Didn’t Like the iOS 26 Liquid Glass Look? How Simple Changes Can Make You Love Your iPhone Again

Is the New iOS 26 Liquid Glass Interface Confusing? A Step-by-Step Guide to Make It Work for You

When you first updated your iPhone to iOS 26, you might have felt a strong dislike for the new “Liquid Glass” look. It is okay to feel that way. Many people felt the same. At first, the new design can seem strange, bright, and even hard to read. It might feel like everything on your screen is distracting and confusing. You might even regret updating your phone. This feeling comes from the big change. Our eyes and brains get used to how things look, and any new design can feel wrong at first.

The first impression of Liquid Glass can be a lot to take in. The icons might look too shiny, the text might seem less clear, and the whole screen can feel crowded. These are real issues that can make using your phone feel like a chore. You are not wrong for noticing them. When technology changes its appearance so much, it takes time to adjust. But what if you could make it better? What if a few small changes could turn this new design into something you actually enjoy using? It is possible to go from hating the new look to liking it. It just takes a little bit of personalization.

Why It Is Okay to Change Your Opinion

Think about it. We are allowed to change how we feel about things. You might not like a new food the first time you try it, but you might grow to like it later. The same is true for your phone’s software. Your first reaction is valid, but it does not have to be your final one. As you use something new and learn how to make it your own, your feelings can change. Giving yourself permission to explore and adjust the settings is the first step. You might discover that the new design has good parts you did not notice at first.

The goal is to make your phone work for you, not the other way around. The settings and options are there for a reason. They let you control how your phone looks and feels. By using them, you can fix many of the things you dislike about the initial Liquid Glass design.

A Guide to Improving the Liquid Glass Experience

Here are the steps you can take to customize the iOS 26 Liquid Glass interface. These tips will help you feel more comfortable with your iPhone’s new look and make it more pleasant to use every day.

Choose a Wallpaper That Works for You

The most important first step is to pick a good wallpaper. Your wallpaper is the background for everything else on your Home Screen and Lock Screen. If the wallpaper is too busy or bright, it will make the Liquid Glass icons and text harder to see. The default wallpapers that come with iOS 26 might not be the best choice for everyone.

Think of your wallpaper as the foundation of your phone’s look. You need a strong and simple foundation.

• Explore your options: Look through your own photos. A picture of a calm landscape, a pet, or a simple pattern can work very well. The goal is to find something that is easy on the eyes.
• Consider simple designs: A solid color or a gradient can be a great choice. These minimalist backgrounds help the new icons stand out in a clear way without creating visual noise.
• Test different images: Do not just pick one and stick with it. Try a few different wallpapers. See how they look during the day and at night. See how they look with your icons on top of them. The right wallpaper will make the entire screen feel calmer and more organized.

Customize Your Home Screen and Icons

After you have a wallpaper you like, the next step is to adjust the icons on your Home Screen. iOS 26 gives you more control over how your app icons look than ever before. This is where you can really reduce the distracting parts of the Liquid Glass design.

To start, press and hold on an empty area of your Home Screen. After a moment, all the icons will start to jiggle. You will see an “Edit” button appear in the corner. Tap it, and then choose “Customize.” Now you can begin making changes.

• Icon tint and color: You can change the color of your icons. Try setting them to “Dark” mode. This often creates the most consistent and easy-to-read look, no matter what your wallpaper is. The “Light” mode can also work well with darker wallpapers. The “Auto” setting changes them based on the time of day, which some people like.
• Hide app names: There is an option to hide the text labels under your app icons. Try turning this on. When the names are gone, the Home Screen looks much cleaner. The icons also become a little larger, which can make them easier to tap. You already know what most of your apps are just by looking at their icons, so you may not need the names.
• Experiment with the “Clear” look: The Liquid Glass design has a “Clear” option for icons that makes them more transparent. This can look very modern with the right wallpaper. It allows the background to show through your icons, creating a sense of depth. Play with this setting to see if it fits your style.

Personalize Your Lock Screen

You see your Lock Screen many times a day, so making it look good is important. Customizing the Lock Screen clock and adding useful widgets can make a big difference. Long-press on your Lock Screen to open the customization options.

• Adjust the clock: You can change the font and color of the clock. You can also make it larger or smaller. If the Liquid Glass clock feels too bold, try a thinner font style. Matching the clock’s color to a color in your wallpaper can create a very pleasing, unified look.
• Use the depth effect: If your wallpaper has a clear subject, like a person or a pet, you can use the depth effect. This makes part of the clock appear behind the subject of your photo, which adds a cool, three-dimensional feel.
• Add helpful widgets: You can add small widgets to your Lock Screen. These can show you the weather, your next calendar event, or your activity rings. Adding a few widgets that are truly useful to you can make your Lock Screen more than just a pretty picture; it becomes a source of quick information.

Use Custom Wallpapers in Messages

This feature might seem small, but it can have a big impact. You can set a different background wallpaper for each of your conversations in the Messages app. At first, this might sound like a gimmick, but it is very practical.

Setting a custom background helps you instantly recognize which conversation you are in. This is especially helpful for group chats. You can use a photo of the person you are talking to or a picture that reminds you of that group of friends. It helps separate your conversations visually, which can prevent you from accidentally sending a message to the wrong person.

To set a custom background, open a conversation in Messages. Tap on the person’s or group’s name at the top of the screen. Then, find the “Backgrounds” option and choose a wallpaper you like. It adds a personal touch that makes each chat feel unique.

Address Remaining Legibility Issues

Even after all these customizations, you might still find that some text on your iPhone is hard to read. This is a common complaint about the Liquid Glass design. The feeling of things being too cramped or text being too thin are valid concerns.

You can make further adjustments in the Accessibility settings.

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.

• Bold Text: Turning on “Bold Text” can make a huge difference across the entire system, making everything easier to read.
• Increase Contrast: Under the “Increase Contrast” setting, you can reduce transparency and darken colors. This can improve legibility, especially if you found the “Clear” look of Liquid Glass hard to see.
• Larger Text: You can also make the text size larger across all apps. Find what is comfortable for your eyes.

While these customizations help a lot, the core design still has room for improvement. It is likely that Apple will listen to feedback and make changes in future updates to iOS 26 to continue improving how everything looks and feels. Your experience on the Mac or iPad might also feel different, as software features sometimes take longer to mature on different devices. For now, taking control of your iPhone’s settings is the best way to create an experience you can enjoy.