iOS 26 adds ‘Liquid Glass’ look: Here’s how to make iPhone icons clear

Apple's latest update, iOS 26, has provided iPhone users with an exciting new way to refresh their screens using the Liquid Glass design, which gives app icons total transparency. 

The new feature in the available public beta has already caught on amongst users who like to personalise their devices.

Prior versions, even iOS 18, enabled tinted icons; this time Apple is allowing even further personalisation. The new way of customising your iPhone allows your wallpaper to show through your icons, giving you a clean and obscured, if not futuristic, effect.

Here is how to do it:

1. Check that your version is iOS 26 by updating to the latest version or by joining the public beta. 
2. Unlock your iPhone and stay on your home screen. 
3. Press and hold on any empty space until the app icons start “wiggling.” 
4. On the top left corner you'll see the Edit button; click this.
5. You will then see a menu pop-up with Customise; click this.
6. The bottom of your screen will show options like Light, Dark, Tinted, and the new Clear option; click Clear.
7. The second you click clear, your app icons turn into Liquid Glass-style icons with total transparency, allowing you to see your wallpaper.

According to Apple, this update is part of the “most expressive design yet,” giving iPhone owners further control of how they want their device to look.