Making iPhone iOS 26 look like iOS 18
Apples attempt to make the new iOS look Newer, Fresher and Glassy, has frustrated some, we are regularly asked what we can do to revert the changes so we have prepared this small guide to help you change key setting and make iOS 26 more familiar.
- Reduce Transparency & Motion:
– Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size and turn on ‘Reduce Transparency’ to make folders and menus less glassy.
– In Settings > Accessibility > Motion, enable ‘Reduce Motion’ and then select ‘Prefer Cross-Fade Transitions’ to make animations smoother. - Switch to Default Icons:
– Long-press your Home Screen until the icons shake, then tap Edit in the top left corner.
– Tap Customise then at the bottom, select ‘Default’ and close the panel. - Restore Safari’s Interface:
– Go to Settings > Apps > Safari scroll to the bottom to find a section named tabs, select ‘Top’ this moves the address bar in Safari from the bottom of the screen to the top where it used to be. - Restore Phone and Call History Interface:
– Go to Phone and view your call history, in the top right hand corner tap the three lines in a circle, then select ‘Classic’ - Minimise Full-Screen Previews:
In Settings > Screen Capture, turn off Full-Screen Previews to prevent capture screens (or screenshots) from taking over your display. - Customise the Lock Screen:
– Long-press your Lock Screen and tap Customise (you may have to enter your PIN first to display the customise option).
– Tap the Clock to edit it.
– Choose a thinner font and use the size slider to make the time smaller or larger.
– Change the clock’s appearance from “Glass” to a solid colour for a simpler look.
– Select Done in the top right corner to finish.
By applying these tweaks, you can create a more familiar, simpler experience, even if you can’t completely eliminate all new iOS 26 features.