Apple’s Latest Beta 3 Updates: New Features and the Liquid Glass Controversy

Apple’s third developer beta releases for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26 dropped on Monday, July 7, 2025, bringing refinements and new features across its ecosystem. These updates, part of Apple’s year-based version numbering, continue to evolve the Liquid Glass design language while addressing user feedback on usability. Below, we dive into the new features for each platform, highlight the controversial changes to Liquid Glass, and summarize user sentiment. First, let’s look at the build numbers for these betas.

Build Number Chart

iOS 26: Toning Down Liquid Glass and Adding Visual Flair

The iOS 26 beta 3 update, with build number 23A5287g, refines the Liquid Glass interface introduced at WWDC 2025. This translucent, glass-inspired design, which reflects and refracts surroundings, has been dialed back in several areas to improve readability. Key changes include:

• Reduced Transparency in UI Elements: Navigation bars in apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store are now more opaque, reducing the background bleed-through that made text hard to read in earlier betas. Notifications also feature a darker background for better contrast.

• New Wallpaper Options: Three new color variants for the default wallpaper—Sky, Halo, and Ruby—join the existing Shadow option, enhancing lock screen customization. The Dusk variant, with pink and purple hues, stands out, especially in Dark Mode.

• Dock and Icon Tweaks: The iPhone dock now centers app icons, even with fewer than four, fixing alignment issues from beta 2. The Photos and Files app icons have slightly adjusted colors, with Files gaining a dash of purple and Photos increasing saturation for clarity.

• Dynamic Island and Widgets: Enhanced functionality for the Dynamic Island and new widgets offer more interactive experiences, though specifics remain under wraps.

The Liquid Glass Controversy

The Liquid Glass design, initially celebrated for its vibrant, Vision Pro-inspired aesthetic, has sparked mixed reactions. In beta 1, excessive transparency in elements like the Control Center and notifications caused visual clutter, making them hard to read, especially with light-colored wallpapers. Beta 2 addressed some issues, like Control Center transparency, and beta 3 further reduces the “glassiness” in favor of a frosted look. This shift has polarized users. Some, like X user @iupdate, lament that “iOS 26 beta 3 completely nerfs Liquid Glass,” calling it “cheaper” and a retreat from Apple’s original vision. Others, including Redditors, praise the changes for improving accessibility, noting that the initial design was “unreadable for anyone without perfect vision.” Critics argue Apple rushed the redesign, with one designer on MacRumors questioning how legibility flaws weren’t caught earlier. Suggestions for an accessibility toggle to adjust transparency levels have surfaced, but Apple has not yet implemented this.

iPadOS 26: Cursor Visibility and App Switching

iPadOS 26 beta 3 (build 23A5287g) focuses on usability enhancements, aligning with iOS 26’s design tweaks while introducing iPad-specific features:

• Cursor Visibility: A new feature lets users shake the cursor to temporarily enlarge it, mirroring macOS functionality and making it easier to locate on the screen.

• App Switching: Support for swiping between full-screen and windowed apps improves multitasking flexibility.

• Dock and Wallpaper Updates: Like iOS, the iPad dock now centers apps, and the new wallpaper color options (Sky, Halo, Ruby) enhance customization.

• Files App Enhancements: The native media player in the Files app now supports playback speed adjustments and dialogue enhancement, catering to media-heavy workflows.

The Liquid Glass adjustments from iOS 26 carry over, with less translucent navigation bars and buttons in apps like Photos, though the effect remains more pronounced in some contexts, like Dark Mode. User feedback on iPadOS mirrors iOS, with some appreciating the usability fixes and others missing the bolder transparency of beta 1.

macOS Tahoe 26: Subtle Visual Refinements

Details on macOS Tahoe 26 beta 3 are sparse, but the update continues to refine the Liquid Glass aesthetic across sidebars and navigation elements. Notable changes include:

• New Wallpaper: A Lake Tahoe-inspired wallpaper adds a fresh visual option, with slightly increased saturation for vibrancy.

• Sidebar Enhancements: Apps like Apple TV feature updated sidebars that refract content and wallpaper, maintaining context while reducing transparency for clarity.

User feedback on macOS is less vocal than on iOS, but some testers on ResetEra noted that the frosted look feels like a step back from the “liquidy” aesthetic, especially on matte displays like the nano-texture MacBooks.

watchOS 26: Minimal Changes

watchOS 26 beta 3 brings subtle tweaks, focusing on harmonizing the Liquid Glass design across Apple’s platforms. Specific new features are not detailed in available reports, but the update aligns navigation and control elements with the less translucent, frosted aesthetic seen in iOS and iPadOS. The lack of major changes suggests Apple is prioritizing stability on the smaller screen.

tvOS 26: App-Centric Design Updates

tvOS 26 beta 3 applies Liquid Glass refinements to Apple TV, with a focus on app immersion:

• Sidebar Redesign: Updated sidebars in apps like Apple TV refract content and wallpaper, enhancing immersion while reducing transparency for better readability.

• Limited Hardware Support: Liquid Glass effects are exclusive to newer Apple TV 4K boxes, with older models (first-gen 4K and 1080p Apple TV) running the update without these visuals.

User feedback is limited, but the changes align with Apple’s goal of a cohesive design language across platforms.

User Feedback and the Road Ahead

The toning down of Liquid Glass has been the most polarizing aspect of these betas. While Apple’s adjustments address legitimate concerns about readability—especially for users with visual impairments—some feel the redesign loses its innovative edge. X posts reflect this divide, with @TheGalox_ calling beta 3 “bland” compared to beta 2’s colorful distortions, while @minimalnerd1 praises smoother animations and better battery life but notes issues like broken search indexing. The public beta, expected around July 14, 2025, will likely shed more light on user sentiment as a broader audience tests these changes. Apple’s iterative approach, with weekly updates planned through August, suggests further refinements before the public release in September or October.

Conclusion

Apple’s beta 3 updates for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26 refine the Liquid Glass design while introducing practical features like new wallpapers, cursor visibility, and app-specific tweaks. The reduction in transparency has improved usability but sparked debate among users who loved the original vision. As Apple continues to balance aesthetics with functionality, the upcoming public beta will be a critical test. For now, these updates show Apple’s commitment to listening to feedback, even if it means reining in its boldest design experiment in years.