Feedback on the new Liquid Glass design – Give us an option to opt out

Hello Apple!

I’m very unhappy with the new Liquid Glass design that appeared on my iPhone after the latest update, without my consent (Ýes, Im a little late on the wagon, now I wish I wasn't). For me, the new UI is harder to read, less precise, and requires more steps for simple actions. The previous design was clear, efficient, happy and easy to navigate — this new one feels too blurry, glossy, and vague. Eek!

I don't seem to be alone in this. There has been extensive criticism in the press about Liquid Glass, mentioning reduced readability, weaker contrast, distracting animations, and performance issues on older devices.

I really would like the option to return to the previous design. Like in Windows classic-option.

Please give users a choice in Settings to disable Liquid Glass.


iPhone 14 Pro, iOS 26

Posted on Feb 5, 2026 10:55 AM

Reply
14 replies

Feb 24, 2026 12:53 PM in response to IngridML

Thank you for responding with your concerns, IngridML.


There is an old saying:
"Never complain, never explain".


According to Apple:

After a software update is installed for iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS, it cannot be downgraded to the previous version.


What you can do about this:

Open Settings ➢ Accessibility ➢ Display & Text Size, then toggle Reduce Transparency = on.


Also in Settings ➢ Accessibility ➢ Motion, then toggle Reduce Motion = on.


Also in Settings ➢ Display & Brightness ➢ Liquid Glass ➢ Tinted.



When you create a custom iPhone Lock Screen, you can → change the look of the clock. ⏰


A very useful user-tip by lobsterghost1 ▶︎ Liquid Glass - Love It Or Hate It - It's Here To Stay is recommended reading. 👍🏼


In addition, you can provide ⇢ Product Feedback.


If enough requests are made, your feedback might help with future development, like a toggle in the settings (to disable the Liquid Glass effect).


Good luck! 👋🏼😉

Feb 5, 2026 10:57 AM in response to IngridML

Hi, iOS 26 and Liquid Glass are simply the design Apple has chosen to go with, for now. The iPhone User Interface has had several major redesigns in its near 20 year history. The last major redesign was iOS 7, back in 2014. We all somehow managed to get through them all. 


Apple and Apple Support do not participate here. We’re all fellow users and don’t represent Apple.


You may want to review the information in the article I linked to below. It explains the adjustments you can make to mitigate the effects of Liquid Glass that you’re experiencing. 


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


Apple’s installed user base is over 1.5 billion users. Making a single user interface perfectly compatible for every user is literally impossible. Apple will make changes (or not make changes) based partially on the feedback they receive through their official channel, linked below and good luck.


Product Feedback - Apple

Sep 14, 2026 5:42 AM in response to hopemccracken

hopemccracken wrote:
The usability of iPhone has seriously plummeted. Sure they show these changes to a group of tech people and they think it’s great,so it gets approved and put into play. I might switch from iPhone because this new Liquid Glass is really hard to read and deal with. There are multiple bugs, my keyboard and a lot of haptics aren’t working. I don’t know what you guys were thinking with this one, but it really isn’t a good update. I used to brag this was the phone for older people as it was super easy to use. That has completely gone away with Liquid Glass. I’d love if they made a new update that got rid of this, I don’t care how long it takes.

You're responding to a thread from February 5, 2026. And this is a user to user only forum, so we don't honestly care if you choose another phone. But look before you leap, because Samsung adopted Material Design 3 months ago, which includes many aspects of Liquid Glass. You should of course choose whatever phone you think best meets your needs.


Apple isn't getting rid of Liquid Glass. Today, iOS 27 will be released and it will offer more options for people to better customize the affects. And I wrote this to help folks who want more customization, but a switch to just remove something hard coded into the very fiber of iOS isn't likely. Read this --> Liquid Glass - Love It Or Hate It - It's … - Apple Community

Feb 24, 2026 12:41 PM in response to Bcuug

Bcuug wrote:


Jeff Donald wrote:
Making a single user interface perfectly compatible for every user is literally impossible.
For whom does liquid glass render the UI more "compatible"? Prettier, perhaps, but I simply cannot see any way in which it improves functionality. This has the hallmark of a change for the sake of change.

A change I quite like. And Android has also implemented Material Design 3 and if you visit the Androids forums, you'll see many of the same complaints. The reality is we're seeing a new way to display things on flat screens. It's skeuomorphic and it will become more sophisticated over time, but it's what the future holds.


It doesn't change functionality. What you do on your iPhone hasn't changed from what you could do on your phone before Liquid Glass. it just looks a bit different.


And this has been posted, but I wrote this for those people who may not appreciate Liquid Glass as much as I do --> https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250010041

Feb 24, 2026 12:59 PM in response to Bcuug

Hi, do you realize this scenario plays out every year in the community? Last year it was iOS 18 is the worst ever, and the year before that, iOS 17 was an abomination and on and on. Some people accept change and some don’t. I suspect you don’t do well with change and this upgrade was not compatible with your style and needs for using an iPhone. But people do post on the community that they love the UI. I suspect it’s more compatible with their needs and style of using their iPhone. There’s no right or wrong. It’s simple, you can’t make 1.5 billion people happy.


I’m sorry this UI isn’t your cup of tea. I’ve used every single iPhone OS since it was introduced in 2007. I’ve liked some more than others, but I’ve managed all the iOS changes every year. Come June, I'll be beta testing iOS 27 and providing feedback from what my personal experience is and what other users have experienced. It’s what I do. Good luck with the choices you have to make. Apple’s made their’s, I’ve made mine and you’ll have to make yours.

Sep 14, 2026 5:10 AM in response to IngridML

The usability of iPhone has seriously plummeted. Sure they show these changes to a group of tech people and they think it’s great,so it gets approved and put into play. I might switch from iPhone because this new Liquid Glass is really hard to read and deal with. There are multiple bugs, my keyboard and a lot of haptics aren’t working. I don’t know what you guys were thinking with this one, but it really isn’t a good update. I used to brag this was the phone for older people as it was super easy to use. That has completely gone away with Liquid Glass. I’d love if they made a new update that got rid of this, I don’t care how long it takes.

Sep 14, 2026 6:21 AM in response to hopemccracken

hopemccracken wrote:
The usability of iPhone has seriously plummeted. Sure they show these changes to a group of tech people and they think it’s great,so it gets approved and put into play. I might switch from iPhone because this new Liquid Glass is really hard to read and deal with. There are multiple bugs, my keyboard and a lot of haptics aren’t working. I don’t know what you guys were thinking with this one, but it really isn’t a good update. I used to brag this was the phone for older people as it was super easy to use. That has completely gone away with Liquid Glass. I’d love if they made a new update that got rid of this, I don’t care how long it takes.

Just wait another 4 hours or so

Sep 14, 2026 6:21 AM in response to hopemccracken

hopemccracken wrote:
The usability of iPhone has seriously plummeted. Sure they show these changes to a group of tech people and they think it’s great,so it gets approved and put into play. I might switch from iPhone because this new Liquid Glass is really hard to read and deal with. There are multiple bugs, my keyboard and a lot of haptics aren’t working. I don’t know what you guys were thinking with this one, but it really isn’t a good update. I used to brag this was the phone for older people as it was super easy to use. That has completely gone away with Liquid Glass. I’d love if they made a new update that got rid of this, I don’t care how long it takes.

This is a user-to-user forum. None of "us guys" had anything to do with the change. Speaking as an older person, I find Liquid Glass (the name for the UI) to be beautiful and iOS 26 (the name for the operating system) to be largely without bugs.


As lobsterghost1 indicated, Apple is releasing iOS 27 with more customization options for Liquid Glass. However..... I do NOT recommend you update immediately. As you are somewhat change-averse, I recommend that you wait at least a couple of weeks and read what people are saying about the newer version. It is entirely possible that it will introduce something that appeals to you even less than Liquid Glass.

Feedback on the new Liquid Glass design – Give us an option to opt out

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