Overview

• Apple’s Liquid Glass applies a real‑time translucent material across controls, system surfaces, and the Lock and Home screens, adapting to surrounding content and lighting.
• iOS 26 adds Clear, Tinted, and standard icon appearances, which users can set by long‑pressing the Home Screen, choosing Edit, then Customize to select their preferred style.
• Some users report an optical illusion that makes icons look slightly skewed even though they are not tilted, a perception noted as stronger with dark wallpapers and Clear or Tinted modes.
• Accessibility steps reported to reduce the effect include Settings > Accessibility > Motion > Reduce Motion, and some guides suggest using more colorful wallpapers to distract from the glow edges.
• The update is available for a wide range of devices from iPhone 11 through the latest models, including recent SE versions, with mixed user reports on battery drain contrasted by claims of optimized visuals.