iOS 26.1 lets users control Liquid Glass transparency

Performance, Lag, and Bugs

• Some users report noticeable slowdowns on Macs (especially base M3s) and older iPhones with Liquid Glass enabled; others on M1–M5 hardware see no performance change, suggesting inconsistent impact.
• Several comments argue the shaders themselves are trivial and that slowdowns are more likely due to a known Electron bug using a private macOS API, which can cause system‑wide lag until apps update.
• Others see UI latency and stutter (e.g., on Apple Watch and macOS Tahoe), even when raw performance seems fine.
• There are regressions unrelated to Liquid Glass: broken ultrawide monitor support, a widely reported UISlider bug in iOS 26, and various Finder / window‑focus quirks.

Design, UX, and Comparisons to Past UIs

• Many consider the redesign “kindergarten mode”: oversized rounded controls, extra whitespace, and less information density.
• Liquid Glass is compared to Windows Vista’s Aero and early macOS Aqua: visually flashy but of dubious utility; some recall disabling Aero for performance, others remember it as mostly placebo.
• Several see it as part of a pendulum swing: from skeuomorphic iOS 6 → flat iOS 7 → now “glass” again, with speculation that a future release will go ultra‑flat once more.
• A minority say they really like the effect, even finding it “magical,” and would prefer the more extreme translucency from early betas.

Accessibility, Readability, and Older Users

• Frequent complaints about low contrast, blurry backgrounds, and ambiguous controls, especially on small screens (iPhone SE, 13 mini) and for older or less technical users.
• Existing “Reduce Transparency” helps but also removes wallpapers and changes other visuals; “Increase Contrast” is praised as a better compromise.
• Several argue the core issue isn’t just transparency but the reshaped, larger, and more spaced‑out controls that reduce clarity and efficiency.

User Control, Theming, and Philosophy

• Many welcome the new transparency toggle but want a fully opaque, “no Liquid Glass at all” option and a way to remove icon borders.
• There are strong calls for true theming (disable animations, rounding, opacity, padding), contrasted with Apple’s historically opinionated, non‑customizable aesthetic.
• Debate ensues: some defend Apple’s “gallery‑like” control over appearance; others liken it to a landlord dictating decor in one’s own home and note that Android/Windows have long allowed deeper customization.

Battery, Power, and Planned Obsolescence Suspicions

• Multiple comments mention noticeable battery drain and heat from simple UI actions (e.g., opening Control Center), with claims of ~14 W spikes on iPhones.
• This feeds a recurring suspicion that heavy visual effects serve to push users toward newer devices, though others insist the GPU work is minimal and any slowdown must be due to bugs.

Apple Process, Testing, and Strategy

• Many are baffled that such a contentious redesign shipped: some blame secrecy and lack of user testing; others say Apple does collect feedback but executives chose to push ahead anyway.
• The new toggle is widely seen as an implicit admission that Liquid Glass, as shipped in 26.0, was overdone—yet critics note it doesn’t address core layout and usability regressions.
• Comparisons are drawn to Windows 8 and past Apple missteps (butterfly keyboards, port removals): bold changes, backlash, then partial rollbacks without major sales damage.

Ecosystem and “Core Functionality” Frustrations

• Several argue Apple should have prioritized reliability over eye candy: Find My alerts are described as a UX mess (especially with mixed ecosystems and trackers), hotspot behavior is called “amateurish,” and Safari’s new navigation is seen as less discoverable and more click‑heavy.
• Some long‑time iOS users say this is the first release that made them immediately want to downgrade; a few even report switching platforms (or considering it) primarily due to the new UI.