iOS 26 Beta 3’s Liquid Glass Rollback Draws Developer Backlash

When Apple announced Liquid Glass, its new design language across operating systems, people immediately likened it to Windows Vista to poke fun at the Tim Cook-led company’s approach, saying it does not feel futuristic. However, some users expressed genuine concerns over how the transparent design obscures the legibility of on-screen text. The latest iOS 26 beta 3 brings a fix for that problem, showing that Apple heard the feedback loud and clear and rolled back the intensity of the Liquid Glass effect, only to receive more backlash.

There is nothing wrong with the latest iOS 26 beta. It eliminates several bugs to bring more stability to the new iPhone software. It also makes minor enhancements in several apps for a better experience. But the only part of iOS 26 beta 3 that stands out is how Apple’s Liquid Glass design has changed into ‘Frosted Glass’, where transparency has been reduced to make text seem more distinctive and clearer. In a way, it is a welcome change, especially for users who decried the transparent overlays in iOS 26. Some testers have appreciated Apple for improving contrast. Why the backlash, then?

The developer community has criticised Apple for diluting the identity of Liquid Glass design, especially since it was everything Apple promoted at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025. “It looks so much cheaper now and feels like Apple is backtracking,” said a developer on X. TechCrunch cited Sam Kohl, a popular YouTube content creator, to say the new design is “a step backwards.” Some users said the new design is more user-friendly, but the consensus is that Liquid Design has lost its flair with the latest tweak. Sure, the first beta version had some legibility issues, especially in the Control Center, but Apple had already addressed most of them in the second beta build. The third beta feels like Apple over-implemented the feedback, possibly to test if this level of transparency sits well with users. For instance, the navigation bars in apps such as Apple Music and Apple TV look less dramatic, while notification bars also have a black tint to make them look different from the rest of the notification drawer.

Mind you, this is still a beta version, so nothing has been finalised yet. Apple is perhaps testing what exactly the Liquid Glass design should look like when the stable iOS 26 build rolls out. Apple understood that its version of Liquid Glass is not what people want or anticipate, and the beta 3 update is a resounding assurance that the company is open to feedback. The latest dialback could be part of Apple's fine-tuning of iOS 26 before the September release.

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