Apple's new iOS 26 update offers one of the most radical visual redesigns in iPhone, iPad, and Mac history. The new "Liquid Glass" design language features transparent components, reimagined app icons, and a new feature enabling users to make all app icons fully transparent.
This personalized feature overhauls the appearance and atmosphere of the Home Screen, allowing devices to have a futuristic look with the typical light and dark modes. If you want to achieve that, here's how to use Clear App icons.
How to Get Clear App Icons on iPhone
Apple has made it easy to personalize icons. Just follow these steps to turn on the new Clear icon look on iOS 26:
- Press and hold an open space on your Home Screen until the icons start to wobble.
- Tap Edit in the top left.
- Select Customize from the menu.
- Select Clear, which is the third item listed.
- iOS defaults to the Light appearance, but you can also select Dark or Auto, which automatically changes according to your iPhone's system theme.
- Tap anywhere on the Home Screen to commit your choice.
Reverting is equally simple. Follow the first three steps and select Default if you wish to revert to the traditional colorful icons.
New Icon Styles in iOS 26
Apple didn't rest on Clear icons. The update brings with it revamped modes such as:
- Dark icons which is good for a clean and bold aesthetic.
- Auto mode, which automatically toggles between Light and Dark depending on the system's look.
- Tinted icons, which are a new redesign, complimenting elements of Clear with nuanced color highlights.
All these provide users with the ability to pair their icons with wallpapers, widgets, and system themes, allowing them to have a more personalized iPhone experience.
Clear Icons on iPad and Mac
Customization does not remain exclusive to the iPhone alone. According to 9to5Mac, iPad users get to benefit from the same Clear, Dark, and Tinted icon options with iPadOS 26. Even macOS Tahoe 26 introduces icon customization on the Mac for the very first time, allowing users to modify styles in Settings. All they have to do is go to Appearance, then Icon & Widget Style.
On iPad and iPhone, you can even do more by having various Home Screens through long-pressing the Lock Screen. Different Home Screens can have varying app icon appearances, allowing you to have distinct layouts for work, play, or minimalist setups. Clear mode also brings its futuristic design to widgets, making the whole interface consistent.
iOS Customization is Miles Better This Time
The Clear icon design is Apple's most drastic visual overhaul since widgets arrived. Although eliminating color from apps might be more difficult to distinguish at first glance, the high-tech look, particularly in the Light Clear variant, makes the Home Screen feel clean, sleek, and nearly sci-fi.
On the iPad, the impact is even more striking, and iOS 26 is a milestone in personalization.
With Liquid Glass, restyled icons, and the introduction of Clear mode, Apple has established a new benchmark for how customizable and trendy its devices can appear. Indeed, it's a game-changer for iPhone users who are always after the aesthetic feel of the handset's UI.
ⓒ 2025 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
