Apple has released iOS 26.1, its first major update alongside the iPhone in September.
iOS 26.1 brings a lot of changes, including the ability to get live translation in more languages and better FaceTime call quality. But the most notable change is actually something of a rollback, with Apple allowing users to dial back one of its most controversial new features.
The major iOS 26 update released in September brought Liquid Glass, a brilliant redesign that has appeared in various forms across all of Apple’s new software. It was praised by some, but also criticized because the glass theme meant that parts of the menus and notifications were less legible than before.
Now, Apple is letting people roll back some of these changes. A new slider found in Settings allows users to reduce the intensity of those glass effects.
Users can choose their “preferred look for Liquid Glass” from these settings, choosing “Clear” which was found in the original version and “Color” which reduces some of the effect.
“Clear is more transparent and reveals the underlying content,” says Menu. A tint increases the opacity and adds more contrast.
This isn’t the only design change that users can turn off. Apple’s Settings also now allows users to turn off the interaction that allows people to open the camera by swiping up on the lock screen — presumably for users who have accidentally turned it on or who may not want others to be able to take photos with their locked device.
The update can be downloaded by going to the Settings app and clicking on “General” and then “Software Update”. As with all Apple updates, users will eventually be prompted to install it automatically and can set their phones to update overnight.
