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iOS 26 is right here, and with it, Apple’s “Liquid Glass” design revamp. Yesterday, I coated learn how to quickly undo most of the harshest changes that come with Liquid Glass, however a grievance customers are making as we speak requires a wholly separate repair. Fortunately, there’s an choice that would show you how to, though it’s not for everybody.
Darkish Mode icons look a bit of tilted proper now
As users are posting over on Reddit, it seems that Darkish Mode app icons don’t play properly with iOS 26’s new Liquid Glass aesthetic. How a lot this can trouble you’ll range from individual to individual, however primarily, some of us on-line (and on the Lifehacker staff) are actually complaining that their Darkish Mode icons look tilted, as in the event that they’re not completely lifeless middle.
Personally, I’ve a tough time seeing this when taking a look at my residence display screen as a complete, however after a colleague despatched me a extra zoomed-in shot, I can see how it might trouble him. It’s an optical phantasm, because the icon positioning is identical, however it’s there.
Credit score: Joel Cunningham
The issue, it appears, is in new highlights added to sure, however not all, app icon corners whereas utilizing Darkish Mode. The uneven lighting produces an impact that, as reported by Lifehacker sister website Mashable, has some users complaining of dizziness. Worse but, how distinguished the highlights are is dependent upon your background—I can see them extra simply over darkish elements of my background, however they have an inclination to bleed into lighter elements.
Technically, these highlights are additionally there when utilizing app icons with lighter backgrounds, however they’re much less noticeable, since they don’t distinction with them as a lot.
Once more, you will not be inclined to the impact. If I’m not concentrating on it, I do are inclined to overlook about it. However whether it is bothering you, what are you able to do?
Lowering transparency does nothing
Sadly, the one-toggle repair that undoes many of the points with Liquid Glass, “Cut back Transparency,” doesn’t appear to do something in your app icons. Right here’s my iPhone Residence Display screen with Cut back Transparency on, and the identical display screen with it off (please don’t choose my unread mail and unchecked reminders).
iPhone Residence Display screen with Darkish Mode app icons and Cut back Transparency off (left) vs. on (proper)
Credit score: Michelle Ehrhardt
That’s a disgrace, since Cut back Transparency is simple to implement: You simply flip it on underneath Settings > Accessibility > Show & Textual content Measurement, and it’ll do away with many of the see-through components in Liquid Glass for you. However as a result of the icons are stable anyway, it received’t do something right here. As an alternative, you’ll have to get artistic.
Strive tinting your app icons
Proper now, I sadly don’t have a repair for Apple’s Darkish Mode app icons. Even custom icons that use Apple’s Darkish Mode background shade will nonetheless have the brand new highlights. However I do have one piece of recommendation that can get you near the identical expertise.
It seems, setting your app icons to Darkish Mode isn’t the one approach to get them to make use of extra subdued colours. If Darkish Mode seems ugly to you proper now, you would strive tinting your app icons as a substitute.
What do you assume to date?
This provides your app icons a monochrome look with white or grey textual content, and whereas that does sadly imply dropping out on app icons with greater than two colours, it additionally means you’ll be able to swap over to different darkish coloured backgrounds which may look a bit much less tilted to you. The offending highlights will nonetheless be there, however with the fitting tinted background, you would possibly be capable of make them much less noticeable.
To strive it out, head to your house display screen, then lengthy press till your apps begin jiggling. Click on Edit within the high left nook, then Customise. Within the menu that pops up on the underside of your display screen, choose Tinted.
You’ll get two shade picker bars, in addition to the choice to decide on Gentle or Darkish icons (that is separate from the overall Gentle and Darkish mode app icons, which aren’t monochrome). Consider the highest shade picker bar because the app’s common shade, and the underside as a approach to get extra particular inside that shade zone. In the meantime, Gentle will make the app’s textual content and graphical components white, whereas Darkish will use a extra grayish tone.
Credit score: Michelle Ehrhardt
You possibly can mess around right here to get an app tint you want finest, though Apple does have a couple of shortcut buttons that can assist you discover the colour for you. Personally, I just like the leftmost button, underneath the colour picker bars, that takes you to an ordinary black and white in the event you’ve chosen Gentle or a extra subdued black and darkish grey in the event you’ve chosen Darkish. If neither of these be just right for you, there’s additionally an Apple Intelligence button that can attempt to choose a tint that goes properly together with your wallpaper, or an eyedropper that can allow you to choose a shade out of your wallpaper.
None of that is fairly the identical as simply utilizing Darkish Mode icons, however in the event you’re like me, it is perhaps shut sufficient.
Or, look ahead to an replace
If tinting your app icons doesn’t be just right for you, although, don’t despair. It’s seemingly Apple is seeing these complaints and can adjust Liquid Glass accordingly. It already toned it down twice over iOS 26’s beta, so perhaps the actual answer right here is time.
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