iOS 26: Liquid Glass Looks Unreal—But My iPhone’s Burning Hot 🔥📱
Apple’s iOS 26 beta is out, and it’s bringing one of the boldest redesigns in years. Dubbed Liquid Glass, the interface is stunning—translucent layers, floating icons, and immersive visuals galore. But there’s a catch: it’s making some iPhones overheat during this early beta.
Here’s everything we’ve discovered after hands-on testing, including tips to manage the heat and screen grabs to show off the new design.
1. ✨ Liquid Glass: The Most Dramatic UI Overhaul Ever
- The entire system—lock screen, Home Screen, Control Center, apps—now uses a translucent liquid material that adapts as you scroll or move your device
- Water-droplet effects on buttons and refreshers make the UI feel alive—but early UI reviewers say it’s “jarring” and pixelated in places
Screenshot idea: Show before/after homescreen to highlight transparency & Control Center blur.
Verdict: Gorgeous concept, but still rough around the edges in beta.
2. 📲 Core Phone App Redesign & AI Call Tools
- The Phone app now combines Recent, Favorites & Voicemail into one scrollable page
- Call Screening auto-answers unknown numbers and transcribes audios so you can judge the call before picking up
- Hold Assist acts like Google’s “Hold for Me”—waits on hold for you, notifies when a human answers
Screenshot idea: Show Call Screening in action with transcript overlay.
3. 🌍 Apple Intelligence + Live Translation Everywhere
- Real-time speech translation built into FaceTime, Phone, and Messages
- On-device AI powers visual intelligence, translating labels, identifying objects, and powering new emoji (Genmoji)
Screenshot idea: Live Translate in FaceTime screencap with subtitles on screen.
4. 🛠 App Updates & New Features
- Messages gains inline polls, animated backgrounds, Apple Cash integration & enhanced spam filtering
- Camera gets a simplified, floating-bar UI and lets AirPods be used as a shutter
- Photos reverts to a clean tab-based interface with parallax-style 3D photos
- Safari, CarPlay Ultra, Wallet, Apple Music, Games app all receive Liquid Glass overlays and new functionality
Screenshot idea: Messages poll, Safari’s full-screen address bar, Games app home screen.
5. 🔥 Overheating, Sluggishness & Beta Bugs
- Users report choppy animations, sluggish performance, and odd throttling—though this may settle after indexing
- Beta-induced overheating is common—phones felt hot to the touch after UI changes
- Tips to reduce heat and improve performance include restarting after install, dimming screen brightness, closing background apps, resetting settings, and waiting for updates
Screenshot idea: Battery usage stats or temperature warning pop-up.
6. ✅ Pros & ❌ Cons
Pros:
- Dramatic, immersive UI with Liquid Glass
- Intelligent call features like Call Screening & Hold Assist
- Real-time translation + powerful on-device AI
- Enhanced Messages, Photos, Camera, Safari, and CarPlay
- Unified ecosystem design across iOS, macOS, watchOS
Cons:
- Initial slowness and performance hiccups
- Devices running hotter than usual
- Transparent UI causes readability issues in some apps
- Still early-beta—visual glitches and layout quirks
💡 Quick Fix Guide for Overheating
- Restart your device to clear indexing processes
- Lower screen brightness / enable auto-brightness
- Close unused apps and disable background refresh
- Reset settings (won’t erase data)
- Ensure sufficient free storage
- Wait for patches—public beta launching July, full release expected September 16, 2025
📆 Release Timeline
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Developer Beta | June 2025 |
| Public Beta | July 2025 |
| Final Release | September 16, 2025 |
Note: Compatible with iPhone 11 and newer; advanced Apple Intelligence features require iPhone 15 Pro or newer
👍 Final Verdict
iOS 26’s Liquid Glass aesthetic is a sleek, futuristic evolution—offering dynamic visuals, smart calling tools, and Apple Intelligence at its core. But at this Developer Beta stage, expect heat, bugs, and performance hiccups. Patience and early adopters’ spirit required.
Recommended for: Curious developers, early beta users, and design enthusiasts
Skip for now: if phone stability, battery life, or performance matters for daily use
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will iOS 26 100% burn my phone?
A: Not permanently—overheating occurs early, usually from indexing. Restart and let it settle after a few hours
Q: Is Liquid Glass stay until final release?
A: Yes, it’s confirmed for the final version due September
Q: Should I install public beta?
A: No if you rely on your iPhone daily. The public beta comes in July—stable and documented (reddit.com)
Q: Does Hold Assist work with any call?
A: Yes, it patiently waits on hold and notifies you once an agent picks up
Q: Can I translate FaceTime calls?
A: Yes, real-time audio and text translation works directly in FaceTime—floating captions and live speech convert as you speak
Learn More:
- Developer insights, install guides, and more beta tips
- Visual walkthroughs of these UI changes coming to TechUnboxing007
