A user interface should be something you barely notice, ideally, you shouldn’t even feel like you’re using one. In the end, it’s just a layer between the user and the task they want to complete. The best UI would be one where you simply think of something, and it happens. Until that’s possible, we rely on various interfaces like iOS. But even then, the goal should be to make them as invisible as possible.
With iOS 26, the problem is that you’re constantly aware of the interface, you feel it, and not in a good way. Every interaction reminds you of the design choices and the friction they create. And if a toggle has to be added in the settings just to make the UI usable, then it’s a clear sign that things have gone off track.
Regarding the visuals. To exaggerate a bit, the boldest previews of iOS 26 look like someone used the “invert colors” function on Windows Vista. The fact that Apple failed with its AI features didn’t sink the ship, after all, only a small portion of users actively rely on those. But this is about the entire user interface, every part of it, something we interact with daily. That’s a serious misstep from Apple.