Apple has brought back “liquid glass” in the iOS 26 beta 4 design

In iOS 26 beta 4, Apple has re-intensified the Liquid Glass visual effect. After reducing its intensity in the previous build, the interface has been given a more transparent and “liquid” look closer to its original intent.

In iOS 26 beta 3, the design has become less transparent

The third beta of iOS 26 noticeably changed the visual style of Liquid Glass, causing testers to nickname it Frosted Glass – the “fogged glass” effect became dominant. Many users have expressed disappointment with this departure from the original Liquid Glass design.

In the face of criticism, Apple has gone for a tweak. In iOS 26 beta 4, the company has partially brought back the former transparency of interface elements. This is especially noticeable in the App Store tab bar, which once again allows you to distinguish the content beneath you.

New visual design balance

Comparing beta 2, beta 3, and beta 4 shows obvious changes. In beta 2 and beta 4, the tab bar looks significantly more transparent than in beta 3, where the opacity level was increased. Thus, the design in beta 4 was a compromise between the rich visuals of earlier versions and the muted aesthetic of the previous build.

This practice is in line with Apple’s strategy – the company traditionally uses the beta cycle to gradually polish the user interface. The Photos app is similarly affected by the update: in beta 4, the navigation bar once again looks more “fluid” and visually lightweight.

What’s next

Today’s release of iOS 26 beta 4 is aimed at developers. A public version of the update is expected in the coming days. Apple’s decision to bring back the enhanced Liquid Glass shows the company’s desire to retain the original visual style, rather than moving to a more neutral “matte” design.

The Apple has brought back “Liquid Glass” in iOS 26 beta 4 design was first published on ITZine.ru.