In the third beta of iOS 26, Apple has reduced the transparency of Liquid Glass interface elements — navigation bars, buttons, and tabs. According to The Verge, this decision is related to user complaints about poor readability, particularly in Control Center.
Since the release of the first beta, many users have complained about issues with readability of elements, especially in the "Control Center", where text overlapped with background objects without proper contrast.
The initial look of Liquid Glass, presented at WWDC, was characterized by high transparency, which allowed to see the content under the elements. With the update, the interface became more "matte" and easier for visual perception. But some users did not like such changes: the update is called "a step back" and the destruction of the original concept.
In beta 2, Apple partially addressed the issue by adding more contrast between the buttons and the background, but this made the Control Center interface less transparent and more similar to the "frosted glass" style used in Samsung's One UI 7.
The latest update, Beta 3, continued this trend. The company added even more contrast, which positively affected the usability, but almost completely destroyed the original "fluid" aesthetic. The images below show the visual changes to Control Center that occurred between the first and third betas of iOS 26.
In some cases, the level of transparency now depends on the specific application. The new version is currently only available to developers, with a general release expected in September.