Liquid Glass iOS 27: Apple's New Tint Slider and Design Changes
iOS 27 Liquid Glass refinements include a new tint slider, better readability, colored sidebar icons, and tighter corners. Here's everything that changed.
Last year, Apple introduced Liquid Glass with iOS 26. The translucent, frosted-glass aesthetic was supposed to be their "most ambitious cross-platform design update ever." And honestly? It was divisive.
Some people loved the modern, airy feel. Others squinted at their phones trying to read text through overlapping translucent layers. Apple heard the complaints, and at WWDC 2026, they showed us what they've been working on.
> [!PULL] > The biggest change: a new slider that lets you adjust Liquid Glass from "ultra clear" to "fully tinted." It's the personalization feature that should've launched with iOS 26.
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What Changed with Liquid Glass
The Tint Slider
This is the headline improvement. Apple added a slider in Settings that gives you full control over how much Liquid Glass affects your interface.
The slider applies system-wide, affecting all apps that use Liquid Glass. And if you're a developer who already adopted Liquid Glass in your app, these customizations apply automatically.
Better Readability Under the Hood
Beyond the slider, Apple tuned how Liquid Glass diffuses content behind it. The new version creates more depth and separation between layers, making text easier to read even at higher transparency levels.
This was the main complaint with iOS 26's Liquid Glass: text readability suffered when complex content sat behind translucent elements. Apple's solution is smarter diffusion rather than just making everything more opaque.
Toolbar and Sidebar Improvements
Apple also brought back some familiar macOS design elements that got lost in last year's redesign:
Toolbars: There's now a more uniform toolbar across the top of apps. This helps distinguish controls and text from the content beneath them. The result is better legibility while maintaining the Liquid Glass aesthetic.
Sidebars: Sidebars now expand to the very edges of the window. This reduces visual distractions along the left edge and creates a more expansive feeling. The refractions as content scrolls underneath still look beautiful.
Sidebar Icons: Perhaps the most welcome change — sidebar icons regain their color. In iOS 26, all sidebar icons were monochrome, making it harder to distinguish between apps and identify which window was active. Color returns with iOS 27.
Window Consistency
Every window on macOS now has the same tighter corner radius. This creates greater consistency across all apps, even ones that haven't been updated. It's a small detail that makes the whole system feel more polished.
App Icons Get Deeper
App icons now integrate Liquid Glass directly into the artwork itself. The refraction between layers adds character to each icon, and the new approach makes icons appear sharper and more defined.
They look great in the Dock, on the Home Screen, or when they're putting to an all-clear look. It's a subtle but noticeable improvement.
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Why These Changes Matter
Apple's design team talked about their process: "Like with all major design updates, there's a natural process where we take a bold leap forward and then we continue to iterate."
This is actually refreshing to hear. Instead of doubling down on a controversial design, Apple listened to user feedback and made meaningful adjustments. The tint slider alone addresses the biggest complaint about Liquid Glass.
For developers, these changes apply automatically to apps that already adopted Liquid Glass. No additional work required.
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The Catch
The new tint slider might feel overwhelming for users who just want their phone to "look normal." Apple could've made "Fully Tinted" the default and offered a "More Translucent" option for enthusiasts. Instead, they're putting the choice in users' hands, which is admirable but requires exploration.
Also, these refinements only matter if you're running iOS 27 or macOS Golden Gate. If you're still on iOS 26, you're stuck with the original Liquid Glass implementation.
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The Bottom Line
Liquid Glass 2.0 is what iOS 26's Liquid Glass should've been from the start. The tint slider, better readability, and colored sidebar icons address the main complaints while preserving what people loved about the new design.
If you bounced off Liquid Glass last year, iOS 27 gives you a reason to give it another look. If you loved it already, you'll appreciate the refinements.
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