In the third developer beta, Apple turned down the gloss on navigation bars, buttons and tabs, muting the effect so much that “liquid” barely applies.

According to Business Insider, blur effects have been darkened and contrast ramped up across core apps like Safari, Apple Music and Control Centre. The move is  aimed at improving readability, after early complaints that icons and text were getting lost behind the flashy translucent layers. It’s the design equivalent of going from stained glass cathedral to frosted bathroom window.

AppleTrack's Sam Kohl grumbled on X: “iOS 26 beta 3 completely nerfs Liquid Glass… looks so much cheaper now.” Mark Gurman added, “Announce a huge redesign just to throw much of it away… At least rename it now to Frosted Glass. Lol.”

And in case this “revolutionary” feature felt familiar, that’s because it is. The whole Liquid Glass aesthetic is little more than a warmed-up version of Microsoft’s Aero Glass from the Vista days. It is being watered down by Apple before it even reaches the public.

Designers are also unimpressed. Allan Yu, who’s worked at Shopify and Facebook, told Business Insider, “It took a step back to where design was anyways… There’s a little bit of transparency, but not really.” MacPaw’s Serhii Popov said he’d prefer a toggle to adjust the effect rather than being forced into Cupertino’s latest rethink.

BGR noted that Liquid Glass is now “more opaque than ever,” and India Today said Apple is “quietly toning down” key design elements in favour of clarity. So much for visionary. At this rate, by September’s release, Liquid Glass might just look like ordinary plastic and Job’s Mob will be telling us it’s better that way.