iOS beta adds reduce lighting effects

Apple’s iOS 26.4 beta adds a new Accessibility toggle called “Reduce Bright Effects” for people who want less flashing in the Liquid Glass interface. (9to5mac.com) (developer.apple.com) Apple says the setting minimizes highlighting and flashing when you interact with onscreen elements such as buttons or the keyboard. It appears in Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size. (9to5mac.com) (developer.apple.com) Liquid Glass is Apple’s new interface material across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Vision Pro software. Apple describes it as a dynamic, glass-like layer for controls and navigation that changes with focus, overlap, and motion. (support.apple.com) (developer.apple.com) That design means the system can look more animated and reflective than older versions of iOS. Apple’s developer guidance tells app makers to test with accessibility settings because translucency and fluid morphing effects can be modified or removed. (developer.apple.com) The new switch sits alongside older accessibility controls that already reduce transparency, dim flashing lights in video, or cut motion across the interface. Apple’s Motion settings page says Reduce Motion now affects the “fluid morphing effects of Liquid Glass.” (support.apple.com) (developer.apple.com) Apple has also exposed the feature to developers. SwiftUI now includes an `accessibilityReduceHighlightingEffects` environment value, and Apple’s Accessibility framework includes `isReduceHighlightingEffectsEnabled`, both marked for iOS 26.4 and the matching platform releases. (developer.apple.com 1) (developer.apple.com 2) That means apps built with standard Apple interface components can adapt automatically, while custom controls may need extra work. Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines tell developers to audit interfaces for people with low vision or light sensitivity and to avoid relying on a single visual cue. (developer.apple.com 1) (developer.apple.com 2) For now, the feature is in beta software, so its name or behavior could still change before public release. But Apple’s documentation already treats Reduce Bright Effects as a system setting, which usually means developers should start accounting for it now. (developer.apple.com) (9to5mac.com)