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How to change the layout of safari on ios 15 to the previous one.

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7 video game consoles that actually cost more than the PS5 Pro

Apple's airpods 4 come with or without anc, but that's not the only difference, you'll need this new hardware for faster magsafe charging with your iphone 16.

Apple has radically changed the look, layout, and feel of Safari on iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 , moving the entire URL bar towards the bottom of the display into an all-in-one taskbar on iPhone, and integrating the tab row and URL bar into a single line at the top of the display on iPad. 

If you aren’t a fan of the switch, however, or think a less tech-savvy relative or friend may not take to the change so kindly, worry not, as Apple has included an easy-to-access option in the Settings app which’ll allow you to revert the Safari layout to the previous version should you so choose. 

First, we’ll take a look at how to move the iOS 15 URL bar back to the top of the display, then we’ll show you how to change the iPadOS layout next. So grab your iOS 15 device and let’s roll. Watch our video below, or follow the written guide beneath that: 

How to move the URL bar on Safari back to the top of the display on iOS 15

Here's what the Settings page should look like for you if you'd like the URL bar to be at the top. On the right is an example of the change before and after. 

You’ll want to open up the Settings app, then navigate to Safari. Once you’re there, scroll down to the section labeled Tabs and simply select Single Tab, and you’re set. 

As you’ll be able to see in the little graphic shown, the URL bar will be brought to the top of the display as per usual rather than sitting on the bottom. It’s that easy! 

Alternatively, Apple has included an even easier way in iOS 15 to revert back: simply tap the pair of letter-As directly within Safari on the URL bar. The very first option should be "Show Top Address Bar". Selecting that should do the trick. 

How to make the tab bar go back to normal on iPadOS 15

On iPadOS, the process is exactly like it is on iOS 15. Simply open the Settings app, find the menu titled Safari, and scroll to the section labeled Tabs. Instead of Compact Tab Bar, switch to Separate Tab Bar. And you’re done - the URL bar and tab bar should be on discrete lines now as it was in iOS and iPadOS versions of the past. 

If you’d like to check out Pocket-lint’s recap of all the new features available on iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, check out our guide by tapping right here . 

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Essential Safari tips to help you browse smarter and faster on your Mac

Safari Mac graphic

While there are a lot of browser options on your Mac, Safari is one of the best choices out there. Not only is it the default browser on every Mac, it offers a slew of features, like privacy and accessibility options. It’s a solid browser all around.

If you’re new to Safari, here are six tips to help you get the most out of the browser. Even if you’ve been using Safari on your Mac for while, take a quick look at these tips—maybe there’s a setting or feature you had not heard about.  

Display full URLs

By default, Safari only shows the name of the website that you’re currently visiting in the address bar. If you’d rather see the entire URL, there’s a really easy way to turn it on. Navigate to the Safari menu and select  Preferences . Then click on the  Advanced  tab. Then, in the setting for Smart Search Field, toggle the Show full website address option on.

Safari show full URL

The option to show the full website address is in the Advanced section of Safari’s preferences.

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Quickly reopen closed tabs

You probably spend a lot of time jumping between tabs in Safari. But what happens if you close one accidentally? Well, you can always reopen it. To easily reopen tabs that you’ve recently closed, all you need to do is press Shift+Command+T and the tab will reopen.

If you aren’t super comfortable using the keyboard shortcuts on your Mac, you can also use the browser’s settings bar, too. Click on  History  at the top of your browser and then select the  Reopen Last Closed Tab option. There’s also an option to  Reopen All Windows from Last Session , in case you accidentally closed a set of tabs.

safari reopen last closed tab

Closed a tab or tabs by accident? There’s a fix for that.

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If you want to avoid closing a tab altogether, you can always pin it. This will keep the tab permanently to the left of the others, making it easier to find when you really need it. It’s also really handy for when you’re working with multiple tabs and don’t want to lose it in the fray.

To pin a tab, all you need to do is right-click on the tab that you want to pin and then select  Pin Tab  from the dropdown list. This will pin it directly in your browser, letting you find it easily whenever you need it. You can also switch to pinned tabs easily by pressing Command+1 or Command+2, etc. on your keyboard.

Safari Pin Tab

Pinning a tab is a handy way to access a site you need on a regular basis.

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Change the layout

Apple is always updating Safari, which means the user interface changes as time goes on. One thing that has changed in recent iterations is the way that tabs are laid out in the browser. Luckily, if you don’t like the standard layout, you can always change it.

To change the tab layout in Safari on Mac, got to the  Safari  menu and select  Preferences .  Navigate to the Tabs section where you will find the  Tab Layout  setting. You can chose between Compact, which puts the tabs and address bar in a single row, or Separate, which puts the tabs below the address bar.

Safari tab layout

Apple offers two options for how tabs are displayed.

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Customize the toolbar

One of the best things you can do to master Safari is personalize it. This lets you change where things are on the toolbar, as well as adjust what kind of add-ons you want to see during your daily browsing. 

You can easily customize the toolbar in Safari on the Mac by right-clicking on the toolbar at the top of the screen. Then select the  Customize Toolbar  option and it will bring up a new window that lets you customize all of the items on your toolbar, including your add-ons, search bar, and more.

Safari customize toolbar

Change what buttons appear on the toolbar.

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Change the Homepage

If you want to completely bypass the Start page and set a specific site as your Homepage whenever you click on the Home button, head over on the  Safari  menu. Click  Preferences , then  General  and enter any URL into the  Homepage  box. We recommend www.macworld.com.

Personalize the Start page

By default, Safari is set up to take you to a special Start page that showcases your Favorites, Reading List, Bookmarks, and other handy things. If you want to customize that particular page, you can. 

To customize the start screen, then right-click in any blank space on the Start page to bring up a list of options that you can show or hide. You can also drag and drop icons to move them around or even create a new folder to store them in. 

Safari Start Page options

Safari can be configured to have the same Start Page across multiple devices.

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Once you’ve customized how you want the Start page to appear, you can have it appear on all the devices you use by turning on the “Use Start Page on All Devices” option in the settings menu in the lower right corner of the Start page. This menu also lets you set a background image and turn off Siri Suggestions and sidebar options.

Author: Brittany Vincent

How-To Geek

The complete guide to mastering tabs in safari.

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Quick Links

How to open, pin, and close tabs, the tab-related keyboard shortcuts you should know, how to choose what appears when safari launches or opens a new tab, get more out of your tabs with extensions.

Tabs, glorious tabs! Every web browser now has them, including Apple's Safari . In fact, tabs have been a part of Safari since the very beginning, but there's a lot more to them than you may have realized. Let's walk you through and show you all you need to know to become a Safari tab master.

Related: The Complete Guide to Mastering Tabs in Google Chrome

Safari tab basics are pretty easy to grasp, and resemble Google Chrome's in many ways .

To create a new tab, click the little + sign on the right edge of the Tab Bar, or press Command+T on your keyboard.

To close a tab, click the X on the tab's left side or use the keyboard shortcut Command+W.

Seems easy enough, but there's so much more you can do.

When you have more than one tab open, drag them along the Tab Bar to rearrange them, or drag a tab out of the Safari window to open it in its own instance.

If you want to merge any separate windows into one, click the Window menu and then "Merge All Windows".

Right-click on any tab and notice the options. There aren't a lot, but they're important. You can close the active tab or move the active tab to a new window, as if you had dragged it off the Tab Bar.

If you have a bunch of open tabs and you don't want to close each one individually, right-click and select "Close Other Tabs". If you accidentally close a tab you want to keep, you can press Command+Shift+T on your keyboard to bring it back. (You can also press Command+Z to do this, like you're "Undoing" your previous action, though this is a bit more limited.)

Speaking of open tabs, you can see all of yours arranged in a convenient grid by clicking the "Show All Tabs" button in the upper-right corner, or by pressing Command+Shift+\ on your keyboard.

Right-clicking on a tab will also let you pin tabs. When you pin tabs, it will create smaller ones that persist on the left side of the Tab Bar.

Pinned tabs will remain there even if you close and re-open Safari, unless you specifically close or unpin the tabs. This is great for keeping tabs open that you use all the time such as your e-mail or How-To Geek.

To silence a noisy tab, click the speaker icon on the tab. To mute all tabs, click the blue speaker icon in the location bar.

Safari has a few other tab tricks up its sleeve. Right-click on any bookmark folder and choose "Open in New Tabs" to quickly open everything in that folder. If you select "Automatically Replace Tabs", every time you click that folder, everything within it will open on the Tab Bar.

You can tell when this option is selected because a small square will appear next to the folder's name.

To restore the folder to normal operation, right-click on it again and uncheck the option.

Finally, if you want to temporarily hide the Tab Bar, click the View menu, and then select "Hide Tab Bar".

The Tab Bar will remain hidden until you create a new tab, after which you will need to hide it again from the View menu.

Safari comes with quite a few handy keyboard shortcuts---some of which we've already covered---to navigate and manipulate tabs. Here's a convenient list:

  • Open new tab : Command+T
  • Close tab : Command+W
  • Move to the next tab : Control+Tab or Command+Shift+]
  • Move to the previous tab : Control+Shift+Tab or Command+Shift+[
  • Show all tabs : Command+Shift+\
  • Open a website in a new tab: Command+Click on a link or bookmark, or  Command+Return from the Smart Search Field
  • Open a website in a new tab and make it active : Command+Shift+Click on a link
  • Open a website in a new window : Command+Option+Click on a link
  • Open a website in a new window and make it active : Command+Option+Shift+Click on a link
  • Select one of the first nine tabs : Command+1 through Command+9
  • Close all tabs but one : Option+click the close (X) button on the tab you want to keep open
  • Reopen the last tab(s) or window(s) : Command+Shift+T

If you want to change Safari's tab behavior, open the preferences from the Safari menu or press Command+, on your keyboard.

In the General preferences, you can configure Safari to open new tabs to your Favorites page, Top Sites, your Homepage, an empty page, or the same page---for example, if you have How-To Geek open, new tabs will open with How-To Geek.

In the Tab preferences, you can choose when new pages open in tabs instead of windows:

  • Never: if a link is meant to open in a new window, it will open in a new window.
  • Automatically: links meant to open in new windows will instead open in new tabs.
  • Always: links meant to open in new windows, even those coded to open in their own separate, specially-formatted windows, will instead open in tabs.

Below this are options to change new tab behavior:

  • Enable or disable Command+Click to open links in a new tab.
  • If you click a link and it opens a new window or tab, it will become active (normally they open in the background).
  • Enable or disable Command+1 through Command+9 tab switching.

Disabling Command+Click will also disable any other associated shortcuts and their modifiers, which are described at the bottom of the Tabs preferences.

While Safari's tabs are already pretty complete, they could always do more, which is why you might want to check out some tab extensions .

There are tab extensions to save an entire tab session , add emoji to your favorite tab titles , and a better way to keep track of recently-closed tabs , plus many more. Chances are you might find something really useful.

As you can see, there's a lot more to tabs in Safari than what you find at first glance. They're really easy to learn, and memorizing a couple of keyboard shortcuts can make short work of repetitive tasks. Now you're well on your way to becoming a Safari tab master!

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How to organize your browser tabs vertically—and why you should do it

By David Nield

Posted on Sep 27, 2022 2:00 PM EDT

We all like to have our programs set up just the way we like, and browsers are no exception. You can do aesthetic changes, like moving the icons of your favorite extensions for easier reach, or changing the backdrop of new blank tabs.

But you can also revolutionize the way you use the program by changing how tabs propagate during a browsing session. You can rearrange and pin them, of course, but you can also shift their position down to the side of your screen rather than along the top. The option just made its way back to the latest edition of Safari on macOS, but other browsers have vertical tabs, too.

While it might not sound like a major change, it can make a big difference to your browsing experience. You’ll be able to reach tabs on the side more easily and scan them more quickly, (especially if you’re on an ultra-wide monitor ), and web pages will benefit from more vertical space on your screen. It’s an option that’s well worth trying to see if it works for you.

How to activate sidebar tabs on Safari

The most recent version of Safari brings vertical tabs back—the feature was previously available but hasn’t been in recent years. The tabs appear by default in the sidebar, which you can make visible by clicking the Show sidebar icon in the toolbar or by opening the View menu and then choosing Show Sidebar .

[Related: 5 browser extensions that will keep you from drowning in tabs ]

As you browse you’ll see your tabs show up on the left of the screen, as well as any tab groups you’ve saved (just click on any of them to expand them). Click and drag on a tab to change its position on the list, or to drag it to an existing tab group. You can also right-click on a tab title to access all the standard tab options in a pop-up menu, including Close Tab , Duplicate Tab , and Copy Link .

How to get vertical tabs on Chrome

Google Chrome doesn’t support vertical tabs natively, so you’ll need the help of a third-party extension. The perfectly named Vertical Tabs is the best option we found and it won’t cost you anything. Simply download the add-on and then click the orange Vertical Tabs icon in the Chrome toolbar to activate it.

You can drag and drop tabs to reorder them, refresh and close tabs using the buttons to the right, and search your tabs using the box at the top. Right-click on a tab for options such as Pin and Mute this Tab , and click the cog icon at the top to get to the extension options. From there, you can choose which side of the screen the tabs are on, and pick between dark and light themes.

How to bring vertical tabs to Firefox

Just like with Chrome, if you want to get vertical tabs in Firefox, you’ll need the help of a third-party extension. And also just like with Google’s browser, the solution is an add-on called Vertical Tabs , though it’s not the same one we mentioned above. This tool is a fine and free option that’s utterly simple to use. It allows you to display or hide the sidebar by clicking on the Vertical Tabs icon that pops up on the Firefox toolbar once you download the extension. You can also click on the cog icon above the vertical tabs to access the tool’s settings, where you’ll be able to choose a theme if you want to, among other options.

You can change the position of tabs by dragging and dropping them in the sidebar, and close them with a click on the X icons to the right. Right-click on any of the tabs for all the key functions you’re going to need while browsing, such as Reload Tab , Close Tab , and Mute Tab .

How to turn on vertical tabs on Edge

Microsoft has added vertical tabs as a native feature to its Edge browser, so you’ll need no extensions if you use this app to surf the web. To activate them, click the Tab Actions Menu button, which is up in the top left corner of the browser and looks like a square with two small rectangles around it, indicating a browser interface. Then, choose Turn On Vertical Tabs . The tab headers will then make the switch from the top to the left-hand edge of the interface.

As always, you can drag and drop tabs to change their order, close them with a click on the X icons to the right, and bring up a host of other options—from refreshing tabs to bringing back the last tab you closed—by right-clicking on a tab header. Click the Tab Actions Menu again to turn off vertical tabs or to search through them.

How to get vertical tabs on Opera

If Opera is your browser of choice then you’re going to need to install a free extension called, appropriately enough, Vertical Tabs —again, not the same one available for Chrome or Firefox. Once you’ve installed it, you’ll see a new icon on the toolbar on the left, which looks like four horizontal lines on top of each other. Click on it to show or hide the vertical tab list. You can also click the pin icon on the actual vertical tabs list so that it remains visible.

[Related: Twelve ways to make your new browser tabs more exciting ]

You can reorder tabs by dragging and dropping them, and if you hover over a tab title you can close it by clicking the X on the right. Around the side of the vertical tabs panel you’ll see buttons for pinning and grouping tabs, searching through tabs, and all the other key functions you’re going to need.

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Don’t like the new Safari on iOS 15? Here’s how to go back to the old design

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo

iOS 15 launches this week and brings with it a lot of new features including Live Text, Focus modes, a new Weather app, FaceTime enhancements as well as more features like FaceTime screen sharing coming later this year. However, one of the more drastic changes is to Safari. Apple has dramatically redesigned the layout of Safari, as well as adding new features like Tab Groups. However, if you don’t like the new UI, you can go back. Here’s how.

On the iPad, Apple has redesigned the tab bar with new button shapes and a compact layout option for how the tabs are arranged in the Safari toolbar.

On the iPhone, there is a more drastic change. The address bar now sits at the bottom of the screen above the toolbar, and there’s a new look for the tabs screen too. It’s fair to say that the default design on iOS 15 is a pretty big departure from what came before. 

Why did Apple redesign Safari? Apple said they are bringing important controls closer to your fingers with a bottom-oriented appearance. That means the address bar is now easier to access with one hand, especially if you have a larger iPhone like an iPhone 13 Pro Max. As well as being able to tap into the address bar, you can also now swipe left and right on the tab bar to quickly switch between tabs with a gesture.

However, if you really don’t like the new UI of Safari, you can make it look and work like iOS 14 again. Mostly. 

How to put the address bar back on top

Site default logo image

To move the URL bar in iPhone Safari back to the top of the screen, it’s quite easy.

When browsing inside of Safari on iOS 15, tap the “Aa” button in the address bar. Then press the ‘Show Top Address Bar’ in the menu that appears. In Top Address Bar mode, Safari will look almost identical to how it looked on iOS 14. 

The new grid design of the Tabs view cannot be reverted however. If you want to go back to the new bottom address bar design, simply press the Aa button again and choose ‘Show Bottom Tab Bar’.

You can also change this layout setting from the Settings app. Navigate to Settings -> Safari -> Tabs -> select Single Tab.

How to disable color tinting 

One more subtle Safari design change is that iOS 15 will now tint the top toolbars of Safari to reflect the accent color of the website. For example, if you are viewing a website with a red background, the top toolbar of Safari will also inherit the red theme. This is more noticeable on iPad and Mac but it applies to iPhone too. Again, if you don’t like this effect, you can turn it off. 

Unlike reverting the Safari address bar design, the color tinting option can only be changed in Settings. Navigate to Settings -> Safari -> Tabs -> toggle Allow Website Tinting to off. 

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iOS 15: How to get the iPhone's old Safari layout back

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Safari's new design in iOS 15 isn't for everyone. 

Apple released iOS 15 near the end of September, and the company is currently readying the next update, iOS 15.2, for release likely sometime this week. For some, there's still an annoying change in the iPhone's web browser, Safari. After updating to iOS 15 you may have noticed that the address bar is not located at the bottom of the screen. 

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The change is a jolt to your muscle memory. I know I found myself constantly reaching to the top of the iPhone's screen for the address bar, but eventually, I grew to enjoy the new layout.

It only takes a couple of seconds to make the switch. I suggest giving the new Safari a chance for a day or two before going back to the old design -- I've been using it since June and don't think I could go back to the old Safari. Nonetheless, here are the steps should you need them. 

Also: iOS 15 destroyed your iPhone's battery life? Don't panic!

How to go back to the old Safari design

There are two ways to go about reverting Safari to its previous look. One is done directly in Safari; the other requires you to open the Settings app. They both do the same thing, so it's really up to you how you go about making the chance. 

The first method requires you to go to  Settings , then find and select  Safari . Scroll down until you see get to the  Tabs  section. There you'll find two thumbnails of the iPhone.  Tab Bar , which is the new design, is on the left.  Single Tab , or the old design, is on the right. Select  Single Tab . 

The second method, which is much easier and quicker, is all done directly in Safari itself, but it's a little hidden. 

You can move Safari's address bar back to the top of the screen with ease. 

In Safari, tap on the  aA  icon that should be on the left side of the address bar. A menu will show up, and at the top of it will be the  Show Top Address Bar option . Select it. (You can also use the same steps to reverse the change, as shown in the screenshots above.)

The new Safari isn't the only new feature in iOS 15. I have a few of them here that you need to know about , as well as some great hidden features I've found so far . 

If you're going back to the old-look Safari as soon as possible, let us know why in the comments.

The 7 best iOS 18 features that will make updating your iPhone worthwhile

6 reasons why ios 18 makes the iphone 16 a must-upgrade for me, the ios 18 public beta is available for iphone. how to download it (and which models support it).

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macOS: How to Manage Multiple Open Safari Tabs

Browser tabs in Safari are a great way to visit multiple webpages in the same browsing session without having to close any of them, which makes them particularly useful for cross-referencing and researching things online.

safari icon blue banner

1. Bookmark All Open Tabs

safari

If the browser tabs you have open are related and you plan to regularly revisit them, it's worth bookmarking them together in their own bookmark folder. To do so, simply select Bookmarks -> Add Bookmarks for These X Tabs... (X being the number of open tabs).

You'll then be invited to create a name for the bookmark folder and select where you want it to be kept amongst your other bookmarks, which you can access at any time by selecting Bookmarks -> Show Bookmarks in the menu bar.

Note that you can perform a similar action to add all open tabs to your Reading List for later perusal, even when you're offline. ( Bookmarks -> Add These X Tabs to Reading List .)

2. Use Tab Groups

safari

In macOS Monterey, Tab Groups are a neat way to save and manage related tabs without having to have those tabs active and taking up space. If you're planning a trip, for example, you can save all of your tabs into a "Vacation" group, accessing them when needed and leaving your device free for other content when you're not doing active planning.

To create a new Tab Group, click the Show Sidebar icon next to the traffic lights, then select New Tab Group . Alternately, click the down arrow next to the Show Sidebar icon and select either New Empty Tab Group or New Tab Group With X Tabs , "X" being the number of tabs currently open.

Any Tab Groups you create are listed in the sidebar for easy switching. You can also select groups by clicking the down arrow next to the Show Sidebar icon. Any tabs that are opened when a Tab Group is selected will automatically be included in that group. For more tips on working with Tab Groups, check out our dedicated how-to .

3. Change Safari's Tab Layout

safari

Safari offers two tab layouts: Compact and Separate. Compact is a more unified Safari design that does away with the dedicated URL and search interface and makes any individual tab able to be used for navigation input.

The problem with the Compact layout is that it severely limits space for multiple open tabs. In this regard, the Separate layout is more preferable, as it positions the URL/search bar at the top of the Safari window, with your tabs arranged below it.

If you're not already using the Separate tab layout, you can switch to it easily enough by selecting Safari -> Preferences... in the menu bar. Click the Tabs menu in the preference pane and select Tab Layout: Separate to remove the compact tab bar that merges everything together.

4. Rearrange Open Tabs

safari

Sometimes you may have several open tabs from a handful of websites that you tend to visit but which are mixed up with other tabs from different places across the web.

In such cases, it can be useful to rearrange your tabs so that tabs from the same website are lined up next to each other, allowing you to easily review what you've read and dispense with any redundant tabs that were hiding between them.

To sort your tabs according to website, or title if you prefer, simply right-click any tab and select Arrange Tabs By -> Website or Title from the dropdown menu.

5. Pin Tabs

safari

Safari's pinned tabs feature lets you better organize your tabs, especially if find you have too many open at the same time. It's particularly useful if you have certain websites that you tend to visit frequently throughout the day.

The neat thing about pinned tabs is that they stay in place, even when you open a new Safari window or quit and reopen Safari. And when you click a link to another website from a pinned tab, the other website opens in a new tab, ensuring your pinned tab always shows the website you pinned.

To pin a tab, drag the tab to the leftmost side of the tab bar, and when the tab shrinks to show just the website's favicon, simply drop it in place. You can also select Window -> Pin Tab from the menu bar, or right-click (Ctrl-click) a tab, then choose Pin Tab from the contextual menu.

If you have multiple pinned tabs, you can rearrange them in the Tabs bar by dragging them with your cursor. To unpin a website tab, just drag the pinned tab to the right side of the tab bar and it will expand to become a normal tab again.

6. Kill Them All

safari

If you're done with all your other open tabs because you've found what you were looking for, then you can close all open tabs except the currently active one. Alternately, you can opt to close all open tabs to the right of the one you're currently viewing. Simply right-click the currently active tab and select Close Other Tabs or Close Tabs to the Right .

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How to use the new tab bar in iOS 15 Safari

iOS 15 introduces big changes to Safari — here's how to perform old, familiar features

How to use the new tab bar in iOS 15 Safari

Safari has been a mainstay of Apple's iPhones since the very beginning, but iOS 15 brings some major changes to the venerable web browser's appearance and functionality. Perhaps the biggest alteration is in the tab bar, the part of Safari's interface that governs how you interact with all the websites you've opened. 

Most crucially, Safari's tab bar on the iPhone is now at the bottom of the screen by default, instead of the top. That takes some getting used to, not to mention an adjustment of muscle memory — assuming that you don't just go and make Safari's tab bar return to the top of the screen .

  • iOS 15 review : A better iPhone experience
  • Here's how to use Live Text in iOS 15

The location of the tab bar may have changed, but other functions in Safari remain the same, even if they might look a little out of place if you keep that tab bar at the bottom of the screen. iOS 15 beta testers may also be confused, as Apple made several tweaks to the look of Safari in response to feedback from users.

To help you navigate around the redesigned Safari browser on your iPhone, here's a guide on how to use the tab bar in Safari on iOS 15, along with a reminder on how to handle some basic interactions.

How to open a new browser tab in iOS 15 Safari

1. Tap the tabs button in the bottom right corner of Safari.

how to open a new tab in ios 15 safari

2. Tap the blue plus (+) button on the left side of the location bar.

how to open a new tab in ios 15 safari

3. Alternatively, tap and hold on the tab button, then tap New Tab on the pop-up menu that appears.

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How to open a new tab in iOS 15 Safari press and hold tabs button

How to close a browser tab in iOS 15 Safari

1.   Tap the tabs button in the right corner of the location bar.

how to close browser tabs in iOS 15 safari

2. You'll see an overview of all your currently open tabs. Tap the 'x' in the top right corner to close a tab.

how to close browser tabs in iOS 15 safari

3. Alternatively, when you're viewing the page you want to close, tap and hold on the tab button, then tap Close This Tab. 

how to close browser tabs in iOS 15 safari

This step also allows you to close all tabs at once with a single tap.

How to share a website in iOS 15 Safari

1. Tap the Share button in the center of the location button.

how to share a website in iOS 15 safari

2. On the ensuing screen, tap the contact you want to share a website link with (it will be in the last app you connected with them) or pick an app for sharing the link.

how to share a website in iOS 15 safari

The Share icon is also what you tap to perform other actions with a particular web page. These actions include copying the link, adding it as a bookmark or favorite, searching for a word or phrase on the page, and adding to your reading list.

how to share a website in iOS 15 safari

How to reload a website

If you tested an early beta of iOS 15, reloading a website was unnecessarily complicated, forcing you tap a More button in the tab bar; only then could you access the reload button. But later on during the beta process, the reload button was added to the tab bar — just tap it when you want to reload a page. 

how to reload a web page in iOS 15 Safari

Alternatively, you can drag down from the top of the webpage to reload it in iOS 15 Safari.

How to activate Reader mode in iOS 15 Safari

1. Tap the Aa button on the left side of the tab bar.

how to access ios 15 safari Reader mode

2. Select Show Reader.

how to access ios 15 safari Reader mode

3. You're now in Reader mode. To close Reader, just repeat steps 1 and 2, only this time, select Hide Reader.

how to access ios 15 safari Reader mode

Alternatively, pressing and holding the Aa button automatically launches Reader mode.

How to switch between browser tabs in iOS 15 Safari

1. Tap the tab button along the bottom strip of icons in Safari. 

how to switch tabs in safari

2. Select the tab you want to open.

how to switch tabs in safari

Alternatively, you can swipe upward on the location bar to see all your tabs. 

You can also quickly move between taps by swiping the location bar left-to-right or right-to-left to switch to the next or previous open tab, though we've found this to be tricky on iPhones with smaller screens.

How to open a new private browser tab in iOS 15 Safari

1. Press and hold the tab button in the lower right strip of icons in Safari.

how to open a private tab in ios 15 safari

2. Select new Private Tab from the pop-up menu.

how to open a private tab in ios 15 safari

3. The tab bar will change colors, signifying you're now in private browsing mode.

how to open a private tab in ios 15 safari

4. To exit a Private tab, tap on the Tab icon again. Then select the Private drop-down menu.

how to open a private tab in ios 15 safari

5. From there, select your other, non-private tabs.

how to open a private tab in ios 15 safari

More iOS 15 how-tos

  • How to schedule FaceTime calls in iOS 15
  • How to use Portrait Mode in FaceTime on iOS 15
  • How to use Focus mode in iOS 15

Dan Moren is the author of multiple sci-fi books including The Caledonian Gamibt and The Aleph Extraction. He's also a long-time Mac writer, having worked for Macworld and contributed to the Six Colors blog, where he writes about all things Apple. His work has also appeared in Popular Science, Fast Company, and more

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safari tabs layout

Apple’s controversial Safari redesign is now optional in the latest iPadOS 15 beta

Enable the new (bad) tab experience in settings.

By Ian Carlos Campbell

Share this story

Apple’s current tab design squashes tabs and the search window into a single row.

Apple has started trickling out its fourth iOS and iPadOS 15 betas, taking additional steps back from the bold, and somewhat ill-advised reimagining of Safari it debuted at WWDC 2021 . Now the “compact” tab experience in nu-Safari is entirely optional, and the more traditional separate row of tabs that were reintroduced in the third macOS Monterey beta are heading to iPads.

Like in macOS Monterey (and every version of Apple’s desktop OS in recent history), tabs will once again live in their own separate row by default, alleviating some of the crowding that made Apple’s initial compact redesign annoying. The tab experience is now also controlled via a toggle in the Settings app, so if you’re committed to Apple’s original vision, you can enable it with a tap. You can see how the new settings option looks in this screenshot shared by Federico Viticci .

Tabs now live in their own dedicated row by default in the fourth beta.

On iOS 15, the fourth beta also includes the return of the dedicated Reload button, one-tap access to Safari’s Reader mode, and a Share button, according to 9to5Mac .

These kinds of changes are what beta tests are for, and this all could entirely change again before the fall, but it is somewhat notable that this is the second major tweak Apple’s made to the new Safari . The company’s dealt with criticism over its design changes in the past ( like iOS 7’s flat UI ) but making tabs “normal” again by default does seem to suggest that on at least one element of the new Safari, Apple knows it got it wrong.

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Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Changing safari open tabs back to list view

I have iOS 15.1 is there anyway of changing back your open tabs on safari back to how they were before in a list view rather than the new tab view please?

Posted on Nov 4, 2021 6:55 AM

Posted on Nov 5, 2021 9:53 AM

Hi th is isn’t there answer all it does is put the address search bar at the top instead of the bottom I want to have my open tab layout as it was before iOS 15 and not in the same layout as they have it now in iOS 15. Thanks

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Nov 5, 2021 9:53 AM in response to SnickZ.

SnickZ.

Nov 5, 2021 8:38 AM in response to Stonecoldsaa

Hey Stonecoldsaa,

It appears that you prefer to see the open tabs in Safari as a list instead of simply tabs on your iPhone, and we're glad to provide assistance.

Customize your Safari settings on iPhone - Apple Support -- This page of the iPhone User Guide shows you how to customize Safari. Go to Settings > Safari > Tabs and choose "Single Tab" instead of using the "Tab Bar".

Feel free to get back to us with any questions or problems you may have.

All the best.

Nov 5, 2021 10:06 AM in response to Stonecoldsaa

Thanks for getting back to us, Stonecoldsaa. It’s appreciated. Since this wasn’t what you meant, apparently there isn’t a way to return to the way it was before. In that case, we recommend letting Apple know that you’d like to see this returned. Apple does appreciate all feedback regarding their products, services, and features. If you'd like to provide this feedback to Apple to be reviewed, you can do so using this link: Feedback - iPhone

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities!

Nov 5, 2021 10:12 AM in response to SnickZ.

Thank you anyway for making the effort to reply.

About the security content of Safari 17.4

This document describes the security content of Safari 17.4.

About Apple security updates

For our customers' protection, Apple doesn't disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are available. Recent releases are listed on the Apple security releases page.

Apple security documents reference vulnerabilities by CVE-ID when possible.

For more information about security, see the Apple Product Security page.

Safari 17.4

Released March 7, 2024

Safari Private Browsing

Available for: macOS Monterey and macOS Ventura

Impact: Private Browsing tabs may be accessed without authentication

Description: This issue was addressed through improved state management.

CVE-2024-23273: Matej Rabzelj

Impact: A malicious website may exfiltrate audio data cross-origin

Description: The issue was addressed with improved UI handling.

WebKit Bugzilla: 263795

CVE-2024-23254: James Lee (@Windowsrcer)

Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may prevent Content Security Policy from being enforced

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved validation.

WebKit Bugzilla: 264811

CVE-2024-23263: Johan Carlsson (joaxcar)

Impact: A maliciously crafted webpage may be able to fingerprint the user

Description: An injection issue was addressed with improved validation.

WebKit Bugzilla: 266703

CVE-2024-23280: an anonymous researcher

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved state management.

WebKit Bugzilla: 267241

CVE-2024-23284: Georg Felber and Marco Squarcina

Additional recognition

We would like to acknowledge Abhinav Saraswat and Matthew C for their assistance.

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

IMAGES

  1. Organize your tabs with Tab Groups in Safari on iPad

    safari tabs layout

  2. Change the layout in Safari on iPad

    safari tabs layout

  3. Change the layout in Safari on iPhone

    safari tabs layout

  4. Tab Layout and address bar options in Safari on iPhone & iPad

    safari tabs layout

  5. Make Safari Tabs Easier to Identify by Adding Icons

    safari tabs layout

  6. The Complete Guide to Mastering Tabs in Safari

    safari tabs layout

VIDEO

  1. HOW TO DISABLE RECENTLY CLOSED TABS ON SAFARI

  2. Master The Art Of Closing Safari Tabs In One Go!

  3. How To Close All Tabs At Once In Safari On iPhone/iPad

  4. Automatically close Safari tabs on iPhone

  5. How to remove safari tabs on iphone (2024)

  6. How To Disable Recently Closed Tabs on Safari (2024)

COMMENTS

  1. Change Tabs settings in Safari on Mac

    In the Safari app on your Mac, use Tabs settings to choose how webpages, links, and tabs work in Safari windows. To change these settings, choose Safari > Settings, then click Tabs. Keep tabs in a separate tab bar, or move them into the toolbar. Separate: Tabs remain in the tab bar, below the toolbar. Compact: Tabs move up to the toolbar.

  2. How to change Safari tabs back to stacked iOS 15

    We understand you'd like to change the way Safari displays tabs in iOS 15. "You can choose between the top Single Tab you're used to and the new bottom Tab Bar layout. Go to Settings > Safari, then scroll down to Tabs. Select either the Tab Bar or Single Tab layout.

  3. Customize the Safari browser window on Mac

    In the Safari app on your Mac, choose Safari > Settings, then click Tabs. Choose where to put tabs. Compact: Tabs move up to the toolbar. The active tab is the Smart Search field. Separate: Tabs remain in the tab bar, below the toolbar. See Change Tabs settings.

  4. How to change the layout of Safari on iOS 15 to the old one

    On iPadOS, the process is exactly like it is on iOS 15. Simply open the Settings app, find the menu titled Safari, and scroll to the section labeled Tabs. Instead of Compact Tab Bar, switch to ...

  5. Tab Layout and address bar options in Safari on iPhone & iPad

    In this lesson from our full Safari for iOS tutorial learn about the new Tab Layout options in iOS 15 and later. On both iPhone and iPad we can choose from t...

  6. iOS 15 Safari Guide: Tabs, Extensions, Search Bar, and ...

    This guide walks through all of the features added in the iOS 15 Safari app, including those new design options. Design Changes. Safari started out with a new floating tab design that moved the ...

  7. How to use Safari's new tabs to transform your macOS workflow

    You can also open a tab group through the Sidebar. Open the Sidebar by clicking the Show Sidebar in the upper left, or through File > Show Sidebar, or by pressing Shift+Command+L. In the Sidebar ...

  8. Essential Safari tips for your Mac

    To change the tab layout in Safari on Mac, got to the Safari menu and select Preferences . Navigate to the Tabs section where you will find the Tab Layout setting. You can chose between Compact ...

  9. How to Switch to Compact Tabs in Safari on Mac

    Click the "Safari" menu in the top-left corner of the menu bar. Select "Preferences" from the context menu that opens. Select "Tabs" next to the "General" section. Next, select the "Compact" option. The change will instantly apply to all the tabs open in Safari. Unchecking the box for "Automatically Collapse Tab Titles into Icons" will cause ...

  10. The Complete Guide to Mastering Tabs in Safari

    Open a website in a new window and make it active: Command+Option+Shift+Click on a link. Select one of the first nine tabs: Command+1 through Command+9. Close all tabs but one: Option+click the close (X) button on the tab you want to keep open. Reopen the last tab (s) or window (s): Command+Shift+T.

  11. How to Change Safari Tab Layout on Mac

    Here is how you can switch between Safari's Compact and Separate Tab Layout in macOS Monterey or later on Mac. Let's learn how it's done!#macOS12, #macOSMont...

  12. How to activate vertical tabs on your favorite browser

    Simply download the add-on and then click the orange Vertical Tabs icon in the Chrome toolbar to activate it. You can drag and drop tabs to reorder them, refresh and close tabs using the buttons ...

  13. How Safari in iOS 15 works with new one-handed design

    How the all-new Safari in iOS 15 works New layout and basic navigation. ... Seamlessly swipe between multiple Safari tabs by swiping left and right on the Tab Bar; Tabs, Tab Groups, and Private ...

  14. Change Tabs settings in Safari on Mac

    Change Tabs settings in Safari on Mac. In the Safari app on your Mac, use Tabs settings to choose how web pages, links and tabs work in Safari windows. To change these settings, choose Safari > Settings, then click Tabs. Option. Description. Tab layout. Keep tabs in a separate tab bar or move them into the toolbar. Choose one of the following:

  15. Don't like the new Safari on iOS 15? Here's how to go ...

    On the iPad, Apple has redesigned the tab bar with new button shapes and a compact layout option for how the tabs are arranged in the Safari toolbar. On the iPhone, there is a more drastic change.

  16. how to revert from the grid style tab vie…

    At this time you can only change the Safari Tab Bar layout. "You can choose between the top Single Tab you're used to and the new bottom Tab Bar layout. Go to Settings > Safari, then scroll down to Tabs. Select either the Compact Tab Bar or Separate Tab Bar layout.

  17. Arrange tabs in Safari on Mac

    In the Safari app on your Mac, click a tab to select it, then do one of the following: Command-click other tabs to select them. Shift-click another tab to select all tabs in between. Do one of the following: Drag the tabs to a new position in the tab bar, sidebar, or another window. Control-click the tabs, then choose an action from the pop-up ...

  18. iOS 15: How to get the iPhone's old Safari layout back

    The first method requires you to go to Settings, then find and select Safari. Scroll down until you see get to the Tabs section. There you'll find two thumbnails of the iPhone. Tab Bar, which is ...

  19. macOS: How to Manage Multiple Open Safari Tabs

    Change Safari's Tab Layout. Safari offers two tab layouts: Compact and Separate. Compact is a more unified Safari design that does away with the dedicated URL and search interface and makes any ...

  20. How to use the new tab bar in iOS 15 Safari

    1. Tap the tabs button in the bottom right corner of Safari. (Image credit: Tom's Guide) 2. Tap the blue plus (+) button on the left side of the location bar. (Image credit: Tom's Guide) 3 ...

  21. Apple's controversial Safari redesign is now optional in the latest

    Jul 27, 2021, 12:42 PM PDT. Apple's current tab design squashes tabs and the search window into a single row. Apple has started trickling out its fourth iOS and iPadOS 15 betas, taking ...

  22. Changing safari open tabs back to list view

    Customize your Safari settings on iPhone - Apple Support -- This page of the iPhone User Guide shows you how to customize Safari. Go to Settings > Safari > Tabs and choose "Single Tab" instead of using the "Tab Bar". Feel free to get back to us with any questions or problems you may have. All the best. SnickZ.

  23. Anyone know how to change safari tab layout back to this??

    The focus of tabs does not need to be the content of the full page - but the title for a quick reference - that's the point of tab lists in tehf irst palce. The full page tab preview might work fine on a desktop / laptop - even to some extent on larger ipads - but even the largest iPhone is too small for this sort of implementation.

  24. Create Smooth Tabs transition using Material 3 on web

    Reading the material 3 guidelines, I want to mimic this effect: Material 3 fix layout tab transition. The same effect can be seen in Google Tasks app. I have used material components with Hammer JS and more info about it can be seen here: https://material-web.dev.

  25. About the security content of Safari 17.4

    This document describes the security content of Safari 17.4. About Apple security updates. For our customers' protection, Apple doesn't disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are available. ... Impact: Private Browsing tabs may be accessed without authentication. Description ...