Apple’s new iOS 26 Beta 3 introduces significant changes to the company’s much-touted “Liquid Glass” design, reducing transparency in favor of better readability. Released on July 7, 2025, this third developer beta continues Apple’s pattern of refining its interface based on early user feedback.
The most visible change in Beta 3 is the dialed-back transparency of navigation bars, buttons, and tabs across key apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, App Store, and Safari. These elements now appear more opaque and solid compared to earlier betas, making text and controls easier to read – especially against lighter backgrounds.
“iOS 26 beta 3 completely nerfs Liquid Glass,” said AppleTrack’s Sam Kohl on social media. “It looks so much cheaper now and feels like Apple is backtracking on their original vision.”
Apple first unveiled Liquid Glass at WWDC 2025 as a new design language meant to unify the look across all Apple platforms. The original concept featured highly translucent elements that reflected and refracted content beneath them. However, many beta testers quickly reported readability issues, particularly in the Control Center where background elements made icons difficult to distinguish.
Beta 2, released two weeks ago, already toned down some transparency, but Beta 3 takes this further with more substantial adjustments. The changes reflect Apple’s ongoing effort to balance aesthetic innovation with practical usability.
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Beyond the Liquid Glass adjustments, iOS 26 Beta 3 also introduces new color options for the default wallpaper, including “Halo,” “Dusk,” “Sky,” and “Shadow.” The update brings subtle refinements to Control Center icons, which now appear brighter, and fixes dock icon alignment when fewer than four apps are present.
The current beta remains available only to registered developers and beta testers with iPhone 11 and newer models. A public beta is expected “very soon” with the stable release anticipated in September alongside the new iPhone lineup.
While some users appreciate the improved clarity, others feel these changes dilute the distinctive visual style Apple initially promised. As Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman noted, “Apple should be allowing users to choose how much glass they want instead of just reversing by 75%.”
This developer beta phase serves as Apple’s testing ground for refinements before the software’s public release, suggesting further adjustments to Liquid Glass may still come in future betas.
