Apple’s new Liquid Glass user interface in iOS 26 is already dividing opinion. And if history is any guide, that’s not surprising. We saw a similar backlash when iOS 7 launched, marking a radical shift away from the original iPhone’s skeuomorphic design in favour of flat elements and the removal of shadows. Now, with iOS 26, Apple is embracing refraction, dynamic lighting, and… glass. Lots of it. But why is there so much noise when the update hasn’t even shipped yet?
There are a few things at play here. Firstly, we have to consider scale. According to some statistics, there are well over two billion active Apple devices, and over one billion of those devices are iPhones. That’s a lot of people impacted by any changes Apple makes to its software, big or small. And iOS 26 is a major redesign. As the saying goes…you can please some of the people some of the time. In the age of the internet, the loudest voices get amplified by algorithms, and even relatively minor issues can be catapulted to the top of people’s feeds.
Secondly, Apple has shifted how it distributes its developer beta software in recent years. It’s now incredibly easy for anybody to go to the software updates panel and toggle on developer betas. That’s the only friction. Once that toggle is enabled, your iPhone downloads the update and automatically installs it.
Previously, it was much harder for the general public to access developer betas if they were not part of the Apple Developer Programme. That programme required an annual fee and acted as a deterrent to casual curiosity. But for the more avid Apple fan, rudimentary knowledge of how to download and install the software from unofficial sources enabled them to bypass membership. Again, a level of friction that would deter most of the public.
Scale combined with ease of access has amplified the noise around iOS 26. But what actually is all the fuss about? When Apple unveiled Liquid Glass, many folks loved it and others despised it. The biggest concern has been around the translucency of the glassy elements of iOS 26. Some people have had valid concerns about legibility and accessibility. But Apple has been making tweaks and changes with each subsequent beta. Beta 3 has dialled back some of the translucency in certain areas of the operating system, becoming more frosted. That’s assuaged folks with those initial concerns. But in doing so, it’s upset the other camp that loved the initial design shown in the first couple of betas.
The problem isn’t that people have opinions. The issue is that those concerns are often stated as if these initial betas are a final shipped product. In reality, that isn’t how design or software development works. It’s an iterative process that requires feedback, refinement, and extensive testing. That’s one of the many reasons that Apple has a beta program. In addition to enabling developers to test and update their apps for compatibility, it enables Apple to gather feedback from users so that they can tweak and fix issues before the final product ships.
We’re still quite early into the beta cycle. Typically, Apple releases at least eight betas, and we’re currently on beta 3. Heck, Apple hasn’t even released a public beta yet. And what that means is that we will see many more changes and iterations before the final public release of iOS 26. We don’t know why Apple scaled back some of the translucency in beta 3. Perhaps it was directly due to public feedback. Or perhaps not. Perhaps Apple’s design and software engineering teams are doing A/B testing and exploring different options. After all, now is the time to do it. Before the product ships and is installed on billions of devices. It’s much harder to make big design changes once a major release has been shipped.
Expect plenty more changes in the coming weeks as new beta updates roll out. And brace yourself for even more noise when the public beta lands. The hot takes will only multiply, especially from those who don’t quite understand how software development works. That’s not a criticism, just a fact. It’s what happens when even your grandma can flip a switch and install a developer beta.
All I’ll say is people living in (liquid) glass houses, shouldn’t throw stones. Use the Feedback app instead.
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