I have to use an iPhone for work and I find it really yuck how you are forced to use the glass and can't choose otherwise.

lNomNoml:

 

I have to use an iPhone for work and I find it really yuck how you are forced to use the glass and can't choose otherwise.

 

It’s just a totally pointless change. It does nothing to improve functionality. A novelty. And the user has no choice.

It’s upgrades like iOS 26 that make me miss Android.

The visual changes are just an absolute disaster. It's so hard to see things in some places it actually stops you using the phone properly. Usually there's accessibility options to reduce this sort of stuff but even these don't make enough of a difference..

Reduce transparency  helps a bit but the reduction is nowhere near enough to reinstate legibility and there's still unneeded jumpy bouncing moving crap all over the interface even with reduce motion  turned on.

Very minor update today to 26.0.1.

Still have not updated from 18 yet. Will wait for 26.1 or 26.2

I stuck with iOS 18 so that I could wait for the initial bugs to be fixed with iOS 26. I am upgrading now that 26.0.1 is out.

I don't understand why you wouldn't install this bug fix update.

alasta:

 

I stuck with iOS 18 so that I could wait for the initial bugs to be fixed with iOS 26. I am upgrading now that 26.0.1 is out.

 

I don't understand why you wouldn't install this bug fix update.

 

this update really only fixes iPhone 17 firmware issues

https://www.macrumors.com/2025/09/29/apple-releases-ios-26-0-1-with-fixes-for-wi-fi-cellular-and-camera-issues-on-iphone-17-models/

18.1 is really the bug fix. From the beta it looks like they are removing some of the Liquid Glass effects and going back to frosted glass. 

Well, I had to update to iOS26.0.1 so I could operate my new Apple Watch 11 (see here for that Topic). As I stated in that Topic, I am rather liking the new iOS26. However, for myself, I have activated 'Reduce Transparency' & 'Increase Contrast' in Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.

I quite like the more pronounced layout areas; search boxes, tick, backward & forward arrow circles. It has certainly made my Lock Screen photo pop, with a pseudo 3D effect. The notifications screen certainly standout better now. Not too sure about the colourful ability of the Contacts app, but I suppose when I get around to playing more with it, it will grow on me.

Overall, I have yet to experience any bugs which Reddit seem to be full of.
PS:

 

1. CarPlay has had the same makeover and that also pops out at you.
2. Within Apple TV, I've also had to turn On; Reduce Transparency, Increase Contrast and switch Focus Style to High Contrast to highlight the selected app icon border 

So not bad overall.

I updated to 26.2 over the weekend and had high hopes that it would address the issues. Sadly I have been disappointed and iOS on iPhone is still a pile of poop. 

MikeB4:

 

I updated to 26.2 over the weekend and had high hopes that it would address the issues. Sadly I have been disappointed and iOS on iPhone is still a pile of poop. 

 

Sounds like I'll stay on 18.6.2 then

iOS 26 completely screwed with a lot of readability. 26.1 came along and made it worse. 26.2 seems to have undone the worst of 26.1.

I really wish I could turn back the clock. My wife managed to stop me from throwing my phone into the sea yesterday. We were using Apple car play with Apple maps to to navigate, when we decided we new the way I asked Siri to stop navigation, it intelligently advised that it couldn't do that as we were not using Apple maps. 

The keyboard accuracy it still srewed, battery useage is insane going from full to 60% in less than an hour. The screen panic if there is any ambient light and dims to near nothing, previously deleted notifications imitate Lazareth and randomly return from the dead.

These are just a few of my favorite things. 

On 26.1, autocorrect behaviour is a disaster. 

I see 26.2 is out but since it weighs in so heavy I again do not have enough space to download it... 

I’m on 26.2, seems fine. In my time of using apple devices when they have weird issues the suggestion is normally backup onto iCloud then factory reset the phone when it comes back the software will reinstall.  Seems to fix quite a number of random issues.

Bit of a pain in the A to have to do this but worth a try I think to have a stable phone again.

I'm not a long time Apple user, but installed iOS 26 anyway.... not seeing anything different really apart from the appearance. Oh and the fact my Favorites had vanished from contacts (found how to bring back).

Love to go back to Android....