Glass icons in iOS 26: Some users feel sick
Using certain settings for iPhone icons in iOS 26 may result in a "warped" image. This is too much for sensitive users.
Settings menu for icons in iOS 26: The "Dark" and "Colored" modes in particular can be distracting.
(Image: Apple)
Currently almost 3700 upvotes – plus over 700 comments: A post on Reddit about the iOS 26 design is currently causing heated discussions. It's about the way Apple has changed the icons in the Liquid Glass look more precisely around its edges. As it turns out, you can change the overall transparency of the operating system (up to turning it off completely), but not this one element.
"Cheap" glass effect
Especially when using dark mode and the "colored" display option, app icons can look "crooked." "I updated my phone to iOS 26 and was honestly pretty shocked when I saw the home screen in dark mode! The frame 'glow' effect makes the apps look crooked, which is very distracting," said the original poster. It even makes him "a little dizzy." Other users agreed: "Damn, now that I see it, I can't unsee it." In addition, according to another Reddit poster, dark mode looks "cheap" in combination with the glass effect. One user even feels really sick: "The update makes me feel drunk."
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If you want to reduce Liquid Glass overall, you can go to the Accessibility menu (Accessibility) and select "Reduce Transparency." However, Apple overlooked the icon effect here, apparently because the company thought it didn't affect readability. In practice, this is actually the case – unless you perceive the icons as "skewed" as a result. The effect is also enhanced by the fact that it is dynamic: if you hold the iPhone differently, the effect also adjusts. Furthermore, the movement can be reduced (also via the accessibility options), but this does not change anything either, it only influences other areas of the system.
Downgrade trending
Users who have already switched to iOS 26 are now considering downgrading. On Google Trends, the phrase "iOS 26 downgrade" increased in the first few days after the new operating system was released last Monday. Apple itself only provides instructions for downgrading beta versions.
This requires a Mac or PC. After backing up, you then use Finder (or the Apple Devices app on Windows), but you need a suitable IPSW file, which Apple currently still offers.
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