Apple introduced its new Liquid Glass design language across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and other platforms, but one particular detail is drawing attention online. Some users have noticed what appears to be an optical illusion in the iOS 26 interface, sparking both fascination and frustration.
Liquid Glass is Apple’s next evolution of interface design, bringing real-time refractions, reflections, and dynamic transparency to menus, app switchers, and notifications. The effect has been highlighted in reports such as Gizmodo, where users described how the new design sometimes makes panels and elements look off balance. As part of the wider iOS 26 features update, Apple positioned Liquid Glass as a defining visual change across the ecosystem, but its expressive look has sparked debate among users.
The issue gained 2 days ago on the iOS subreddit where it received over 3000 votes and 600 comments, with some users complaining that it makes them feel drunk.
In practice, the effect appears most prominently in system panels and pop-ups, such as Control Center, the volume slider, or the Siri interface. Depending on the background image or app content behind it, the curved glass look can trick the eye into thinking buttons are not perfectly centered. Some users have shared screenshots and videos online claiming that the rounded panels appear lopsided or warped, though in reality, everything is mathematically aligned. It is the simulated distortion of light across the Liquid Glass surface that makes the design feel slightly off balance to the human eye.
For users who find the illusion distracting, there is a way to tone it down. By going to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Reduce Transparency, you can disable much of the depth effect. However, this also removes the signature layering and reflective qualities that Apple designed into iOS 26, resulting in a flatter and less immersive experience.
This isn’t the first time Apple’s visual direction has divided opinion. When iOS 7 launched with its flat aesthetic, it replaced the skeuomorphic textures that had defined the iPhone’s early years, leading to months of heated debate. Similarly, macOS Big Sur’s frosted translucency initially confused some users before becoming standard. Liquid Glass continues this pattern by pushing design forward, even if the expressive light refraction creates moments of visual discomfort.
Given Apple’s history, it is unlikely that the company will alter the design significantly. Instead, the optical illusion is more likely to become another part of Apple’s evolving visual language. As with past changes, users may eventually adapt and even appreciate the depth and liveliness Liquid Glass brings to iOS 26 and beyond.
