iOS 26 Developer Beta 6: Apple continues to work on Liquid Glass
Too transparent, not transparent enough, just right at some point: Apple's designers are still unsure how the new UI should look on the iPhone.
Liquid Glass in iOS 26: Here is a status from June.
(Image: Apple)
Anyone who has the opportunity to test Apple's developer beta of iOS 26 has been experiencing ups and downs for months: the new interface, Liquid Glass, is constantly being given new changes by the designers from Cupertino. While Developer Beta 2, for example, went back to more "frostiness" (which increased readability), some of the elements in later betas became more glassy again.
Small adjustments, big effect
With Developer Beta 6, which was released this week, Apple is now returning to more transparent elements –, possibly because there were observers who accused the company of being discouraged (or reacting too quickly to criticism of the legibility of iOS 26 elements). Users of the beta, on the other hand, are increasingly wondering when Apple will finally decide on a direction. This obviously doesn't seem to be easy for the design team.
After installing iOS 26 Developer Beta 6, you can see more transparent clock digits on the lock screen depending on the background image. If you hold down a slide switch, it appears in glass form. Navigation bars are sometimes more transparent, sometimes not. It is still not clear which algorithm Apple is following here, which is particularly annoying for developers, as they have to constantly adapt their applications to iOS 26. The new animations when opening and closing apps, on the other hand, are a success; they look much more dynamic, especially when opening dock icons. The control center is still quite easy to read, although the glass effect of the circular interface elements can be confusing.
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Onboarding video should make it easier to use
Otherwise, Apple is slowly preparing for the final version. The code leak expert @aaronp613 has discovered an onboarding video that is intended to explain the new functions. It shows, among other things, the new icon settings including the barely legible "Clear" variant, the operation of the new camera app and the use of Safari in the Liquid Glass UI.
Meanwhile, Apple has integrated a new onboarding screen on the iPad with iPadOS 26 Beta 6. Among other things, this explains the significantly redesigned new window system. The new operating systems are expected in mid-September and a public beta phase is currently underway.
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