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
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:
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:
Every Report counts.
The reduce transparency worked well for me. I had to change my wallpaper to a darker one because I couldn’t read anything on the screen with Liquid Glass, it’s terrible! Looks like a cheap third party UI 😖
Spinoza_Ed wrote:
I think liquid glass is awful. Reducing transparency helped some but it is still awful. I am writing messages with another message showing up underneath. It is distracting and I think it is ugly. Asking Apple for a feature to completely disable what I think is a total mess.
You're not writing anyone at Apple, by posting here. This is a user to user only forum, which Apple neither participates nor reads for user feedback.
You can use this link to share your thoughts with Apple, but I wouldn't expect Apple to disable a key feature of iOS, which is hard coded throughout the entire operating system --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple
You might want to read this all the way through and make adjustments, which may better meet your needs --> Liquid Glass - Love It Or Hate It - It's … - Apple Community
You have to fix this and let us take off Liquid Glass.
1. There is nothing to fix.
2. This is a user to user forum, Apple is not here
There are 29 pages of answers which you obviously didn't read before posting another "me too" answer so I'll make it easy for you. Read the following information to help with your issue -
Liquid Glass - Love It Or Hate It - It's … - Apple Community
If you still want to let Apple know, go here -
No off switch. Very upsetting I want an off switch so bad but apparently Apple said no cause Liquid Glass is “hard coded into the OS” like man… at least let us downgrade or something idk I’m just so desperate to get this thing gone. You don’t understand how close I am to switching to samsung
brentgrab wrote:
Unfortunately the various settings many mention in this thread are band aid solutions that really don’t fix anything fully.
None of the posts here about adjusting the Liquid Glass effects have anything to do with the Screen Brightness levels changing that you have identified as a problem, so of course will not be a solution for you. If you are seeing changes in brightness, then make sure you are manually controlling the Brightness level instead of the device doing that automatically. I would also recommend to adjust the Color Temperatures using the options in this Support Article.
Adjust the brightness and color temperature on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support
Changing the color temperature and adjusting the blue light levels would be helpful to reduce eye strain. And Optometrists recommend to wear glasses that block the blue light waves from electronic devices, which is much more of a concern when "doom" scrolling in apps that you have identified such as Instagram, Reels, or even TikTok.
I have seen little difference between iOS 18 and iOS 26 on the same device, but certainly newer phones have brighter screens and rated in nits on their specifications. One of the complaints of older phones was the visibility issue when viewed outside due to the lower nits rating, which is why you see newer phones have screens with a much higher nits rating.
Suggestions:
mfreeman94 wrote:
It's not just about the accessibility issues discussed all over the worldwide web, Apple's new design is a step back in graphic design!!! The inconsistent sizing and outlining of visual elements is distracting and confusing. Apple has always been a leader in the simplicity of visual design. I don't know how this haphazard mess of confusion was ever approved by Apple's design team! As a person with a disability, the visual confusion makes navigating my device quite difficult. Executing tasks is a lot more confusing and mentally draining for me than before.
I am very disappointed in this new update and wish I had the option to remove it. I have been considering moving away from iPhone for a good year or so, as competitors have stepped up in matching iPhone's intuitiveness and functionality. The visual confusion and reduced accessibility, as well as the distraction and frustration of ugly graphics is definitely a motivator in abandoning my iPhone the next time I'm ready for an upgrade.
Apple just lost their edge in the battle for superiority! I fully expect a significant drop in sales in 2026.
Your only other option is Android and they are introducing a very similar look.
If you have visual issues then
Settings, Accessibility, Display & Text size, reduce transparency
Settings, Accessibility, Display & Text size , increase contrast
Settings, Accessibility, Display & Text size , Display Borders
Settings, Accessibility, Motion, Reduce motion
jumel wrote:
Thank you. I’m in Australia and the IOS update has only become available to me yesterday and abruptly changed the appearance of my Home Screen so much. I’m not a fan of Liquid Glass and yes, in fact I fall into the category of users who hate it. I would love to be able to turn it off. Your suggested changes have helped, especially turning off the animated motion. I don’t believe the new Liquid Glass is user friendly and will bother the many people who wear glasses or have vision impairment, probably 50% of Apple users.
Be assured that you are not alone.
While many contributors here enjoy the new Liquid Glass implementation - and persistently proclaim their delight with this new feature - there is also an appreciable segment of this community with less than perfect eyesight that have tangible difficulties with the visual aspects of this new feature. Setting aside the controversial aesthetic qualities, genuine difficulties are being experienced by some users with vision deficiencies and/or potentially undiagnosed visual or neurological impairment.
Unless amongst the population that experience these difficulties, others seemingly have difficulty grasping the problems that have been introduced with this significant change to the UI design. You, I and some others here are among those that do experience problems with Liquid Glass.
Hopefully you will have already followed the advice and amelioration suggestions that I posted (January 4th 2026) within this now lengthy thread - and will have derived some benefit from this advice.
What you and others with difficulties can do is submit constructive feedback about Liquid Glass to Apple - using the Product Feedback portal. It is in your own best interests to do so as, unless or until adequate feedback has been received, Apple may not respond with positive change:
While Apple have expended significant technical and intellectual resources in developing the new visual aesthetic, it is perhaps not unreasonable to anticipate the ability to disable or enable this feature as user-needs dictate. For those that enjoy the new visual experience, they might continue to do so - while those with physiological difficulties, or simply dislike the revised visuals, might significantly improve legibility by disabling this feature.
If it matters to you, please provide constructive feedback to Apple. All feedback matters.
Press on your home screen until you see the edit button at the top left. Tap Edit, then move the Widget and voila, srsly, you will have fixed your nightmare.
Hello~ In addition to the link that *lobsterghost1* posted…let Apple know your thoughts as they won’t see them here in this forum.
~Katana-San~
You can turn on “Show Borders” (also in accessibility > display & text size) and it’s still not great but it does get rid of the worst part of the “glass” effect
This is a user to user forum, you are not addressing Apple here. Use the following link you send your feedback to Apple -
OK, but that's not how it should be working. When was the last time you Force Restarted your iPhone? Do this --> Force restart iPhone - Apple Support
No it’s not. The lock screen will appear fully transparent until you slide it all the way down.
How to disable liquid glass in iOS 26?
