After Two Days with iOS 26, I Regret Upgrading

15 Oct, 2025

iOS 26 introduces an entirely new “Liquid Glass” design — the biggest visual overhaul in recent years. The new look is indeed refreshing and eye-catching. The whole interface feels bright and clean, and the “Liquid Glass” elements reflect different lighting effects depending on the background color and viewing angle. It truly resembles a real piece of glass. This design language extends throughout the lock screen, app icons, toggle buttons, switches, and even the video player interface.

Apart from the design changes, there are several key updates:

Simplified Camera Interface: You can now swipe to quickly switch between modes.
Photos App: Features independent tabs for “Library,” “Collections,” and “Search.”
Messages App: Now supports filtering unknown senders and spam messages.
CarPlay: Also adopts the new “Liquid Glass” aesthetic.

User Experience

At first, after updating, both the lock screen and home screen looked stunning — fresh, clean, and full of newness. All app icons now appear as if covered by a layer of frosted glass, giving them a soft, white sheen. The edges of the icons also refract light dynamically as you tilt your phone, giving off a “bling-bling” effect.

In terms of animation, when swiping between “Liquid Glass” widgets, they really do merge and separate like liquid — very realistic.

When transitioning from the lock screen to the home screen, the app icons now appear by scaling up smoothly from the bottom. Compared to earlier versions, this animation feels more natural and cohesive. (If you haven’t upgraded yet, you might want to compare the difference.)

Another improvement: you can now customize the “Snooze” duration for alarms — previously fixed at 9 minutes, it can now be extended up to 15 minutes. I’m not sure why Apple imposes such limits, but at least the flexibility is better than before.

Now for the Downsides

First, storage space — after upgrading to iOS 26, system usage increased by nearly 4GB. For users with 128GB devices, that’s definitely painful.

Immediately after the update, the device ran hot and battery life was significantly worse. According to Apple support, “After a major system update, the system needs to rebuild various data indexes, which can cause temporary heating. It should stabilize in a few days.”

Indeed, by the second day, the heating and battery drain had improved, but compared to iOS 18, the phone still ran warmer and battery life was noticeably shorter.

The “Liquid Glass” real-time lighting and refraction effects look impressive but can be visually distracting. Personally, I find it more annoying than useful.

The app-opening animation has also changed — and not for the better. It feels a bit like Android now — fast, abrupt, and unnatural, as if Apple added animation just for the sake of it. The old animation, where the app expanded gently from its icon position to full screen, was elegant and seamless — so natural you barely noticed it. Isn’t “the best design the one you don’t notice”?

Another issue: in the new alarm interface, the “Stop” and “Snooze” buttons are now the same size. Since “Stop” is a potentially critical action, making it larger increases the chance of accidental taps. This doesn’t feel very “Apple-like.”

Verdict & Suggestions

For older models (pre–iPhone 17), upgrading to iOS 26 means more storage usage, more heat, and shorter battery life. The new iPhone 17 has better cooling, longer battery life, and larger storage, so it’s less affected.

If you love the iOS 26 design or need its new features, go for it — otherwise, you might want to hold off.

The new design language, smoother transitions, custom alarm snooze duration, and improved “swipe-right to go back” gesture in Settings are all nice touches. However, the “Liquid Glass” effects feel excessive — almost like Apple added them just because modern CPUs can handle it.

Honestly, Apple could’ve simply built upon iOS 18 — adding these functional improvements in a smaller update — allowing older devices to enjoy the new features without sacrificing performance and battery life.

优化一下语言，让语序更通顺

Here’s a refined, smoother version of your English article — more natural, polished, and clear, while keeping the same tone and meaning:

After Two Days with iOS 26, I Regret Upgrading

iOS 26 introduces an entirely new “Liquid Glass” design — the biggest visual overhaul in years. The fresh, transparent look is truly eye-catching. The interface feels clean and elegant, and the “Liquid Glass” elements reflect light differently depending on the background color and viewing angle. It genuinely looks like real glass. This new design extends across the lock screen, app icons, toggle switches, buttons, and even the video player interface.

Major Updates

Simplified Camera Interface: You can now swipe to switch between different modes.
Photos App: Features dedicated tabs for Library, Collections, and Search.
Messages App: Now supports filtering unknown senders and spam messages.
CarPlay: Also adopts the new “Liquid Glass” aesthetic for a unified visual experience.

First Impressions

Right after upgrading, both the lock screen and home screen felt refreshing — bright, lively, and full of novelty. Each app icon now appears as if covered by a thin layer of frosted glass, giving it a soft, milky texture. The edges reflect light dynamically as you tilt your phone, creating a subtle “bling-bling” shimmer.

The animation of “Liquid Glass” widgets is especially impressive. When you swipe between them, they merge and separate like real liquid — it’s remarkably realistic.

Transitioning from the lock screen to the home screen also feels more fluid: app icons scale up naturally from the bottom in a smooth motion. Compared with previous versions, this animation looks more cohesive and refined. (If you haven’t upgraded yet, it’s worth comparing side by side.)

Another nice addition: the alarm app now lets you customize the snooze duration. The default 9-minute limit can be extended up to 15 minutes. It’s unclear why Apple still imposes a limit, but at least users now have more flexibility.

The Downsides

Now for the not-so-great parts.

Storage: After upgrading, the system occupied nearly 4GB of additional space. For 128GB users, that’s a real headache.

Heat and Battery Life: Right after installation, the phone became noticeably hot, and battery life dropped. Apple support explained that “after a major update, the system rebuilds data indexes, which may temporarily cause heating — it will improve after a few days.”

Indeed, by the second day, the heating issue and battery drain were much better, though still worse than on iOS 18.

The Liquid Glass effects, while stunning, can actually be visually distracting. The constant reflections and light shifts may look cool at first, but they sometimes interfere with usability.

The app-opening animation is another disappointment. It now feels faster and harsher — almost Android-like. The motion curve is abrupt and unnatural, as if animation was added just for show. In contrast, the old animation, where apps smoothly expanded from their icon positions, felt natural and effortless — the kind of design you barely notice because it just works. Isn’t that what Apple design is supposed to be?

The alarm interface has also changed: the “Stop” and “Snooze” buttons are now the same size. Since “Stop” is a more critical action, enlarging it increases the chance of accidental taps — an odd move for Apple, which usually prioritizes precision and safety.

Final Thoughts

For older models (anything before the iPhone 17), upgrading to iOS 26 means more storage consumption, more heat, and shorter battery life. The iPhone 17, with its improved cooling, larger storage, and longer endurance, can handle it better.

If you love the new look or need specific new features, go ahead and upgrade. But if stability and performance matter more to you, staying on iOS 18 might be the wiser choice.

Overall, iOS 26 brings some nice touches — refined animations, customizable snooze durations, and better navigation gestures. But the “Liquid Glass” effects feel overdesigned, as if Apple simply wanted to show off its CPU power.

Honestly, Apple could have just built upon iOS 18, adding these thoughtful improvements in a smaller update. That way, older devices could still enjoy new features without sacrificing performance and battery life.

Back to blog