iOS 26’s Liquid Glass redesign met with backlash from Apple users

During the WWDC 2025 event held in Cupertino, Apple announced the launch of its latest operating system, iOS 26, featuring a striking new 'Liquid Glass' design aimed at enhancing the user interface. The tech giant promotes this overhaul as a way to create a more engaging and enjoyable user experience. However, the response from users has been largely negative. Many have taken to social media to voice their concerns regarding the new transparent theme, which they believe could pose significant readability challenges, particularly against light backgrounds. One frustrated Reddit user lamented, "Please for the love of god, make the 'frosting' level customizable. It's a cool look, but if your background is busy at all, this is going to be an accessibility nightmare." Another user echoed similar sentiments, stating, "I’m probably getting old, with bad eyesight, so this looks like it’ll be an accessibility nightmare for me. I hope they tone the effect down or provide options to make it less transparent." Feedback regarding the lock screen notifications was also critical, with one user commenting, "The promotional images look like hell to me; I can barely make out the text content with the excessive transparency." A user who tested the iOS 26 Developer Beta reported that the issues could be even more pronounced than anticipated, noting, "There’s a lack of contrast everywhere in the beta. Notifications are so hard to read even." Others expressed disappointment with the new design, suggesting that Apple has strayed from its commitment to enhancing the user experience. Historical comparisons were drawn to the backlash surrounding the launch of iOS 7, which also faced criticism for its design choices. One user remarked, "A similar situation occurred when iOS 7 debuted with terribly thin typefaces. iOS 8 and 9 eventually adjusted those elements for better accessibility. I hope they take a similar approach this time, as they should have learned from past experiences."