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How to Adjust Liquid Glass Appearance in macOS 27

Use the Liquid Glass slider in System Settings > Appearance to adjust app icon appearance, or turn on Reduce Transparency to make some backgrounds solid.
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To adjust Liquid Glass in macOS 27, open Apple menu > System Settings > Appearance and drag the Liquid Glass slider. Move it left for a clearer appearance or right for heavier tinting. Apple describes this control as adjusting app icons—not as a universal transparency setting for every window or interface element.

Adjust the Liquid Glass slider

  1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings.
  2. Click Appearance in the sidebar. Scroll down if needed.
  3. Drag the Liquid Glass slider to the position you want. The left end is clear, the right end applies the heaviest tinting, and positions between them are available.

Apple’s Change Appearance settings on Mac guide says this slider adjusts the appearance of app icons. It does not document the slider as a control for transparency across all windows, menus, or backgrounds. Apple does not specify numerical percentages for its positions.

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Make some transparent backgrounds solid

If your goal is to reduce transparency in parts of the desktop, use the separate accessibility setting: Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Display, then turn on Reduce Transparency.

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Apple says this replaces transparent effects on some backgrounds with solid backgrounds to improve contrast and readability. Some areas, including the Dock and menu bar, may appear solid gray. See Apple’s Change Display settings for accessibility on Mac and Change display colors on Mac to make it easier to see what’s onscreen.

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How the two settings differ

Setting Where to find it What Apple documents it does
Liquid Glass slider System Settings > Appearance Adjusts app icon appearance from clear at the left to the heaviest tinting at the right, with intermediate positions. Apple’s Appearance guide.
Reduce Transparency System Settings > Accessibility > Display Replaces transparent effects on some backgrounds with solid backgrounds. Apple’s accessibility settings guide.

These are distinct controls rather than interchangeable ways to tune the same effect. The setting names or their placement may vary with macOS localization.

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