In a significant design U-turn, Apple has begun scaling back its controversial 'Liquid Glass' iPhone interface a mere three months after its general release. The tech giant's latest software patch, iOS 26.2, introduces controls allowing users to reduce the intensity of the translucent, glass-like effects that drew fierce criticism from a portion of its user base.
A Swift Reversal Following Autumn Launch
Released on Friday, December 12, the incremental update features a new slider specifically for the lock screen. This tool enables iPhone owners to adjust the appearance of the digital clock, making it more opaque and less transparent. The original Liquid Glass aesthetic was a flagship feature of iOS 26, unveiled at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 9, 2025, before rolling out to all users on September 15.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, had initially championed the design as "gorgeous." It aimed to replace the company's traditional flat icons with a dynamic theme resembling a "translucent material that reflects and refracts its surroundings." The effect rendered icons, buttons, and text with increased transparency, distorting backgrounds in real-time.
User Feedback Forces a Change
However, public reception was far from universal acclaim. Feedback on social media and tech forums was largely negative, with many users labelling the glass-like elements as visually unappealing, difficult to use, and even straining on the eyes. Some complained the slightly slanted appearance of app icons made them "feel drunk," while one particularly scathing comment suggested Apple co-founder Steve Jobs "would've fired everyone" responsible for the design.
The swift introduction of a user-controlled slider in iOS 26.2 is widely seen as a direct response to this backlash. On social media platform X, users celebrated the newfound control. "This is the first thing I did after installing iOS26.2 – tweaked the liquid glass transparency of Clock," one user posted. Another demanded, "Now add this everywhere so I can switch to frosted glass," and a third succinctly noted, "Turns out readability still matters."
How to Adjust Your iPhone's Look
The new functionality is straightforward. When your iPhone screen is locked, a slider appears, letting you modify the transparency of the time display, ranging from nearly clear to a frosted finish. A further option below the slider lets users select 'Solid' instead of 'Glass' for a completely opaque clock.
To access these features, you must first install iOS 26.2. The process is simple:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap General.
- Select Software Update.
- If iOS 26.2 is available, tap Install Now or Download and Install.
You can also enable 'Automatic Updates' to ensure you receive future patches promptly. The update is available for a wide range of iPhones, from the latest iPhone 16 series back to the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE models (2020 & 2022).
More Than Just a Design Fix
While the Liquid Glass adjustment is the headline change, iOS 26.2 bundles several other enhancements. These include alarms for the Reminders app, offline lyrics support for Apple Music, and in-game score banners for Games. The Podcasts app gains AI-generated chapter markers, and AirDrop receives an extra verification layer for improved security. As always, the update also contains crucial bug fixes and security patches.
This episode highlights Apple's reactive approach to major software design changes. While the company is known for its bold aesthetic shifts, it has demonstrated a willingness to provide user-facing controls when a feature proves divisive. The rapid deployment of this fix suggests Apple is keenly listening to its community, even when it means walking back a signature visual element of a major iOS release.
