The new iOS 26 iPhone update was supposed to be a bold design of the whole iPhone layout, as Apple promised a fresh design of everyday apps with more dynamic controls. However, the results have actually made my iPhone experience worse instead of better.
The redesign, called Liquid Glass, makes it harder for me to use my phone fluidly, particularly because it adds visuals, such as backgrounds in Messages, that feel more distracting than helpful. Instead of making things simpler and more efficient, it seems to me like the update has done the opposite.
One of the biggest parts of Liquid Glass is the reconfiguring of default apps, such as Photos or Messages. Layouts I was used to are now replaced with designs that make features hard to find. It took me at least five minutes to find out how to access my hidden photos and shared albums alone. Being confused about where things are on my phone is the last thing I want when I’m trying to quickly text my friends between classes or take a photo for an assignment.
Even the new visual effect of adding a background behind text conversations has ended with messages being hard to read. On top of this, random glitches have started to happen, like Face ID not working and my phone being unable to unlock. For a high school student who relies on an efficient phone, this update feels less like an upgrade but more like a downgrade.
