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It is not simply you; you are not seeing issues. Your imaginative and prescient hasn’t worsened in a single day, and your iPhone display screen would not want cleansing. The hazy app icons have been simply one of many Liquid Glass issues that Apple needed to fix before iOS 26 launched. They appear blurry, or considerably blurrier than they did in iOS 18, as a result of Apple made them look that approach. It is the brand new Liquid Glass design language that Apple launched this yr throughout its merchandise.
iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and watchOS 26 all acquired the identical glassy look that visionOS launched in 2024. The app icons and the menus are all clear by design. Mild passes by means of the assorted layers, refracting and reacting to how you progress the machine. That is why some app icons look blurry. They may have a number of parts, all fabricated from digital glass, and all of them dealing with gentle in keeping with Apple’s Liquid Glass rules. The extra layers of glass, the blurrier the looks of an icon. The Pictures app icon (above) reveals an instance of overlapping glass parts that create blur.
If you have not had the prospect to attempt the assorted Liquid Glass variations that Apple examined throughout the iOS 26 beta section, the iOS 26 replace would possibly initially shock you. It is among the most mentioned features that you’ll have to learn about in iOS 26 when you replace. It should take some time to get used to the brand new expertise, together with the blurry icons. The excellent news is that the final iOS 26 build that Apple launched seems to be a lot better than the primary model, app icons included. Additionally, there is a option to scale back the Liquid Glass transparency to enhance the look of iOS 26 icons.
Methods to repair the blurry icons in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26
iPhone and iPad customers who’ve up to date to iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 can use a single setting that will enhance the looks of Liquid Glass on their gadgets. Apple would not allow you to flip off the glass transparency impact fully and revert to a design extra just like iOS 18. As an alternative, you get a Cut back Transparency menu that allows you to tweak the transparency impact. Allow it, and Liquid Glass turns into extra like frosted glass. Comply with these steps to search out the brand new menu:
- Go to the Settings app
- Faucet Accessibility
- Faucet Show & Textual content Measurement
- Faucet on the Cut back Transparency toggle to allow it
This process is likely to be sufficient to make Liquid Glass transparency extra tolerable and enhance the app icons. The identical menu has a number of different accessibility choices you would possibly think about, particularly should you’re having legibility points in Liquid Glass. You possibly can toggle on the Enhance Distinction, Daring Textual content, and Button Shapes choices (see screenshot above). You possibly can combine and match these options till you discover the proper match.
Lastly, iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 introduce a brand new option to customise the app icon design and apply that customization uniformly. You possibly can flip all of the apps clear or give them the identical tint. This eliminates the assorted colours inside an app icon and reduces blur. Here is the way to use the function on the iPhone and iPad:
- Go to the house display screen
- Faucet wherever on the wallpaper till the app icons begin to jiggle
- Faucet the Edit button within the high left nook
- Faucet Customise
- Faucet Clear or Tinted to set the app icon look.