iOS 19 Leak Shows What iOS 26 Would Have Looked Like Without Liquid Glass

Apple made two big changes to the iPhone operating system this year. First, the expected iOS 19 name was replaced with iOS 26, as Apple tied the software number to the next year for all its operating systems. Second, iOS 26 debuted Apple's biggest design makeover in years, dubbed Liquid Glass. Like the new naming scheme, Liquid Glass is available across devices. Liquid Glass is also the most controversial iOS 26 feature, as iPhone owners have criticized the transparent user interface since Apple introduced it at WWDC 2025. That said, a new leak shows us what iOS 26 would have looked like without the Liquid Glass design. AppleInsider obtained images showing an iPhone 16 Pro prototype running an early iOS 26 software version identified as iOS 19. It's unclear when the build was created, but the images suggest the Liquid Glass UI was already baked into the software even though it wasn't enabled.

Without Liquid Glass turned on, the iPhone 16 Pro test device running this iOS 19 software version looks just like an iPhone with iOS 18 installed. The report notes that the "Sensitive UI" setting is enabled, which would suggest Liquid Glass effects should be turned on. However, the apps do not feature any translucent elements, and there are no "fluid" effects in the design. Also, the apps on the development iPhone aren't like what you'd experience on a commercial iPhone 16 Pro model. The images show various apps that Apple software engineers may use while working on unreleased iOS versions. The blog also says the Livability app contains an active Solarium feature flag that indicates Apple was working on Liquid Glass. However, the test iPhone did not have the feature enabled.

Previous reports have tied Solarium and Sensitive UI to Liquid Glass. The former is Apple's codename for the Liquid Glass design, while the latter is a switch that enables it. Last month BetaWiki shared screenshots from a TikTok video that showed an iPhone 15 Pro Max device running an iOS 26 version that was labeled iOS 19 with Sensitive UI turned off. That clip is still available on TikTok, as seen below. BetaWiki speculated that Liquid Glass was turned off on this particular device to prevent leaks. The video shows an iOS 19 experience that's similar to iOS 18, though some iOS 26 features, like the new battery usage details in the Settings app.

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The images AppleInsider obtained are more interesting. They show the Livability app, an internal app that Apple engineers use to manage feature flags in iOS development versions. The images show various menus in the Livability app covering several iOS development milestones, including features in development for WWDC 2025, fall of 2026, and others. The WWDC 2026 and 2027 milestones are also mentioned, though no flags are associated with them. Also, the iOS 19 build includes a PurpleRestore 4 mobile app, which hasn't been seen on an iPhone before. The app may be tied to a new iPhone capability that lets users restore an iPhone using a nearby iPhone. PurpleRestore is an internal app that Apple uses to flash firmware to iPhones and other devices.

The first iOS 27 leaks say Apple will focus on performance improvements next year, including improvements to Liquid Glass. Apple is also expected to roll out a big iOS 26.4 update next spring, which should deliver the revamped Siri experience.