Apple continues to refine its signature Liquid Glass design ahead of the autumn release of iOS 26, and the sixth beta has brought notable changes to the lock screen. The clock has undergone the biggest transformation: it’s now more transparent, allowing the background to shine through the numbers, creating a visual 3D effect. It looks spectacular, but it’s harder to read the time.
In addition to transparency, Apple has changed the proportions of the elements slightly: the control buttons are larger, making them easier to press on larger screens, but the Liquid Glass effect for these buttons remains unchanged. The widgets on the lock screen remain unchanged. However, on dark or complex backgrounds, the clock may be less readable, making the previous beta 5 version easier to quickly tell the time.
On bright wallpapers, the clock is almost invisible at all. Beta 6 on the left. Image: macrumors.com
These changes are part of Apple’s ongoing experimentation, making small visual fixes over the course of a few weeks, gradually tweaking the interface. The final Liquid Glass design in the final version of iOS 26 may differ from the current beta. Beta testing allows Apple to strike a balance between aesthetics and functionality, and it’s possible that user feedback will lead to additional tweaks before release in September.