Apple updates Liquid Glass effect in iOS 26 Beta 2, adds ringtone, widgets, and more
Liquid Glass might not be fully ready for prime time yet, but it’s evolving.
The first time I saw Apple’s new Liquid Glass UI in iOS 26, I thought it was clean. Apple rolled it out across all its platforms at WWDC25, and for a moment, it felt like they’d nailed the next big visual leap.
Adapted from visionOS, it is designed to look like shifting panes of translucent material, but it didn’t take long for the flaws to show. Its glassy look made it difficult to see layers below the transparent layers.
The worst offender was the Control Centre in the first developer beta. Because the transparency was so aggressive, you could see the mess of app icons and backgrounds bleeding through. Something that should be quick and clean ended up feeling busy and cluttered. I found myself squinting at buttons I usually hit without thinking.
Kelechi Edeh
Worst part, there’s no way to turn it off completely. You can reduce the transparency, but that affects everything system-wide, not just the bits where Liquid Glass becomes distracting.
Thankfully, Apple seems to be paying attention. In the second developer beta, Control Centre has a much more solid feel. It’s not totally opaque, but it blocks out enough background noise to make everything easier to read. It’s a subtle change, but it makes a huge difference in everyday use.
Image Credit: 9to5Mac
There’s also a new High Contrast Mode, which adds visible borders around Liquid Glass elements. It was first spotted on Reddit.
Meanwhile, other small but meaningful updates have surfaced in beta 2, as seen on 9to5Mac. A new alternate version of the “Reflections” ringtone has shown up in this build, and it’s surprisingly catching on. Additionally, the stock iPhone wallpaper collection is back, too, along with a parallax effect that was missing in beta 1.
Another subtle tweak: Unknown Senders now show a blue notification badge instead of red. It’s a small touch, but it helps distinguish alerts more clearly at a glance. Apple Music also adds a Live Radio widget (great for CarPlay) and a Lock Screen search launcher. These are some of the few changes or additions coming to iOS 26
If you’re curious to check these out, the second developer beta is out now, and the public beta lands next month. Liquid Glass might not be fully ready for prime time yet, but it’s evolving, and Apple seems to be listening.
