Looking at the home screens, the primary difference you'll find is that in iOS 26 the background of the dock and the search option that sits in 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.

Apple apparently wasn’t satisfied with the Liquid Glass look in beta 2. iOS 26 beta 3 introduces another change, and now the glass isn’t that liquid anymore. The transparency has been reduced even further, giving the overall effect of frosted glass.

New Delhi: Apple has begun to subtly tone down its much-hyped " Liquid Glass " design language in the latest iOS 26 Beta 3, released to developers this week. The move, which sees a reduction in the signature transparency of UI elements, appears to be a direct response to early tester feedback regarding legibility and clarity.