Apple will let users roll back the Liquid Glass look with new ‘tinted’ option
Apple has rolled out a new feature that makes it easier to customize Liquid Glass to your liking. Now users will be able to set the appearance of Liquid Glass to either Clear or Tinted, with the help of a new setting included in the latest beta update of its mobile and desktop operating systems.
The addition indicates Apple is listening closely to user feedback in these early days of the iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26 public launches. Apples likes to push through more significant changes, but it will often offer a fallback option for those who have a hard time adjusting.
That was the case when Apple moved Safari’s address to the bottom of the screen in 2021. After some user backlash over the then controversial decision, the iPhone maker added an option to revert the bar to the top of the screen. (Apple, we’ll concede, was right to make the move; the bar’s location is better when it’s in easier reach of your thumbs.)
Now Apple is taking a similar approach with Liquid Glass.
The new user interface that shipped with iOS 26 and other Apple operating systems was the company’s biggest design overhaul since its move from a skeuomorphic to flat design back in 2013. As with most changes of this scale and significance, not everybody has been on board.
Some have said the Liquid Glass design makes various parts of the interface harder to read, including notifications or navigation controls in apps like Apple Music and others. Others have said they love Liquid Glass’s attention to detail and its new look, which felt like a more modern update to an interface that had grown stale over the years.
With another potential divisive response on its hands, Apple is now ceding some control over Liquid Glass’s appearance back to the users.
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The new feature, first spotted by 9to5Mac, arrived in iOS 26.1 beta 4 and the accompanying updates for tablets and desktop computers.
Reached for comment, Apple told TechCrunch that, during the beta period this summer, it heard from some users who wanted the option to set a more opaque look for Liquid Glass. This new setting that lets users personalize Liquid Glass is available in iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1.
To access the feature, beta users can visit the “Display & Brightness” menu under Settings to find the added Liquid Glass menu option. On Mac, it’s under “Appearance” in System Settings. The control lets you choose between two options, Clear and Tinted. The latter increases the opacity of interface elements, making them easier to see.
Though some users had been advocating for a slider that lets them control the opacity more precisely, Apple has opted for a toggle where it specifies the two levels of tint that users can choose from.
Apple told TechCrunch that any developers who have already implemented Liquid Glass in their apps will automatically have the user’s preference applied. Developers are able to test this now in the 26.1 developer beta.
After selecting their preferred option, users will see changes across user interface elements, like the Now Playing controls, Notifications on the Lock Screen, and in Apple’s apps and those from third-party developers.
While the beta feature arrives for developers today, the public beta should arrive over the next few days ahead of the wider public release.
Sarah has worked as a reporter for TechCrunch since August 2011. She joined the company after having previously spent over three years at ReadWriteWeb. Prior to her work as a reporter, Sarah worked in I.T. across a number of industries, including banking, retail and software.
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