Customize iPhone Home Screen: iOS 26 Liquid Glass Guide

iOS 26 and the Introduction of Liquid Glass

Apple’s recent iOS 26 operating system release features a completely new design aesthetic known as Liquid Glass. Representing one of Apple’s most significant interface overhauls since the transition from skeuomorphism to a flatter design in 2013, this new language incorporates a translucent, glass-like material throughout the software.

This visual element is applied to a wide range of iOS components. These include buttons, sliders, media controls, switches, notifications, tab bars, and app sidebars.

The Liquid Glass effect extends to core system interfaces as well. Users will notice the changes within the Control Center, Home Screen, and Lock Screen, among other areas.

Inspiration from Mixed Reality

The design’s origins can be traced to mixed-reality technologies, specifically devices like the Apple Vision Pro. This suggests Apple is preparing for a future where the operating system may need to function on wearable devices.

Specifically, the company is reportedly developing smart glasses, and this design shift could be a foundational step towards compatibility.

Customization Options with Liquid Glass

The introduction of Liquid Glass unlocks new avenues for personalizing your iPhone. Support has been added for features like transparent icons, glass-styled widgets, and a glassy typeface for the Lock Screen.

Furthermore, the new design integrates seamlessly with 3D photos, enhancing the visual experience.

Getting Started with Customization

Below you will find a compilation of helpful tips and techniques. These will guide you through the process of customizing your iPhone to fully utilize the capabilities of the new Liquid Glass design.

Explore the new options and tailor your iPhone’s appearance to your preferences.

Liquid Glass Icons

Altering the style of your Home Screen icons represents a significant personalization option. Since the introduction of iOS 14 and its accompanying widgets, users have been actively customizing their Home Screens with unique icons. Initially, this involved creating app shortcuts through the Apple Shortcuts app and then assigning custom icons to those shortcuts.

Subsequently, these shortcuts were added to the Home Screen. Several iOS theming applications were also updated to streamline this process, enabling bulk customization and installation via downloadable profiles.

iOS 18 simplified this process by introducing a built-in tool allowing users to change all icons to a new color scheme. Furthermore, the option to display icons slightly larger by removing the text labels was also provided.

With the release of iOS 26, icon customization has been further enhanced, now offering styles that mimic light or dark glass, tinted glass, or even completely clear icons.

Initial user feedback regarding tinted icons in iOS 18 prompted improvements, resulting in the more refined Liquid Glass design. The tinting effect is now more subtle and visually appealing.

An eyedropper tool is available, allowing precise color selection directly from your wallpaper to ensure icon color matching. Sliders are also provided for fine-tuning color and opacity levels.

For those preferring a glassy aesthetic without extensive customization, selecting the “Clear” icon option provides a simple solution.

How to Apply: Enter customization mode by pressing and holding on your Home Screen, then tapping Customize. Explore the available options to choose your preferred background style – light, dark, or automatic – icon size, and icon appearance, selecting from dark, clear, tinted, or default colors.

Confirm your customizations by tapping on your Home Screen again.

Coordinated Icons

Users who prefer a minimalist aesthetic or utilize transparent phone cases may appreciate the newly introduced capability to synchronize their iPhone’s app icons with the color of their device or protective covering. This functionality is accessible via the “matched icons” setting within iOS 26.

The operating system identifies your iPhone’s specific model and color through its SKU. However, achieving a color match based on a phone case necessitates the use of genuine Apple MagSafe cases.

Utilizing the Feature: To align your icons with your iPhone’s color, long-press on the Home Screen to activate jiggle mode. Subsequently, select Edit > Customize > Tinted. Beneath the color and opacity controls, tap the icon resembling a small iPhone located on the extreme left. To instead coordinate with your case, select the adjacent button.

Personalizing Your iPhone Home Screen: Wallpaper and Layout

The wallpaper for your Lock Screen and Home Screen are independent, offering extensive possibilities for personalizing your iPhone’s appearance. Before selecting a background image, consider exploring online resources for visually appealing designs.

Pinterest continues to be a valuable platform for discovering free wallpaper ideas. Utilize search queries such as “Liquid Glass wallpaper” or “iOS 26 wallpaper” to find suitable options.

Alternatively, iOS theming applications available on the App Store provide further customization. Be aware that many of these apps operate on a subscription model or include advertisements, particularly in free versions. Recommended apps, frequently revisited and sometimes paid for, include Brass, Color Themes, ScreenKit, Themify, Wallaroo, and Widgetsmith.

Customizing your Home Screen presents an opportunity to support digital artists. Many artists offer wallpaper collections for purchase via Patreon or promote their work on social media platforms.

Searching for “iOS wallpaper” and related terms on platforms like X and Threads can reveal creative ideas. Visual platforms such as Instagram and TikTok are also frequently used by users to showcase their custom designs. (Currently, vibrant, colorful, and fluid flower prints are particularly inspiring!)

With the introduction of iOS 18, icons and widgets can now be positioned freely on the Home Screen, allowing for the inclusion of blank spaces. This feature is especially useful for ensuring your wallpaper remains visible.

However, it’s important to note that icons remain aligned to an underlying, invisible grid, maintaining an organized screen layout.

Instructions for Application: To modify your wallpaper, long-press on the Home Screen until icons become movable, then select Edit > Edit Wallpaper from the displayed menu. Wallpaper adjustments can also be made through the settings app.

To rearrange icons, press and hold on the Home Screen until they begin to move, then drag and drop them to your desired locations.

Widgets on iOS 26

Although not a recent innovation, iOS 26 introduces a new aesthetic for widgets – a glassy appearance – potentially prompting users to refresh their Home Screen designs.

Beyond the integrated widgets provided with your applications, now featuring this glass effect, numerous third-party options are available. Popular choices include Brass, Color Themes, ScreenKit, Themify, Widgetsmith, and Launcher, all accessible on the iPhone.

The widget applications developed by MD Studio are also noteworthy, particularly the one that simulates a vinyl record player directly on your Home Screen. For a more contemporary style, Not Boring offers alternatives to standard iPhone apps – such as camera, calculator, weather, and timer – each accompanied by its own set of widgets. The Airbuds music application also provides an engaging widget.

Currently gaining traction is Dynamic-Lyrics, an application that displays real-time song lyrics on your Lock Screen, within the Dynamic Island, or on your Home Screen.

Creating Custom Widgets with Widgy

Users also have the capability to design and personalize their own widgets using the Widgy application. This platform is a comprehensive resource for widget customization, alongside the aforementioned theming apps. Widgy empowers users, even those without design experience, to construct unique widgets by incorporating various elements, adjusting colors and effects, and linking to data sources.

The app allows you to explore widgets created by other users for inspiration, and then import them for personal use.

Acquiring and Importing Widget Collections

Some designers offer Widgy widget collections for sale on their websites. While this process involves additional steps, the resulting customization can be highly rewarding. For instance, a “glass glossy” Widgy widget collection was recently purchased to enhance the Home Screen with unique designs. However, familiarity with theming applications is recommended before beginning.

Instructions for Use: Begin by downloading the purchased widget’s zip file to the Apple Files folder on your iPhone or iCloud Drive. (Performing this step directly from your iPhone may simplify the process.) If the file is compressed, tap to extract its contents.

Launch the Widgy application, previously installed from the App Store, and navigate to the “Create” tab. Select “Import,” then choose “import .widgy File from Files.” (If the file wasn’t saved within the dedicated Widgy folder, you’ll need to browse to its original download location.) Tap the file or folder to import it into Widgy.

Customization and Integration

Within Widgy’s “Manage” tab, tap on the widgets included in your downloaded collection. To ensure the widget complements your wallpaper, tap “Set up Transparency” and upload screenshots of your wallpaper in both light and dark modes, captured from a blank Home Screen page. Further customization options are available for each widget within this section.

When customizing an individual widget, you’ll also need to define its position on the Home Screen.

Once the widget is saved, add it to your Home Screen by entering jiggle mode (tap and hold the Home Screen), selecting Edit > Add Widget > Widgy, and then choosing the widget you created from the available options.

Liquid Glass Lock Screen Feature

The iPhone’s Lock Screen has been updated with a new feature called Liquid Glass. This displays the time using a distinctive, glassy San Francisco font. The font’s visual characteristics—its thickness, breadth, and height—will adjust dynamically.

These adjustments are based on the image displayed and any incoming notifications. This ensures the primary subject of your chosen photo remains clearly visible.

Spatial Scenes and 3D Effects

A particularly noteworthy addition is the introduction of Spatial Scenes. These scenes imbue your iPhone wallpaper with a three-dimensional effect. This functionality utilizes advanced computer vision technology.

The technology operates through the device’s neural engine, transforming standard 2D photographs into immersive 3D images. Importantly, this feature isn’t exclusive to photos taken with the latest iPhone models.

Enabling the Feature: To activate this, long-press on the Lock Screen. Then, select the "Customize" option. Navigate through your photo library to select a desired image for your wallpaper.

After selecting your image, locate and tap the "Spatial Scene" button. This will activate the 3D effect. The button is situated on the right-hand side of the Lock Screen customization interface.

Further customization options are also available. An adjacent button allows you to configure wallpaper settings, such as scheduling photo rotations or triggering changes with a simple tap.