Apple has released iOS 26.1, its first update to the major update it released alongside the iPhone in September.
iOS 26.1 brings a host of changes, including the ability to get live translations in more languages and better FaceTime call quality. But the most notable change is actually something of a reversion, with Apple offering users the ability to slightly turn back one of its most controversial new features.
The major iOS 26 update released in September brought with it Liquid Glass, a shiny redesign that appeared in various forms in all of Apple’s new software. It was praised by some, but also received criticism for the way that the glass theme meant that parts of the menus and notifications were less legible than before.
Now, Apple will let people roll back some of those changes. A new slider, found in the settings, lets users tone down the intensity of those glass effects.
Users can choose their “preferred look for Liquid Glass” from those settings, opting for the “Clear” that was found in the original version and a “Tinted” one that reduces some of the effect.
“Clear is more transparent, revealing the content beneath,” the menu reads. “Tinted increases opacity and adds more contrast.”
That is not the only design change that users can switch off. Apple’s settings also now let users turn off the interaction that lets people open the camera by swiping on the lock screen – presumably for users that turn it on by accident, or who may not want others to be able to take photos with their unlocked device.
The update can be downloaded by heading to the Settings app and clicking “general” and then “software update”. As with all of Apple’s updates, users will eventually be prompted to install it automatically, and can set their phones to update overnight.
