Apple has pushed iOS 26.1 beta 4 to testers, and while this is an incremental build, it packs not one but two user-facing changes that are worth far more than their KB size…
There’s a new control for toning down the system’s Liquid Glass look; another lets you finally stop the Camera from launching from the Lock Screen by accident.
Pour That Goes Tinted: A Calmer Liquid Glass Option
Liquid Glass came along with iOS 26 as a cloudy, sloshy look that rests on blur and depth to communicate hierarchy. It’s cool, but not everyone digs text and UI hovering over busy backgrounds. Beta 4 introduces a “Tinted” option that dials down that transparency across the system.
You can find it in Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass. Switch to Tinted and the OS now intensifies behind elements such as notifications, widgets, Control Center tiles, and system sheets. The change doesn’t bring the design language to death or anything; it just lessens the visual bleed-through that can make it hard to read text on bright or patterned wallpapers.
Apple previously provided some relief in Accessibility settings, but bringing a clear toggle into Display & Brightness puts this option where most users are likely to check first.
It is also consistent with Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines, which promote contrast and clarity, as well as W3C contrast recommendations that warn that translucency can compromise readability in a variety of lighting conditions.
Real-world example: if you’re stuck in a morning or evening commute and auto-brightness is fighting with glare, translucent notification banners can suddenly become very hard to read without squinting at them like an old man. With Tinted, greater numbers of text and icons pop more often without losing the layered look that arrived this cycle.
Control the Lock Screen Camera Swipe to Avoid Misfires
The second has to do with addressing a long-running irritation — accidental camera launches. On iPhones today, a swipe right from the left edge of the Lock Screen opens Camera immediately. That’s good for speed, not-above-average if your palm or pocket sets it off.
You can now turn off that gesture entirely in iOS 26.1 beta 4. Go to Settings > Camera and switch off “Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera.” The Camera is still accessible from inside the app and other entry points that you call up intentionally, but desultory swipes won’t wake the sensor or drain your battery in your pocket.
It’s a quality-of-life victory for parents and runners, as well as anyone who tends to hold onto the phone tightly, and it now provides IT admins with another middle-ground option. On managed devices, it is already possible to disallow Camera entirely using mobile device management; this gesture toggle provides control over the app being active without removing it.
Who Can Install the Beta and How to Get It Safely
Developers who are registered with the Apple Developer Program and have the proper configuration profile can install the update using Settings > General > Software Update. As always, back up before installing any beta software, and this specific excerpt is from the second page where Apple reminds users to avoid putting betas on primary devices when uptime is important.
Why These Tweaks Matter for Clarity and Usability
Small switches can make a little difference, too. Usability research from folks like Nielsen Norman Group has long noted that design candy and surprise interactions create cognitive load. By showing a transparent Liquid Glass interface while allowing users to declare for themselves how the Lock Screen will behave, Apple is swapping some default flash for optional clarity and momentum.
The point is simple: personalization is not all about wallpapers and widgets. It’s also about how the system values readability and unintended behavior. Beta 4’s additions, then, are just part of Apple trying to calibrate that balance without walking back on the overall aesthetic introduced in iOS 26.
How to Test the New Settings and Reverse Them Easily
- To decrease transparency: Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass > Tinted.
- To prevent inadvertent camera launches: Settings > Camera > turn off Lock Screen Swipe to Open Camera.
Both changes are easily reversible, so try for a day in normal life — commuting, working out, low-light reading — and adopt whichever setting feels calmer, more intentional.