If you’ve never been a fan of Liquid Glass – Apple’s glass-like interface effect introduced in iOS 26 – then there’s some good news in iOS 27. Apple has added a setting that lets you finely adjust the level of translucency, giving you more control over the look and feel of your iPhone.
Maybe you find notifications too transparent or want to see more of your wallpaper through Control Center. Luckily, iOS 27 includes a watch face that can help. Apple has replaced both Clear and Tinted options with a continuous slider that places the translucency anywhere between barely visible glass and strong gel.
Previous presets arrived in iOS 26.1 and gave you two positions on a spectrum, while iOS 27 gives you the full spectrum. It also locates control in “Appearance” – a new section in Settings that brings together interface options previously scattered across Display & Brightness, including Light and Dark modes and text size.
Not only that, Apple has also changed the default appearance and claims that Liquid Glass now streams complex content behind it more effectively while drawing a clearer separation between layers.
How to change liquid glass effect
When you first install iOS 27, you’ll be presented with the slider to change the Liquid Glass effect, but it’s good to know how to access it later if you want to change your look.
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Faucet Appearance.
- Faucet Liquid glass.
- Drag the slider to the left for a lighter, more transparent effect, or to the right to add tint and opacity.
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The midpoint of the slider is Apple’s default. The UI preview redraws in real time as you drag it, so you can watch it instead of having to leave Settings to check. Note that the setting is system-wide and affects everything from Control Center and Home screen folders to app overlays and lock screen notifications.
If the cursor doesn’t go far enough
Even at the tinted end, Apple’s interface retains a degree of glassiness. If you’re not happy with the result, two accessibility options go further:
- Reduce transparency removes almost all translucency, leaving only flat, solid backgrounds.
- Increase the contrast accentuates the boundaries between buttons, text, and anything behind them.
You can find both in Settings ➝ Accessibility ➝ Display and text size.
You’ll find that iPadOS 27 also offers these controls in the same place, and the same is true for macOS 27 Golden Gate (albeit in the system settings). All three software updates are now in public beta, with a general release expected in September.
