iOS 26: Safari lets you choose between three tab bar designs
Apple has brought a new compact tab bar to Safari with iOS 26, but iPhone owners can easily revert to the previous top or bottom URL bar design.
Apple’s Safari browser in iOS 26 introduces design changes, including a new compact toolbar floating above webpages, detached from the edge, which automatically shrinks and bounces back as you scroll up and down.
Learning from past mistakes, Apple now permits you to choose between the three different designs for the tab bar: the new compact view along with the previous designs where the URL bar is docked either at the top or bottom of the interface.
iOS 26: Safari offers three address bar designs
The new compact URL bar, as part of the Liquid Design overhaul, is turned on by default, but you can change it in Settings > Apps > Safari. You’ll find your design options in the “Tabs” section. Here, you can choose between three designs for Safari’s tab bar: “Compact,” “Bottom” and “Top.”
The “Compact” option is new in iOS 276. It brings a rounded toolbar that appears to float above everything else. The “Top” and “Bottom” options (“Tab Bar” and “Single Tab” on iOS 18) work the same as before.
The “Top” option puts the URL bar at the top of the interface, with the tab bar at the bottom. The toolbar receds and the tab bar disappears as you scroll up. The “Bottom” option combines the URL bar and the tab bar into a single full-width bar at the bottom that shrinks and expands as you scroll.
In all three modes, the bars float instead of being docked and are translucent to conform to the Liquid Design overhaul, with web content shining through.
Interestingly, the “Compact” option is missing from Safari on iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe 26. Apple will likely add it in subsequent betas after it gathers enough feedback for the new compact tab bar from iOS 26 beta testers. Apple last changed the design of Safari’s URL bar with the release of iOS 15 in 2020. Due to negative feedback during the iOS 15 beta phase, Apple added options in the Safari settings to choose between the top and bottom bar designs.
Apple will be testing its “26” operating systems during the summer, with public betas launching in July. If you’d like to install the iOS 26 developer beta, follow our instructions. The company will release iOS 26 and other updates ahead of new iPhones in September.
Safari changes in iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe
Safari in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 features an edge-to-edge design with webpages stretching to all edges of the display and the URL bar automatically shrinking into a tiny bar with just the URL as you scroll up and enlarging as you scroll down. The collapsible bar maximizes screen space for web content.
Aside from the refresh and page options buttons in the URL bar, other options like share, bookmark, and tab settings are tucked under the three-dotted menu. Like before, you can access hidden menus by holding the Back button and the address bar, as well as swipe right across the URL bar to go to the next tab or create a new tab and swipe left to switch to the previous tab.
On iPads and Macs, Safari features an overhauled sidebar that now includes the new iCloud Tabs and Saved sections. Last but not least, Safari’s advanced fingerprinting protection is now turned on by default on the iPhone, iPad and Mac across all browsing modes, not just private browsing like before.
Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/06/12/ios-26-safari-tab-bar-designs/
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