New iOS 26.1 Beta: Liquid Glass Improved, Camera Annoyance Removed
Apple has integrated two noteworthy improvements into its latest iOS 26.1 beta.
Liquid Glass settings in iOS 26.1: Switch easily found in the future.
(Image: Apple)
Criticism of the look of iOS 26 persists. A large number of users find the transparent, glassy Liquid Glass look of the operating system confusing to unreadable. With iOS 26.1, expected in October, this is set to change: after a somewhat hidden “anti-transparency switch” has existed for some time in the accessibility settings, the iPhone manufacturer is now implementing the function in a much more accessible way.
New, Prominent Switch
The new function is integrated into iOS 26 Beta 4, which has also been available as a public preview since yesterday evening and is prominently located in System Settings under “Display & Brightness.” It is simply called Liquid Glass and has two options: "transparent" and “colored.” One of these can be selected. “Choose your preferred appearance for Liquid Glass,” Apple writes. “Transparent” (which Apple calls “Clear” due to a mistranslation) is “more transparent and shows the content underneath.” If “colored” is selected, it “increases opacity and adds more contrast.”
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The effect is similar to the previously available “Reduce Transparency” function in accessibility settings, but according to initial checks, it acts sometimes more aggressively and sometimes less aggressively. For example, notifications on the lock screen, which many users find too transparent, are more readable in both dark and light modes when “colored” is selected. Applications with search bars also display the latter with higher contrast (and thus, for some users, immediately noticeable).
Camera Swipe Now Deactivatable
The control center is also less transparent. Apple has repeatedly adjusted this in the iOS 26 beta, but it ultimately remained too transparent for some users. Here too, the look is more opaque and thus more readable when “colored” is activated. However, Liquid Glass is not eliminated. Nevertheless, Apple must ask itself why user-friendliness was not considered more strongly beforehand. The default remains the “Transparent” mode.
Another new feature in iOS 26.1 Beta 4 concerns the lock screen. In the camera settings, it will be possible in the future to launch the camera from there with a swipe gesture. This is helpful, for example, to prevent another person from easily taking a photo without the user noticing. Additionally, the camera sometimes activated unintentionally. However, long-pressing the camera button from the lock screen remains active.
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