Transparency - set to ON
Settings > Accessibility > [Vision] Display & Text Size > Increase Contrast - set to ON
Settings > Accessibility > [Motion] Reduce Motion - set to ON

Each if these settings can be used individually, or in combination. Setting Reduce Transparency alone (1) will likely suppress the majority of your issues. The Reduce Motion setting (3), if used, will eliminate the "lensing" effects of the Liquid Glass UI. Experiment; you should find a combination that works for you.

I suggest that you begin with setting Reduce Transparency to ON - and then, if needed, experiment with additional use of one or more of the other options.

NB: The new Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass setting can only be changed/toggled while Reduce Transparency is set to OFF. You might find that setting Liquid Glass to Clear, prior to enabling Reduced Transparency to ON, may give the best result.

Liquid Glass is here to stay - and will likely evolve throughout the lifespan of iOS/iPadOS 26. Hopefully, Apple will provide additional controls over time with which to selectively eliminate aspects of the new UI to better meet the functional and visual needs of the wider user population. Liquid Glass is very "pretty" - but for some is arguably form over function, reducing legibility and usability for some users.

You - and anyone else that has an issue with the Liquid Glass implementation - should submit constructive comments via Apple's Product Feedback portal. For iPhone:

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

Every Report counts.

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604 replies

Jan 8, 2026 11:49 AM in response to brentgrab

brentgrab wrote:

Something about iOS 26 is wreaking havoc on my eyeballs and also causing headaches. Which I never had emails before 26.

Sudden changes in health, especially headaches, should be discussed with your doctor. Just because things happen at the same time doesn't mean one caused the other. It would be unfortunate if your headaches were actually caused by a more serious problem and you didn't address it.

brentgrab

Level 2

440 points

Jan 8, 2026 11:57 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

Went to the doctor. It’s not that. In perfect health. Doctor agreed if the only thing changed was my phone (updating the OS), then that’s the problem because my eyes, brain, and neurological system is 100%. It’s really unfortunate.

Jan 12, 2026 12:41 PM in response to GrBear

I haven't seen anyone complain about transparent overlays (see attached) - haven't had time to visit genius bar to inquire, but my overlays when swiping down are also transparent. Like many others, my eyesight is suffering because of this update, and I'm avoiding updating to Tahoe on my macbook as I just can't deal with anymore of this sewer water glass. Anyone else experiencing this?

Jan 12, 2026 12:46 PM in response to fluxappeal

It appears you are using a screenshot of your iPhone home page as your Lock Screen Wallpaper? Why? I'd recommend you change your Lock Screen Wallpaper and then read this user tip to learn about all the ways you can adjust Liquid Glass --> Liquid Glass - Love It Or Hate It - It's … - Apple Community

Jan 12, 2026 1:17 PM in response to Mac Jim ID

Fascinating..you're the second person to suggest that I would actually use this image as my wallpaper. I know..this may be mind-bending, but this is not wallpaper, but a screengrab of what I see when I pull down from the top. Changes from moment to moment, as the time and notifications change. If you look, it's dated today at the time I posted. But..it does give me an idea. I use focus modes throughout the day with only specific apps available. Perhaps is a bug. I'll try it and report back.

Jan 12, 2026 1:24 PM in response to lobsterghost1

Not wallpaper, a screenshot of what appears when I pull down. It's my lock screen content + notifications being overlaid on top of my whatever app or icons are there. Here's another with LinkedIn app open:

Jan 12, 2026 3:27 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

I often pull down to look at notifications while in other apps without having to stop what I'm doing, so while it does disappear on release, it's an extra swipe now + hard on the eyes. Restart doesn't change it, it's me who must effectively change my use of the phone to adapt. Thanks for confirming this the behavior of the screen now.

Jan 12, 2026 6:43 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Thanks for the suggestion, I've force restarted a few times since this started. In fact, the login keypad similarly floats over the wallpaper with a transparent background. I think I'll go ahead and re-set everything back to original, perhaps one of the "fixes" for the liquid glass has cause this situation.

Jan 12, 2026 9:26 PM in response to Zedairder

It does, but it's difficult to see over most any wallpaper. I can live with that, but I don't think it was that way before. The problem for me is that the lack of contrast overall is fatiguing on my eyes.

Jan 13, 2026 4:38 PM in response to GrBear

I found this on the Apple Support site and thought it looked helpful.

Choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass

Go to the Settings app on your iPhone.
Tap Display & Brightness, then tap Liquid Glass.
Choose Clear for a more transparent look or Tinted for more contrast and increased opacity.
Note: If you turned on Reduced Transparency or Increased Contrast in Accessibility settings, you need to turn them off to change the look for Liquid Glass.

Jan 13, 2026 4:57 PM in response to Tracey Adams

Tracey Adams wrote:

I found this on the Apple Support site and thought it looked helpful.

Choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass

Go to the Settings app

https://help.apple.com/assets/68FABD5B6EF504342600E3E5/68FABD675A41CCC23909151C/en_US/610900798ec772fa266e98f9f6042807.png1.

on your iPhone.

2. Tap Display & Brightness, then tap Liquid Glass.

3. Choose Clear for a more transparent look or Tinted for more contrast and increased opacity.

Note: 1. If you turned on Reduced Transparency or Increased Contrast in Accessibility settings, you need to turn them off to change the look for Liquid Glass.

It's a good idea to check the date of the post you're responding to. You responded to a post from last September and it's highly likely the Author of this thread knows about this and there are many posts with even more information on how to customize Liquid Glass throughougt the 34 pages of this thread.

Jan 13, 2026 5:07 PM in response to Community User

I do have black wallpaper, I think perhaps you missed my earlier images. Yes, the lock screen has writing on it, but this isn't something I do 20x a day. I've tried all the settings, done all the things, and lodged my complaints with Apple - I'm done wasting time on it. Thanks for the ideas!