iPhone Users report Dizziness and Nausea Linked too New iOS 26 Design
CUPERTINO, CA - Thousands of iPhone users are reporting feelings of dizziness and nausea after updating to iOS 26, with many attributing the issue to the operating system’s new “Liquid Glass” design feature. Complaints are surfacing across social media and online forums, detailing a disorienting “tilt effect” caused by dynamic light reflections around the new obvious app icons.
Apple introduced the redesigned icons with the latest operating system, aiming for a more visually appealing user interface. Though, the effect appears to be causing discomfort for a notable number of users, particularly in dark mode and against dark backgrounds.
“The update makes me feel like drunk,” one Reddit user wrote, while another described iOS 26 as an “optical nightmare,” stating they felt ”a little dizzy.” The problem stems from the elaborate transparency effects and color gradients,which many users find create an unstable visual experience.
Currently, Apple does not offer a setting to fully disable the feature. Users can reduce transparency effects in the “Display & Text Size” section under “Accessibility,” but this only impacts the menu bar and control center, not the problematic app icons.
The user backlash is already impacting search trends, with a significant increase in Google searches for “iOS 26 downgrade” – indicating users are attempting to revert to older versions of the operating system. As of today, Apple has not issued an official statement addressing the complaints, though the design received criticism during its testing phase, prompting some initial adjustments from the company.
The issue highlights the potential for unintended consequences when introducing significant visual changes to widely-used operating systems.
