iOS 26.1 beta adds Liquid Glass controls and lockscreen camera toggle

Apple on Monday began rolling out a new developer beta of iOS 26.1 that adds user controls for the operating system's Liquid Glass interface and a way to disable the lock screen camera swipe, part of a broader set of refinements to address usability and privacy concerns introduced with iOS 26. The update, distributed to developers as a beta build, also appears in parallel betas for iPadOS 26.1 and macOS 26.1, bringing the same appearance options to other Apple devices.

The most visible change lets users choose between two Liquid Glass appearances labeled Clear and Tinted. The Clear option reduces opacity so interface elements are more transparent and reveal more of the content beneath them. The Tinted option increases opacity and contrast, making notification panels and other frosted elements less see-through and easier to read. The toggle is located in Settings under Display and Brightness, then Liquid Glass.

Apple introduced the Liquid Glass aesthetic with iOS 26, a redesign that uses extensive transparency across the system. Some users reported that the default styling made notifications and other on-screen elements harder to read against certain wallpapers. The new Clear and...