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With the arrival of iOS 26, Apple introduces its striking “Liquid Glass” design overhaul. Recently, guidance was provided on quickly reverting the most noticeable changes associated with Liquid Glass, yet a distinct concern voiced by users today requires a different approach. Fortunately, there exists a potential solution, though it might not suit everyone.
Dark Mode Icons Appear Misaligned
As highlighted by posts on platforms like Reddit, it appears that the Dark Mode app icons do not seamlessly integrate with the new Liquid Glass style from iOS 26. The extent of inconvenience this presents varies among users, but many are expressing concerns that their Dark Mode icons appear skewed, suggesting they are not aligned centrally.
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Observations made by others confirm that the optical illusion is subtle but present. Even though the home screen appears less affected, upon closer inspection, the distortion becomes apparent, causing some users to find it bothersome.
Credit: Joel Cunningham
The issue seems to stem from new highlights being implemented on specific corners of certain app icons in Dark Mode. This uneven illumination creates a visual disruption that has reportedly led to feelings of dizziness for some users, particularly as the visibility of the highlights changes based on the background color—appearing sharper against darker backgrounds but blending into lighter ones.
Interestingly, these highlights are also visible when using lighter app icon backgrounds, but they tend to stand out less due to reduced contrast.
However, the experience may not be bothersome for everyone. If focused elsewhere, many find they can ignore the issue entirely. For those who do find it frustrating, what are the alternatives?
Transparency Reduction Doesn’t Help
Regrettably, the simple toggle option to minimize many of the Liquid Glass issues, labeled “Reduce Transparency,” fails to impact the appearance of app icons. Observations from an iPhone home screen show no distinction when the feature is activated or deactivated (the state of unread notifications and unchecked tasks is noted here).
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt
This is unfortunate, as the “Reduce Transparency” option is straightforward to activate: simply navigate to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size. While it effectively reduces the see-through elements in Liquid Glass, it does nothing to correct the solid icons. Thus, a bit of ingenuity is required.
Experiment with Tinting Your App Icons
Currently, no definitive solution exists for addressing Apple’s Dark Mode app icons. Even custom icon creations that utilize the Dark Mode backdrop will still showcase the new highlights. Nonetheless, a helpful tip may provide a similar aesthetic outcome.
It is possible to achieve more muted colors for your app icons without solely depending on Dark Mode. If the current Dark Mode representation feels unappealing, consider applying a tint to the icons instead.
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What are your thoughts so far?
This adjustment gives your app icons a monochromatic look, complemented by white or gray text. While this entails sacrificing multi-colored app icons, you can switch to different darker backgrounds that may mitigate the tilted appearance. Although the highlights remain, a well-chosen tinted background can help obscure them.
To apply this, visit your home screen, then press and hold until the apps start to jiggle. Select Edit in the upper left, followed by Customize. In the pop-up menu, opt for Tinted.
Two color pickers will appear, together with the choice for Light or Dark icons (this is distinct from the standard Light and Dark mode app icons). The top color picker corresponds to the general color of the app, while the bottom pinpoints more specific shades. Opting for Light results in white graphical elements, whereas Dark utilizes a grayish tone.
Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt
Experimenting with these options may lead to a preferred tint. Apple conveniently provides shortcut buttons to assist in selecting a suitable color. The leftmost button, just below the color picker bars, allows for a straightforward switch to classic black and white for Light mode or a softer variant for Dark mode. Alternatives include an intelligent suggestion button that chooses a hue matching your wallpaper or an eyedropper tool to sample a color from it.
Though these adjustments may not replicate the Dark Mode icons precisely, they may offer a satisfying alternative for some.
Or, Hold Out for a Future Update
If tinting your icons proves ineffective, there’s no need for dismay. Apple is likely aware of these concerns and may make necessary modifications to Liquid Glass. Adjustments have already been implemented during the beta testing phase of iOS 26, having been toned down on two separate occasions, suggesting that patience might be the best course of action.
