Apple Debuts iOS 26 Liquid Glass Beta Faces Immediate Backlash Over Readability

 

MWM IOS 26


MWM Portal | June 10, 2025

         Apple has swiftly followed its WWDC 2025 announcements with the release of iOS 26 Developer Beta 1, showcasing the highly anticipated "Liquid Glass" user interface overhaul – the company's most significant visual redesign since iOS 7. However, the initial reception among users online has been overwhelmingly critical, with many citing severe readability concerns.

The Liquid Glass Era Begins (For Developers)

         The beta, released just one day after WWDC, marks a notable shift: Apple has skipped incremental versions (like iOS 19-25) to align the OS version directly with the upcoming year, 2026. The centerpiece is "Liquid Glass," a design language characterized by translucent, frosted elements intended to create a "more expressive and delightful" experience.

        Developers can now access the beta to begin adapting their apps ahead of the expected public release in September, coinciding with new iPhone models. Apple strongly cautions that this early beta is unstable and potentially feature-incomplete, recommending installation only on secondary test devices. A more stable public beta is slated for next month.

IOS 26 WWDC 2025


Access Backing the Beta:

1.     Enroll (Free Tier Works): Sign up for Apple's Developer Program (individual entity type) via the enrollment page or Apple Developer app using your Apple ID. While a paid tier exists, the free tier grants beta access.

2.    Update Settings: On your enrolled iPhone, navigate to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates.

3.    Select Beta: Choose "iOS 26 Developer Beta" and download.

The Backlash: Beauty vs. Readability

         Despite Apple's enthusiasm, the "Liquid Glass" aesthetic has ignited a firestorm of criticism across social media platforms like Reddit and X. The core complaint revolves around accessibility and readability:

WWDC 2025 MWM


  • Transparency Issues: Users fear the transparent UI elements will become illegible, especially against white or busy backgrounds. "If your BG is busy at all, this is going to be an accessibility nightmare," warned one Reddit user.
  • Notification Nightmare: Promotional images of the lock screen notifications drew particular ire. "I can barely make out the text content with the excessive transparent look," stated another.
  • Lack of Contrast: Early testers confirmed the problems are real. "There's a lack of contrast everywhere in the beta. Notifications are so hard to read," reported a Reddit user running the beta.
  • Calls for Customization: The overwhelming demand is for Apple to add customization, specifically the ability to adjust the opacity ("frosting level") of the glass effect. "Please... make the 'frosting' level customizable," pleaded one user. Others begged Apple to "tone it down" and make it more opaque.
  • Feature Disappointment: Some users expressed broader disappointment, feeling the focus on redesign overshadowed substantial new features, particularly in Apple Intelligence. "It’s just redesigning entire UI with glass transparent, I’ve expected at least a few features on apple intelligence," commented one.

MWM WWDC 2025


Echoes of iOS 7

        Critics were quick to draw parallels to Apple's last major UI shift with iOS 7 in 2014, which also faced significant backlash over thin fonts and poor contrast that impacted accessibility. "Similar thing happened when iOS 7 launched... iOS 8 and 9 dialed back the thinness... I’d expect them to do the same in the future, but also would’ve expected them to have learned their lesson," one user noted, suggesting history might repeat itself.

WWDC 2025


        While iOS 26's Liquid Glass represents Apple's boldest visual leap in over a decade, its initial reception highlights a critical tension between aesthetic innovation and core usability. With months before the final release, pressure mounts on Apple to address the accessibility concerns by potentially adding customization options or adjusting the transparency levels significantly. Whether Apple refines the glass or stands firm remains to be seen, but the developer beta phase has already sounded a loud alarm from its user base.

 

Post a Comment

0 Comments