Apple’s iOS 26 Developer Beta 3 has introduced some notable changes, with the Liquid Glass design taking a step back, much to the delight of many users. First seen at WWDC, Liquid Glass initially made waves for its sleek new look, but it felt too jarring to some, including myself.
The design overhaul was a bit too much, too fast, and left me wishing for the old, more familiar iOS aesthetic.
With Developer Beta 3, Apple has dialed down the intensity of Liquid Glass, and I’m glad they did. The transparency effect in most apps has been toned down significantly, improving both usability and visual harmony. The navigation bars in stock apps have been made more opaque, and the overall style is less distracting, which I personally appreciate. It makes the interface feel cleaner and easier to read, while also making the transition to the new design smoother.
Music and Safari have benefitted the most from these changes. The Music app’s navigation bar, once overly transparent, is now more solid, which enhances the user experience. Similarly, Safari has received subtle tweaks in appearance and menu layout, although some users online are claiming that these changes are a setback in iOS’s new identity.
Despite the positives, there are still some areas that need work. The new Control Center feels a bit disconnected from the rest of the interface, and optimization is still lacking, especially on older devices like the iPhone 13 Pro Max. While performance has improved with Beta 3, there’s still some frame-dropping and overheating issues to iron out. Battery life, too, is still not where it needs to be, though I suspect that will improve in future updates.
One feature I’m particularly excited about is Visual Intelligence. This tool, which is similar to Google’s Circle to Search, allows you to take screenshots and search the content via ChatGPT or Image Search. It’s a great step forward for iOS, though it’s still a bit clunky compared to Android’s version.
As with any beta software, bugs are inevitable. For example, playing videos in the Photos app while scrolling through other images can cause audio issues, and rapid scrolling in apps like Settings and Mail can lead to crashes. Despite these hiccups, I’m optimistic about the future of iOS 26.
In conclusion, iOS 26 Developer Beta 3 is a step in the right direction. While there’s still work to be done on optimization and battery life, the design changes have made Liquid Glass much more palatable, and the new features, especially Visual Intelligence, are impressive. However, I’d still recommend waiting until the official release if you’re using a main device. Betas are meant for testing, after all.