Hate iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design? Turn It Off!

Apple's new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26 has turned heads with its glossy, fluid aesthetic—but not everyone loves it. Some users find it distracting, harder on the eyes, or simply not their style. The good news? You don't have to stick with it. iOS 26 gives you multiple ways to tone it down or switch back to a simpler, cleaner interface. In this guide, we'll walk you through the top methods to turn off the Liquid Glass effect and customize your iPhone's look the way you want.

Part 1. What Is Liquid Glass?

Liquid Glass is Apple's new design language introduced with iOS 26. It gives the iPhone interface a glossy, translucent, and layered look, making system elements—like app icons, widgets, Control Center, and notifications—appear as if they're made of polished glass.

Inspired by visionOS, Liquid Glass uses transparency, blur effects, and depth to create a more fluid and dynamic feel. The goal is to make the iPhone's UI look modern, immersive, and visually consistent across Apple devices.

👉 In short: Liquid Glass is Apple's bold new "glass-like" aesthetic for iOS, blending clarity with a sense of depth.

Part 2. How to Turn Off iOS 26 Liquid Glass Design?

Method 1. Use the Reduce Transparency Accessibility Setting

While you can't fully disable Liquid Glass's translucent effects, you can significantly reduce them:

Step 1: Go to Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size.
Step 2: Toggle Reduce Transparency on.
Step 3: This adds darker backgrounds behind elements like the Control Center, app icons, and folders—boosting contrast and making the UI easier on the eyes.
Step 4: For quicker access, add it to your Accessibility Shortcut and reach it via the Control Center.

Extra Contrast Options:

If text and icons still feel hard to read after turning on Reduce Transparency, head back to Settings ➝ Accessibility ➝ Display & Text Size and switch on Increase Contrast. When used together, these two settings greatly cut down on translucency—though you'll notice that many icons lose their glassy effect almost entirely.

Since the Liquid Glass style is still in beta, Apple is expected to keep adjusting its appearance based on user feedback. The full public release of iOS 26 is anticipated around September, 2025.

Method 2. Apply the "Clear Look" Theme

If you want to tweak the transparency of the Liquid Glass design, you can try the "Clear Look" theme. This lets the background show through while keeping your icons stylishly transparent. Follow these steps:

Step 1: On your Home Screen, tap and hold any empty space until the icons start to jiggle. Tap Edit, then select Customize.
Step 2: In the customization menu, find the Clear icon style. You can choose Clear Dark, which keeps icons transparent but adds a dark layer for better contrast.
Step 3: Alternatively, select Auto to have your icons switch between Light and Dark automatically, based on your system theme. Once you’ve made your choice, exit the settings to apply the new icon style.

Method 3. Downgrade iOS 26 Beta to iOS 18

For users who have installed the iOS 26 Beta and wish to revert to the stable iOS 18, particularly to move away from the new "liquid glass design," a downgrade is possible. Then TunesKit iOS System Recovery comes in handy, which can streamline the reinstallation of a previous iOS version.

In addition, it enables you to fix iOS 26 Beta bugs and glitches without data loss. And it resolves common problems like iPhone stuck on Apple logo, black/white screen, boot loop, frozen screen, update failures, and more. It works with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, and it also supports all the iOS versions. With a clear and intuitive interface, it is suitable for all users to get started.

Here's a step-by-step guide to downgrade iOS 26 Beta to iOS 18 using TunesKit iOS System Recovery.

Step 1Launch TunesKit and Select Downgrade Option

First of all, download, install, and launch this software on your PC. Connect your iPhone to your computer using a reliable USB cable. Select Upgrade/Downgrade iOS on the main screen. On the next page, select iOS Downgrade to continue.

Step 2Download the iOS 18 Firmware

TunesKit will display a list of signed iOS firmware versions that are available for your specific iPhone model. From the provided options, select the desired iOS 18 version. After selecting the correct firmware, click the "Download" button. The software will then download the necessary IPSW file.

Step 3 Start the Downgrade Process

Once the firmware download is complete, you will be ready to begin the downgrade. Click on the "Start Downgrade" button to initiate the process. TunesKit will begin installing iOS 18 on your iPhone. It is critical that you do not disconnect your device from the computer during this process.

Step 4Complete the Downgrade and Restore Your Device

Once it is finished, your iPhone will restart automatically and will be running on the stable version of iOS 18. You can then proceed to set up your device. By following these steps, you can successfully downgrade your iPhone from the iOS 26 Beta to iOS 18 and remove the "liquid glass design."

Part 3. Pros and Cons of Liquid Glass

Part 4. FAQs about iOS 26 Liguid Glass Design

Part 5. Conclusion

The new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26 introduces a glossy, translucent look that not everyone enjoys. While you can't fully disable it, settings like Reduce Transparency, Increase Contrast, and optional themes such as Clear Look help tone it down for better readability. For users who prefer the old interface entirely, TunesKit iOS System Recovery offers a simple way to downgrade iOS without jailbreaking—letting you roll back from iOS 26 to a previous version safely and reliably.