Apple’s new Liquid Glass interface has been considerably controversial because it was launched in June at WWDC 2025. Whereas some customers just like the daring new look, others should not followers of how the exaggerated transparencies and fluid interactions. In response, Apple is lastly letting customers select whether or not they need Liquid Glass or not in iOS 26.1.
Apple is thought for following by way of on sure selections, so when the corporate reverses a significant resolution, it’s fairly surprising, though this isn’t the primary time Apple has accomplished so. Even an organization like Apple acknowledges that not everybody embraces radical shifts.
Learn on as we revisit another selections Apple made that have been later reconsidered.
Liquid Glass
Let’s begin with the latest change that ended up being reversed in some methods, which can also be one of many boldest adjustments in Apple’s design language in recent times.
Liquid Glass is what Apple calls the brand new interface in iOS 26, macOS 26, and its different working 2026 methods. It was created as a “new materials” to breathe new life into Apple software program, which had in any other case been nearly unchanged since 2013, when iOS 7 launched its polarizing “flat” interface.
Apple added a toggle to basically flip off Liquid Glass in iOS 26.1.
Foundry
Again in 2013, many individuals criticized the brand new look of iOS 7. Though the corporate has made loads of tweaks for the reason that first launch, there has by no means been an choice to return to the skeuomorphic design of iOS 6 and earlier variations. Apple made it clear that flat design was right here to remain.
With Liquid Glass, Apple has seemingly given in to the damaging opinions about Liquid Glass and has determined to present customers a alternative. Beginning with the most recent iOS 26.1 beta, customers can select the depth of Liquid Glass with a brand new toggle obtainable in Settings.
The “Clear” choice is the default Liquid Glass that Apple desires you to make use of, however there’s additionally a “Tinted” choice that will increase distinction and reduces transparency, making all the pieces appear like older variations of iOS.
Whereas letting customers select how they need their telephone to look is a pleasant factor (particularly contemplating accessibility), it’s actually intriguing to suppose that Apple spent months highlighting the brand new Liquid Glass look solely to present customers the choice to show it off only a few weeks after launch.
Butterfly keyboard
Apple’s “butterfly” keyboard mechanism was launched in 2015 on MacBooks, with the aim of constructing laptops thinner. Nevertheless, as a result of ultra-thin design of the keys, they ended up being extra vulnerable to failure as mud collected below the mechanisms.
On the similar time, many customers criticized the butterfly keyboard for its low key “journey,” which is the extent of softness or hardness whenever you press the keys. Because the keyboard was tremendous skinny, typing on the butterfly keyboard grew to become uncomfortable for some customers after some time.
The butterfly keyboard was such a headache, Apple carried out a restore program.
Foundry
Apple caught with the butterfly keyboard for a few years, however the issues solely obtained worse. It obtained so unhealthy that it needed to launch a substitute program for defective keyboards, and it additionally confronted many class motion lawsuits due to this.
In 2019, Apple launched a brand new 16-inch MacBook Professional that had a extra typical keyboard with out the butterfly mechanism. All different MacBooks launched since then have additionally deserted the problematic ultra-thin keyboard.
Contact Bar
The Contact Bar is one other design alternative that has divided opinion amongst Apple customers. Launched with the daring redesign of the MacBook Professional in 2016, the Contact Bar changed the row of operate keys on the keyboard. As a substitute, customers got a skinny contact show that displayed completely different buttons relying on the app getting used.
For instance, for those who opened the Photographs app, it allow you to scroll by way of all of your photographs. If you happen to have been watching a video, you would fast-forward or rewind simply by swiping your finger on the Contact Bar, similar to on an iPhone or iPad. The thought was actually promising.
The Contact Bar was in all probability forward of its time.
Foundry
To at the present time, Apple nonetheless argues in opposition to having full touchscreens on the Mac (though rumors counsel that this can change quickly), so the Contact Bar aimed to deliver contact to the Mac another way.
To be sincere, the Contact Bar appeared actually cool on the time, and it was in all probability manner forward of its time. Nevertheless, not everybody preferred the Contact Bar.
Because it had no tactile suggestions, some folks claimed they consistently pressed the incorrect keys when making an attempt to make use of the Contact Bar with out trying instantly at it. Additionally, for the reason that Contact Bar had its personal software program, it was liable to changing into unresponsive every so often, making it unattainable to press the Esc key.
Apple stored the Contact Bar in lots of generations of MacBook Professional, however it additionally by no means expanded the function to different Macs. In 2021, with the introduction of a redesigned MacBook Professional constructed with Apple Silicon, the Contact Bar was gone and changed by the nice previous row of operate keys.
Throughout the keynote to launch the laptop computer, Apple stated it introduced again the “acquainted, tactile really feel of mechanical keys that professional customers love” with out instantly acknowledging that the Contact Bar was gone.
Photographs
With iOS 18, Apple fully redesigned the Photographs app on iPhone and iPad. Whereas the concept was to make the app extra customizable, many customers didn’t just like the adjustments and argued that the app had change into too difficult to make use of.
The Photographs app in iOS 26 has considerably reverted to its former interface.
Foundry
As a substitute of splitting the app into completely different tabs (Library, Albums, and so forth.), all the pieces was proven on a single display screen divided into a number of sections. The app additionally gained a big carousel to show featured photographs and albums, however the function ended up being faraway from the betas even earlier than iOS 18 was launched to the general public.
A lot of customers complained in regards to the Photographs app on social media, however Apple by no means publicly acknowledged the general disapproval of the brand new interface. Nonetheless, with iOS 26, the app was redesigned once more to look extra just like the previous model, now organized into two completely different tabs: Library and Collections.
Safari
Talking of apps, Safari additionally had its second of being disliked after a significant redesign. With iOS 15, Apple launched a brand new interface to Safari that moved the URL bar to the underside of the display screen. Greater than that, the bar grew to become extraordinarily minimalist, exhibiting solely the buttons to share and present all open tabs.
After receiving damaging suggestions, the corporate has tweaked the handle bar once more to deliver again the navigation and bookmark buttons. Then it added the choice to revert to the previous Safari design, which remains to be current within the newest model of iOS.
Apparently, iOS 26 introduced again the “Compact” Safari interface from the early iOS 15 betas, so maybe the world simply wasn’t prepared for such a drastic change on the time. However it’s nonetheless not totally dedicated and affords the choice to maintain issues working like earlier than.
MagSafe on the Mac
One other Apple design resolution that was ultimately reversed years later is the tip of MagSafe on the Mac. The long-lasting magnetic cable charging resolution was launched with the primary MacBook Professional in 2006, and it grew to become one of many standout options of proudly owning a MacBook.
Customers now not needed to fear about somebody tripping over the charging cable when it was plugged into their Mac. Due to magnets, the cable would merely detach from the laptop computer with out inflicting any harm.
MagSafe on the Mac disappeared for some time earlier than it got here again.
Foundry
Nevertheless, within the effort to make MacBooks thinner and extra moveable, MagSafe was phased out in 2015 with the 12-inch MacBook. The redesigned MacBook Professional and MacBook Air that adopted quickly after additionally ditched MagSafe in favor of USB-C charging.
It took years for Apple to deliver MagSafe again to Macs, truly arriving on the iPhone first. It was lastly added again to the 2021 MacBook Professional and is now again on the MacBook Air as properly.
For longtime customers, these rollbacks are a reminder that Apple actually does hear, even when it takes years to behave. Generally the corporate’s finest improvements don’t come from introducing one thing new, however from figuring out when to deliver one thing again.
