How to Adjust Liquid Glass on Lock Screen of iPhone
The Liquid Glass interface continues to be polarizing for iPhone users with iOS 26 and newer, but with iOS 26.2 onwards you can now make some adjustments to the intensity of the Liquid Glass look… but only for the clock on the Lock Screen of iPhone.
If you’d like to fine-tune the appearance of the Lock Screen Clock on iPhone with iOS 26, you’re now able to use a slider to adjust the intensity of Liquid Glass, going from full Liquid Glass where it’s nearly transparent, to a more frosted look that is slightly bezeled or embossed, and if you hate Liquid Glass, you can also choose the “Solid” option to make it look like the more traditional Lock Screen clock too.
How to Adjust Intensity of Liquid Glass on iPhone Lock Screen Clock
- Open the “Settings” app on iPhone, then go to “Wallpaper”
- Tap on “Customize” under the Lock Screen (left most option) within the “Current” section
- Tap on the Clock, then adjust the slider on the very bottom of the screen: the far left is pure Liquid Glass and nearly transparent, the far right is more legible and frosted
- Tap “Done” when you’re satisfied and enjoy your new lock screen look
The intensity of the Liquid Glass effect on the clock can vary considerably by using the slider, and which looks best to you likely depends on your specific wallpaper choices, as well as your general affinity for Liquid Glass. Customization options are always great though, so whichever you prefer, tinker with the setting until it’s just right for you.
If you enjoy Liquid Glass you’ll probably also like making your icons clear on the Home Screen too, whereas if you aren’t a fan you might want to follow some tips to improve legibility of the interface design approach.
Ideally, Apple will add a Liquid Glass slider to the entire operating system for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe 26, but for now this is the only adjustment you can really make to the Liquid Glass interface, and it only applies to the clock on the iPhone Lock Screen. Better than nothing perhaps, but not quite the relief that some users are looking for who experience difficulty with legibility with the Liquid Glass interface in general.
What do you think of the Liquid Glass slider for the lock screen clock? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Thank you very much.
Now if they would square off the corners and give the toolbar its own unique color that would be great!
I use an iPhone 16 that runs iOS 26.2. My phone’s settings tree for this tweak are nothing like you describe. You either transcribed them incorrectly, use an older phone or iOS than mine, or share bad information.
The failure occurs with your step 2, fwiw.
Thank you for trying.
Not a fan of Liquid Glass effects at all. My older eyes struggle with this effect a lot. I have tried to mute this effect wherever I can to improve legibility. Don’t like the trade off of the glass effect over legibility.
Great article, Paul! Your step-by-step instructions make customizing the Liquid Glass effect simple, even for users unfamiliar with iOS 26 features. We’ve submitted our previous comment and really appreciate how you highlight both the design and usability aspects. For discussion: Which Liquid Glass intensity do you find most user-friendly for different wallpaper choices?
This is a helpful walkthrough for anyone struggling with the Liquid Glass look on iOS 26. We’ve submitted our earlier comment and found the tip about adjusting the clock transparency especially useful. Curious to hear your thoughts: Could a system-wide Liquid Glass slider improve accessibility for users who find the interface hard to read?