how iOS 26 is different from iOS 18: iOS 26 vs iOS 18: How your iPhone’s home screen, lock screen, control center & features have changed

iOS 26 vs iOS 18: Apple’s iOS 26 is officially here, and for users who skipped the beta builds, the update brings a lot of visual change, most noticeably through something Apple calls “Liquid Glass” design. The update is now live, and while there are many features included, the one that’s catching the most attention is the new interface design, even though it doesn’t completely change the way your iPhone functions, it gives everything a much sleeker look.

Here’s a closer look at how iOS 26 compares to iOS 18, and what you can expect when you update or when you open up your new iPhone 17 for the first time.

Liquid Glass Brings a Transparent, Glossy Feel on iPhone

iOS 18 had a solid, clean interface, but iOS 26 takes things a step further with Liquid Glass, which is a glossy, slightly transparent, and visually fluid design that runs throughout the system, as per a Cnet report.

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Home Screen Updates In iOS 26 vs iOS 18

The main difference that can be seen in the home screen is that in iOS 26, the dock background and the search option that sits between the dock and the home screen icons are more transparent and have a sheen to the edges, whereas in iOS 18, these are slightly darker, according to the report.Other smaller changes in the home screens are that the icons on iOS 26 appear a bit larger, and some app icons seem to have been more influenced by the redesign than others, most notably Camera and Mail, as per the Cnet report.Cnet recommends that for Liquid Glass to really shine on the home screen, users can opt for the “All Clear” mode, which will create the most dramatic change to the iPhone’s icons and widgets. However, this mode could potentially introduce some viewability issues, but the “reduce transparency” setting might help to solve this issue, as per the report.

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Control Center In iOS 26 vs iOS 18

The Control Center on both the iOS versions are remain mostly the same. Apart from the new glassy look in iOS 26, the 1×2 and 2×1 controls are more rounded than those of iOS 18, as per the Cnet report.

iOS 26 Lock Screen: Bigger Clock, New Animation Compared to iOS 18

There are quite afew differences that Liquid Glass brings to the iPhone lock screen. The digital clock in iOS 26 keeps resizing depending on the wallpaper and the number of notifications that a user has at any given moment, according to the Cnet report.

While the clock itself on iOS 18 can be changed, but it cannot change in size in response to content displayed on the lock screen, as per the report.

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Even the background on notifications is very different on both the iOS versions, with iOS 18 providing more opacity and black text versus iOS 26’s near-transparent background on white text, according to Cnet. The controls at the bottom in iOS 26 look more like physical buttons with depth and more of a see-through background, as per the report.

There is alos a new unlock effect in iOS 26, where the motion of unlocking the iPhone will appear as though the user is lifting a sheet of glass, highlighted by a shiny edge to give it form when a user begins to slide their finger up, as per the Cnet report.

New: Dynamic Tab Bars In iOS 26

Another addition in iOS 26 is the introduction of dynamic tab bars in apps that will change depending on whether a user is scrolling or trying to perform a specific action, reported Cnet. Apple said that this will create a more intuitive experience while freeing up space for the users content, as per the report. Compared to iOS 18, this new dynamic tab bar will help to reduce sifting through multiple menus.

Menu Text and Button Colors Adjust Based on Background In iOS 26

While one of the Liquid Glass cannot be exactly compared to iOS 18 as an upcoming feature is that buttons and menus will adapt depending on the content’s background color, as reported by Cnet. That means, when you’re scrolling through an app with a light background, the floating menu options will appear with black text for easier viewing and will automatically change to white upon scrolling to a dark background, as per the report.

FAQs

Is iOS 26 harder to use than iOS 18?
No. It just looks a bit different, but the functionality is mostly the same.

Can I turn off the transparency in iOS 26?
Yes, you can use the “reduce transparency” setting if the new look affects readability.