iOS 26 introduced Apple’s new Liquid Glass design, and early reports suggested that the visual changes slowed some iPhones, but a recent hands-on comparison now points in the opposite direction, with one long-time Apple observer saying iOS 26 actually feels faster than iOS 18 in daily use.
John Gruber from Daring Fireball tested this by switching back to iOS 18.7.7 on an iPhone 16 Pro and using it as his main device for two full days. He noticed that everyday interactions felt slower than on iOS 26, even though the actual performance difference was hard to measure.
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iOS 26 Animations
Gruber explains that Apple adjusted system animations during the iOS 26 beta cycle, and those changes now make the interface feel quicker during common actions like returning to the Home Screen or launching apps.
He points out that once users get used to faster animations, going back to older versions makes everything feel delayed, even if the hardware performance stays the same, and that difference becomes more noticeable when switching between platforms.
John Gruber shared his full observation in a detailed post:
“One more follow-up point after I spent two days using an iPhone 16 Pro running iOS 18.7.7 as my main phone. At some point late in the iOS 26 beta cycle last summer, it became obvious that Apple had sped up a bunch of system-level animations. Prime example: the animation when you swipe up from the bottom of the screen to go back to the Home Screen. People noticed. But it hasn’t gotten a lot of attention since.
But man, if you want to notice, do what I did and spend two days back on iOS 18. So many little things feel slower. I don’t know if anything actually is slower, but because the animations are slower, it looks slower, and that means it feels slower. You may not notice if you only use iPhones, but people contemplating a switch from Android definitely notice. Apple should speed up some of these animations again this year.”
His observation that “it looks slower, and that means it feels slower” highlights how animation timing plays a key role in perceived performance.
For iPhone Users
iOS 26 did face performance complaints in its early versions, especially around the initial release, but later updates like iOS 26.4 appear to have improved how smooth the system feels during daily use.
This also shows that Apple’s software tuning can change how fast an iPhone feels without major hardware changes, and small adjustments like faster app launch animations or quicker gesture responses can shape the entire experience over time.
If Apple continues refining animation speed, users will notice smoother interactions across devices, especially when comparing newer updates with older versions side by side.
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