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How to Move the iPhone Safari Search Bar Back to the Top in iOS

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The Safari search bar was near the top of the iPhone's screen for the longest time. But starting with iOS 15, Apple moved the search bar to the bottom, making it easily accessible on big iPhones. Plus, the addition of an effortless swipe gesture even made it easy to switch tabs.

However, if you do not like the bottom placement of the tab bar, there is a way to move the Safari search bar back to the top of your iPhone. Here, we've listed the steps to help you do that.

Two Ways to Get Back the Old Safari Search Bar on iPhone

Modern versions of iOS offer two ways to move the address bar to the top and improve your Safari experience on an iPhone . The first is from within the Safari app, while the second involves using the iPhone Settings app. We've detailed both ways to move the Safari search bar on your iPhone to the top below:

1. Move the Safari Search Bar to the Top Directly in Safari

This is the more convenient method, as you can do it straight from the browser:

• Visit any website in Safari on your iPhone.
• Tap AA located on the left of your address bar.
• Now, choose Show Top Address Bar . Instantly, the search bar will move to the top and stay like this.

Even if you close Safari and relaunch it, the address bar will stay at the top, making this a quick and easy way to switch its position.

2. Move Safari's Search Bar to the Top From Settings

This is the usual method to find all Safari-related settings in one place. You can also use the option here to move the Safari search bar back to the top:

• Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
• Scroll down and tap Safari .
• Under Tabs, select Single Tab .
• Now, open Safari, and you'll find the search bar at the top.

How to Switch Back to the Bottom Safari Search Bar

If you change your mind or wish to give Safari's bottom address bar a try, here's how to switch back and use the tab bar:

• When you are inside Safari, tap AA from the top-left.
• Tap on Show Bottom Tab Bar .
• Alternatively, you may go to Settings > Safari and select Tab Bar .

Enjoy seamlessly switching between multiple tabs and better one-handed usage with Safari's tab bar.

What Is the Landscape Tab Bar Option in Safari's Settings?

Inside Safari Settings on an iPhone running iOS 15 or later, you'll see an option called Landscape Tab Bar , which is enabled by default. When you rotate the iPhone in landscape mode and use Safari, you will see all the open tabs on the top, just like you would on a computer browser.

When this particular option is off, this thin strip showing your open tabs is absent. Look at the image below to understand the difference. You may want to keep this enabled for better tab management.

Apple's Safari Redesign for Bigger iPhones

iPhone screens are increasing in size. As a result, most people have trouble reaching the top search bar when using an iPhone one-handed. But this redesign to move the Safari search bar to the bottom of the screen aims to fix that problem. Plus, this change introduces the tab bar, which is quite handy.

However, it's nice to see Apple give long-time iPhone users the option to move the address bar back to the top in case they prefer the old-school look and feel of Safari on the iPhone.

• Safari Browser

How to move Safari Search Bar to top on iPhone with iOS 16 (2023)

This guide has some tips and tricks to help you move the safari browser search bar to the top on your iphone with ios 16..

If you are using an iPhone with iOS 16, you may have noticed the search bar moved to the bottom of the screen on the Safari browser by default. This can be inconvenient for traditional iPhone users. Moreover, there might be annoying instances when users might tap on the search bar by mistake while swiping on the screen. Hence, to move the Safari search bar back to the top, this guide will help you.

iPhone: How to move Safari Search Bar to the top on iOS 16 (2023)

You can move the Safari browser search bar back to the top of the screen on your iPhone with iOS by following these workarounds:

1. Move the Search bar from Settings

• Firstly, open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap the ‘Safari’ tab.
• Here, scroll down to the ‘Tabs’ section and tap the ‘Single Tab’ option.
• Now exit the Settings app and open Safari web browser and you will notice the search has moved to the top.

2. Move the Search bar from the Safari browser

• Open your Safari web browser and visit any website on your browser.
• Tap the ‘AA’ icon from the left side of the address bar.
• Select the ‘Show Top Address Bar’ option and your search bar will appear at the top of the screen.

Disable Landscape Tab Bar

When you change your view of the content on your Safari browser you will notice the tab bars appearing at the top of the screen like you used to see on the computers if you have updated to the latest iOS 16. This can be annoying as the screen space becomes much shorter. In such cases, you can disable the landscape tab bar by following these steps:

• Firstly, open the Safari settings window by referring to the above-mentioned steps.
• Then turn off the ‘Landscape Tab Bar’ switch.
• Now open the Safari browser in landscape mode to see if the changes are applied.

That’s everything covered on how to move the Safari search bar to the top on iPhone with iOS 16. Also, check out our other guides, such a s How to change notification position to the top on iPhone with iOS 16 or How to save an entire webpage as a PDF on iPhone/iPad .

How To Move The Safari Search Bar To The Top of An iPhone Screen

By Author Turner Tomlinson

Posted on Last updated: April 9, 2023

In older iOS versions, the Safari search bar was always located at the top of the screen, but starting with the iOS 15, it was moved to the bottom of the screen. This shift is meant to make it easier to access the bar on larger iPhones. However, you can easily move it back to its former position if you prefer the older setup.

There are two ways to move the Safari search bar to the top of the iPhone screen: You can open the Safari app and tap on the ‘AA’ icon at the left of the search bar. Choose ‘Show Top Address Bar’ from the menu. Alternatively, you can also open the Safari section in Settings and tap on ‘Single Tab.’ 

So, if you find the search bar at the bottom of your screen to be inconvenient or hard to use, then there’s no need to worry. You can easily move it to the top with just a few taps. Let’s take a closer look at how you can move your search bar to the top and a few other iOS 15 updates that are worth mentioning. 

Why Is Your Search Bar at the Bottom of Your iPhone? 

With the iOS 15 update, Apple has moved the Safari search bar to the bottom of the screen, which can greatly enhance the user experience for many people. 

The new Safari search bar also acts as a tabs bar, making it easier for users to manage and access their tabs. You can now scroll right and left between open tabs.

Previously, if you wanted to select an open tab on older versions, you had to choose the tabs icon in your screen’s lower right corner. This would open the page that shows thumbnail images of all the open tabs so that you could choose the one that you wanted. 

The search bar at the bottom is also much easier to control with one hand, and it clears up space, allowing users to focus better on the webpage’s content.   

How to Move Your Search Bar Back to the Top 

If you’re not too happy with your search bar being at the bottom, you can easily revert to the previous top-of-the-window bar. This can be done through two apps — the Safari app or the Settings app.

Move the Search Bar in Safari

The easiest way to move your search bar is from within Safari itself. Here’s what you need to do:  

• Tap the ‘ AA ‘ icon on the left-hand corner of the address bar at the bottom of your iPhone’s screen. If the address bar isn’t visible on the screen, scroll up to bring the address bar back.
• When you choose the AA icon, a list of options will appear. Choose ‘ Show Top Address Bar.’ Ta-da!

Move the Search Bar in Settings

Moving the search bar in Settings is a bit more complex and a bit less intuitive. But it’s still pretty easy! This is how you do it:

• Go to ‘Settings’ . Scroll down the list to ‘Safari’ and tap on it.
• Under the ‘Tabs’ section of the Safari page, you’ll see two icons. By choosing the ‘Single Tab’ on the right, you can move the address bar back to the top of Safari. These icons helpfully show the position of the address bar, whether it’s at the top or bottom of the window.
• If you want to move the search bar back to the bottom, instead of choosing the icon on the right, tap on the ‘ Tab Bar’ icon on the left.

Other iOS 15 Updates You Should Know 

It was the iOS 15 update that caused the changes in Safari, specifically moving the address bar down. And there are a few other important iOS 15 updates that are designed to enhance the iPhone user experience. These include:

With significantly enhanced details, the Maps app now exhibits bike lanes, pedestrian crosswalks, buildings, and more in a new 3D view.

This provides users with an improved city-driving experience thanks to added road details and unique transit features like AR walking directions, pinned favorite lines, and notifications to disembark. 

This is basically an extension of the Do Not Disturb feature. When you activate this feature, your iPhone won’t be able to receive calls or messages to distract you. This feature is particularly useful when you don’t want to be disturbed while working or sleeping. 

With iOS 15, you can now enjoy Spatial Audio and Voice Isolation in FaceTime calls. The Portrait mode in FaceTime also now offers a new grid mode that allows you to see more faces at the same time. 

Additionally, with the new SharePlay feature, you can share pictures during a FaceTime call. You can also schedule a FaceTime call and send its link to participants, which can be accessed through Windows and Android devices as well.    

The Live Text feature is quite extraordinary. When you take a photo with your iPhone, your device will be able to recognize helpful information by using its on-device intelligence. 

Your iPhone’s Optical Character Recognition allows you to highlight or extract text from an image to send it directly via email, get directions, and even make a phone call.       

• Digital Life

There's a Way to Move Your iPhone Safari Search Bar Back to the Top (Where It Belongs)

Ever since the first iPhone was introduced in 2007, the Safari search bar — aka the address bar, the tab bar, or just where the URL goes — has rested at the top of the page. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about its placement; it simply stayed at the top, and no one blinked an eye . . . that is, until now. Apple's recent iOS 15 update moved the Safari Search Bar to the bottom of the page, changing our searching routine in a small way with an undeniably big impact.

Sure, moving the Safari search bar was a simple switch-up, and one that even made sense: our fingers are down there anyway. But damn, has it been a struggle to adapt to. Muscle memory is a real thing, and I (and many other friends and colleagues) can't seem to get used to a bottom search bar. While I was very welcoming of iOS 15's Safari background customization , the rearranged search bar is something I may never get used to. The good news? You can move the Safari search bar back to the top of the page in just a few simple steps:

How to Move Your iPhone Safari Search Bar Back to the Top of the Page

• Open Settings.
• Scroll down and tap Safari.
• Under Tabs, select Single Tab.

It's that easy! Please keep in mind that by choosing the Single Tab option, your search bar will move back to the top of the page, but you won't be able to scroll left and right between different Safari tabs like you could with the Sidebar option. Regardless, your memory will be very happy to see it back at the top.

iOS 15 Safari: How to change the address/search bar design on iPhone

Apple’s latest iOS release comes with an all-new Safari design that places the address/search bar at the bottom of the screen by default. But you can switch back to the classic iOS Safari design with a top bar. Here’s how to change the iOS 15 Safari address/search bar on iPhone.

Apple made its way through multiple iterations of the new iOS 15 Safari design and with the sixth beta , it included the option to switch between the bottom address/search bar and the classic iOS Safari top address/search bar on iPhone .

The official iOS 15 public release also includes the classic bottom menu bar instead of packing all of Safari’s buttons into the unified address/search/tab bar.

How to change iOS 15 Safari address/search bar on iPhone

• Running iOS 15, open Safari on your iPhone
• In the bottom address/search bar, tap the “aA” icon on the left (when on a website)
• Tap Show Top Address Bar
• Tap the “aA” icon in the top address/search bar
• Choose Show Bottom Tab Bar

Alternatively, you can also change the iOS 15 address/search bar by heading to the Settings app > Safari > swipe down and choose “Single Tab.”

Here’s how it looks to change the Safari address/search bar on iPhone:

And here’s how it looks to change it back to the bottom address/search bar:

The other way to change the address/search bar design is in the Settings app.

In addition to changing between the bottom and classic top address/search bar designs, you can choose to enable/disable website tinting (matches the top iPhone status bar to websites’ colors) and enable/disable the landscape tab bar.

Read more 9to5Mac tutorials:

• Hands-on: Here’s how Background Sounds work in iOS 15
• iPhone: How to set a custom Safari background in iOS 15
• iOS 15 brings new Announce Notifications feature for Siri, here’s how it works
• Hands-on: Here’s how the new iPhone Focus mode works in iOS 15
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Move Safari search bar

After iOS 17 (and 17.0.1) unable to move Safari search bar to bottom

iPhone 14 Pro

Posted on Sep 24, 2023 2:47 PM

Posted on Sep 24, 2023 2:49 PM

Open the Settings App

Find and tap Safari

Scan towards the bottom and choose where you want the search bar (top or bottom)

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Sep 24, 2023 2:49 PM in response to allim44

Sep 25, 2023 9:48 AM in response to allim44

Settings -> Safari -> TABS -> Toggle the selection from "Single Tab" to "Tab Bar".

This change will instantly take effect.

How to move the Safari address bar back to the top on iOS 15

Apple's moved the Safari address bar to the bottom of the screen on iOS 15 — but you can change it

Though Apple's iOS 15 introduced a bunch of handy new features, many iPhone users were left wondering how to move the Safari address bar back to the top after it was shifted to the bottom of the screen. 

Granted, having the address bar at the bottom of Safari makes it easier to access if you're using your iPhone with one hand. But when something that you've become used to after years of use is changed — such as the taskbar being moved to the center in Windows 11 — it's understandable when you just want things to be the way they were.

Of course, iOS 15 does have many positive upgrades, as detailed in our full iOS 15 review . In addition to improving the experience of using the latest Apple devices, such as the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max , it also gives new life to older Apple products, with compatibility going as far back as the six-year-old iPhone 6s. 

Thankfully, though, it's easy to move the address back to the top on iOS 15, as detailed in our guide below.

How to move the Safari tab bar on iOS 15

1. Open up Safari. On your Apple device with iOS 15 installed navigate to Safari; we're sure you know what it looks like, but just in case you've forgotten, it's the app with a blue and white compass icon.  

2. Press the “aA” button on the tab bar. This can be found on the left side of the tab bar. Press it to bring up a submenu. 

3. Click “Show Top Address Bar” in the submenu (it's the top option). 

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4. Your tab bar will now appear at the top of the display. It will now default to being at the top, rather than the bottom, from now on.

Now you've moved the address bar back to the top on Safari, take a look at the hidden trackpad that makes editing a breeze on iPhone. You may also want to learn how to get full-screen Caller ID on iOS 15 and how to launch apps by tapping the back of your iPhone .

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team. 

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Here’s How To Move Your Safari Search Bar Back To The Top In iOS 15

For when you don’t want to deal with too much change at once.

Apple’s highly-anticipated software update, iOS 15, finally became available for public download on Monday, Sept. 20. Now that iOS 15 here, you can test out all the new features on your iPhone, including a redesigned Safari browsing experience that comes with a new bottom tab bar. If you prefer the OG design, however, you may be wondering how to move the Safari search bar back to the top in iOS 15. There are a few steps you’ll need to follow.

Apple’s latest software update is packed with a whole slew of new features that are designed to improve the way you use your iPhone. Of course, Safari is the go-to way to search the internet while on your device, so Apple made some major changes to make browsing more convenient.

When you open Safari, you’ll immediately notice a new tab bar at the bottom of the screen rather than the top. Since iOS 15 introduces the ability to switch Safari tabs by swiping left or right on the address bar, having the search bar at the bottom makes it easier to access as you hold your phone. You’ll even be able to “swipe between tabs with one hand,” per the iOS 15 guide.

If you prefer the old Safari, don’t fret. The bottom tab bar is simply a default setting, and you can switch back to the single tab at the top at any time. To switch it back to a top search bar, all you’ll have to do is head to “Settings,” tap “Safari,” scroll down to “Tabs,” and finally opt for “Single Tab” instead of the default “Tab Bar.” Of course, with the “Single Tab” setting, you won’t have the ability to swipe left and right to switch tabs, but it’ll look and feel just like your Safari browser did prior to your iOS 15 update.

The new bottom tab bar also lets you swipe up to see all of your currently open tabs, so it might be worth it to give it a try — but if you’re not here for the change, you can implement the simple fix.

Other redesigned Safari features you’ll want to try out include the new Tab Groups, which allow you to save tabs you want to keep together (say, if you’re planning for a trip) into groups and access them with one tap across your Apple devices. You can also customize your browser start page to show what you’d like, such as Favorites, Frequently Visited, and more.

Now that you know how to move your search bar to the top, you can return to the old Safari whenever you’re feeling nostalgic or just a little too overwhelmed by all the iOS 15 updates.

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iOS 15 Safari Guide: Tabs, Extensions, Search Bar, and Other Changes

Apple's Safari app has undergone a number of changes during the iOS 15 beta testing process. Apple started out with a radical new design that moved the address bar from the top of the app's interface and introduced a floating tab bar, but after a multitude of complaints, there were several redesigns that culminated in an option to undo the iOS 15 design entirely.

play Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. 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 address bar and tabs to the bottom of the iPhone interface, but now the design change is optional.

You can get to webpage settings by tapping on the Aa, or reload a page by tapping on the reload button. With this Tab Bar interface, when you scroll through a webpage, the entire Tab Bar collapses down so you can see more of the website. You can bring it back up with a tap.

If you choose "Single Tab" instead of "Tab Bar," the address bar and tabs will remain at the top of the Safari window, which is how iOS 14 works. The design of the Single Tab option is unchanged from iOS 14, with the same control bar available at the bottom of the interface. You can't swipe through tabs using the Single Tab interface and will instead need to use the Tab Switcher.

You can swap between the bottom Tab Bar and the Single Tab interface by tapping on the "Aa" button that's next to any URL.

• How to Move iOS 15 Safari's Address Search Bar Back to Top

Website Tinting

Available in the Settings app, Allow Website Tinting matches the collapsed Safari address bar interface to the website's colors to make it blend in better with the background.

• How to Turn Off Website Tinting in Safari

Landscape Tab Bar

With the new Landscape Tab Bar setting, when you use your ‌iPhone‌ in landscape mode with Safari, you'll see a Mac-style tab bar that shows all of your open tabs, and you can swipe through them.

Pull to Refresh

A downward swipe on any webpage in iOS 15 will refresh the page, and this is an alternative to having to tap on the reload icon.

• iOS 15: How to Quickly Refresh a Webpage in Safari

Tabs in iOS 15 can be saved into Tab Groups, which offers a way to preserve a set of tabs you have open without having to have those tabs active.

To make a Tab Group, just open up all of the websites that you want to include, tap on the Tabs button with the down arrow, and then tap New Tab Group from [#] Tabs. You can also use this option to create a New Empty Tab Group that tabs can be added to later. Long press on any open tab (or the main address bar if you have the single tab view enabled) to add it to a Tab Group.

To load up a Tab Group, tap on the Tabs button and then tap on the name of the group in the list. All of your Tab Groups sync across your devices so you can access them on iPhones and iPads running iOS and iPadOS 15 as well as on Macs running macOS Monterey.

• iOS 15: How to Use Tab Groups in Safari

Tab Overview Grid

In iOS 14, all of your open tabs are displayed in a card-like interface that you can swipe through, but in iOS 15, open tabs are displayed in a grid view.

Customizable Start Page

Safari is more customizable in iOS 15, and you can edit what's available on your start page. This is a feature that has been available on macOS, but is now also available on iOS devices.

You can choose to have the start page show Favorites, Frequently Visited sites, Shared With You content, Privacy Report info, Siri Suggestions, Reading List, and iCloud Tabs.

There's an option to use the same Start Page appearance across all devices, and a toggle to upload the background image of your choice.

• iOS 15: How to Customize Your Safari Start Page

Intelligent Tracking Prevention Improvements

With updates to Intelligent Tracking Prevention, the feature that keeps websites from tracking your web activity, trackers are now blocked from accessing your IP address to build a profile on you.

• iOS 15: How to Hide Your IP Address From Trackers in Safari

HTTPS Upgrade

Safari in iOS 15 automatically upgrades sites that are known to support HTTPS from HTTP, which is insecure.

iCloud Private Relay

‌iCloud‌ Private Relay is a privacy feature that makes sure all of your Safari traffic is encrypted.

As explained in our privacy guide , ‌iCloud‌ Private Relay protects your IP address and de-links it from the websites that you visit by utilizing two separate internet relays.

By having a two-step process that involves both an Apple server and a third-party server, ‌‌iCloud‌‌ Private Relay prevents anyone, including Apple, from determining a user's identity and linking it to the website the user is visiting.

With this system, Apple knows your IP address and the third-party partner knows the site you're visiting, and because the information is de-linked, neither Apple nor the partner company has a complete picture of the site you're visiting and your location, and neither does the website you're browsing. Normally websites have access to this data and combined with cookies, can use it to build a profile of your preferences.

Web Extensions

Safari in iOS 15 supports web extensions, with web extensions able to be downloaded and installed through the App Store . Available extensions include content blockers, VPNs, and more.

• iOS 15: How to Download and Install Safari Web Extensions

With iOS 15, iPhones and iPads are able to use a new Live Text feature to detect text in any image, and this includes images that you find in Safari.

• How to Copy and Paste Text From Photos
• How to Translate Text in Photos

Shared With You

Shared With You, a new option available on the Safari start page, aggregates all of the links that you've been sent in the Messages app and other social networking apps that support the Shared With You feature.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about the new Safari changes in iOS 15, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here .

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Top rated comments.

The landscape view in MacRumors looks amazing! Safari looks so modern now. Just brilliant!

Easier to refresh now.

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Using Bottom Tab Bars on Safari iOS 15

Jun 17, 2021 (Updated Sep 23, 2021)

Apple recently announced the latest version of Safari on iOS 15 with a completely new design featuring a bottom floating tab bar. What does this mean for web developers and designers?

Safari on iOS has had a problem for a long time when it comes to building websites and web apps with bottom-aligned navigation due to the browser toolbar's dynamic height. As you scroll the toolbar disappears making any element that is fixed to the bottom of the screen look great, but as soon as you try to tap any link inside the browser toolbar appears again.

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This makes for a really poor UX so designers and developers have mostly resorted to user "hamburger" menus instead. This is a shame as bottom tab bars increase discoverability by not hiding links behind a tap and are also easier to reach one-handed on todays large mobile devices.

Updates with Safari 15

Apple reverted some of these changes in the final iOS 15 release. The user can now choose between the old UI (top bar) or the new one. If they choose the new bottom bar UI it does not float as much greatly improving overlap issues. While you might not need safe areas anymore if you're lucky, I would still recommend to implement it as I've seen it cause issues anyways.

The new Safari 15 now has a tab bar floating at the bottom of the screen. At first it might seem like this makes it even harder to create tab bar navigations, and by browsing the web using iOS 15 it's easy to spot issues like this:

Fixing Tab Bar Overlap with Safe Areas

Thankfully solving this issue is very easy by using the env() CSS function together with safe-area-inset-bottom . This API was shipped with iOS 11 making it possible to customize how websites render when using devices with a notch. By inspecting pinterests code we can see that their tab bar has a fixed position anchored to the bottom, the relevant parts look something like this:

To respect the safe area and make sure that nothing from the browser UI overlaps let's add another bottom property with env(safe-area-inset-bottom) as a value. This function works like a CSS variable, returning the minimum amount of inset needed to keep your UI from overlapping with the browser's. We keep the old style rule as a fallback browsers that do not support it:

Now when scrolling nothing overlaps:

Be sure to use env() every time something is anchored to the bottom of the screen or overlap will likely appear. env() can also be combined with css calc() or min() and max() , so if your design needs more padding you can add it like this:

You can learn more about respecting the safe-area in this excellent article published on the webkit blog or Apple's WWDC session called Design for Safari 15 (Relevent part starts around 13 minutes in).

The best way to see if you got it right is to use a physical device with iOS 15, but if you don't have access to one you can download the Xcode 13 beta from Apples developer portal and use an iOS 15 simulator by going to Xcode > Open Developer Tool > Simulator

Tab Bar UX in iOS 15

Remember the issue in previous versions of Safari where you had to click twice when using bottom tab bars? Once for showing the safari toolbar and another tap for actually triggering your link? That is no longer an issue 🙌. Safari 15 now respects and follows links or buttons, which is a big improvement! Check out how much better Twitter's tabbar works when switching tabs on Safari 15:

Even if tab bars now technically work better than before we still have to consider the design and UX to create something that people understand and that looks good. The browser UI is now very bottom-heavy and placing more actions next to it might feel cluttered. What do you think? Let me know on twitter @samuelkraft .

I'm excited to see how everyone adapts to the new UI and if we will see a return of tab bars on the web or not.

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The beta is packed with ways to customize aspects of your iPhone, like the home screen, as well as fun updates to apps like Messages.

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Apple released  iOS 18's sixth public beta  on Aug. 29, a few days after the tech giant announced it will hold its  iPhone launch event on Monday, Sept. 9 . The update brings many new features and improvements to the iPhones of developers and public beta testers, like the ability to customize your home screen and lock screen , as well as RCS messaging .

Read more:  iPhone 16: What We Know About the Release Date, Leaks and More

I've been using the iOS 18 beta on my iPhone XR since WWDC. I don't have access to all the new features Apple announced at WWDC -- like Apple Intelligence -- but I've used many of the latest features and uncovered a few the company didn't announce. 

With the release of iOS 18, Apple is giving people more control over how they can use their devices and how their device looks. If you want to try out all the latest features, you can download the iOS 18 public beta now.

I recommend downloading a beta on a device other than your primary iPhone. Because this isn't the final version of iOS 18, the update might be buggy and battery life may be shortened, and it's best to keep those potential troubles on a secondary device.

Note that the beta isn't the final version of iOS 18, so more features could land on your iPhone when it's released in the fall. There's no release date, but Apple usually releases new iOS versions shortly after its September event .

If you can't wait until the fall, here's what to know about many of iOS 18's new features in the beta version of the software, and how to use them.

Read more:   Everything You Need to Know About the iOS 18 Betas

Home screen customization

The first iOS 18 feature Apple announced at WWDC was the ability to customize your home screen , and that was the first thing I did in the beta. I'm never going back to having app names displayed ever again.

Customizing your home screen is as easy as rearranging your app icons. Long-press on a blank portion of your home screen to enter jiggle mode -- where all your apps shake like they're scared -- then tap Edit in the top-right corner and finally, tap Customize . 

Who could hide that face behind apps?

This pulls up a small menu across the bottom of your screen giving you different customization options. You can make app icons Small or Large -- Small is the default, and Large removes app names. You can enable Dark Mode by tapping the sun icon in the top-left corner of the menu. There's even a Tinted option to change the color of your icons to pink, blue or whatever you want. 

You can also arrange app icons on the home screen however you like. Gone are the days of apps blocking the faces of your loved ones in your background. There's still a grid for your icons, so you can't place icons on top of each other.

Something Apple didn't mention at WWDC was that you can change the size of some widgets and turn app icons into widgets from the home screen. When you long-press on certain app icons, like Notes or Podcasts, you'll see options like Remove App and Edit Home Screen – there's also a visual representation of the app as varying-sized widgets. Tap any of these sizes to resize the app icon. 

You can then resize the widget again by long-pressing it and choosing a different-size widget icon or reverting back to the original app icon.

Sure, these customization options don't change the functionality of your home screen, but they're still fun. I want to be able to display a picture of my wife or puppy without blocking their faces and have them peek around from behind the Spotify app. I also don't necessarily need apps to display their names underneath the icon. I can identify the app from the icon, so we don't need to bring words into this.

Read more: All the Ways to Customize Your Home Screen in iOS 18

Lock screen app customization

I've wanted this capability for a while , and I'm happy Apple finally allowed it. Prior to iOS 18, your lock screen had the camera app in the bottom-right corner and the flashlight app in the bottom-left corner -- causing people, including myself, to accidentally turn it on . Now you can remove these shortcuts altogether or change them to something more useful. 

To remove these controls, go to Settings > Wallpaper and tap Customize under your desired lock screen. Then, the camera and flashlight icons will have the minus ( - ) sign near them, indicating you can remove them. You can also tap either icon and pull up a list of different controls you can place on your lock screen, like Translate, Quick Note or -- my favorite -- Open App, which lets you open whatever app you want from your lock screen. That means I can open Hello Kitty Island Adventure without getting distracted by other apps -- because I've got to be able to help my friends at a moment's notice.

Read more : How to Easily Change Your Lock Screen Controls in iOS 18

A revamped Control Center

You can also further customize your Control Center in iOS 18, in a similar way to the home and lock screens. You can change the size and position of controls, and add different controls other than the 23 controls you had access to previously. 

To customize your Control Center, swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen and tap the plus ( + ) button in the top-left corner of the Control Center. Controls will be outlined, and you can resize them -- some to the size of a whole Control Center page -- or you can remove one you don't like.

I should really clean up my Control Center.

There is also an Add a Control button on the bottom of your screen, which will open a catalog of controls you can add to the Control Center. If you don't see a control you want, you can also choose Open App . This control lets you turn any app on your phone into a control. That means you don't have to go hunting for Instagram or Snapchat on your home screen because you can find them in your Control Center.

You can also easily turn your iPhone off from the Control Center now. There is a power symbol in the top-right corner of the Control Center screen. Tap and hold this and your iPhone will then take you to the slide to power off  the screen.

I used Control Center a modest amount before iOS 18 to access the timer or to open Quick Note, but with iOS 18, I'm wondering if Control Center could replace the home screen. If I can place all my important functions and apps in the Control Center, then are the home screen and Control Center redundant?

Read more: Transform Your Control Center Into Your iPhone's Control Hub

Hidden and locked apps

Hiding and locking apps can be a useful way for parents to keep their children out of where they don't belong, or just ensure friends don't open your Snapchat or Instagram and post something on your page. To lock or hide apps, long-press on an app and tap Require Face ID. Then tap Require Face ID again. Now, every time you try to go into the locked app, it will ask for your Face ID or passcode.

To remove an app from your home screen and place it in a Hidden folder in your App Library, long-press on an app, tap Require Face ID and then tap Hide and Require Face ID .

To access hidden apps, you have to go to your App Library (swipe right until you can't swipe anymore). Then, scroll to the bottom of the page to see a folder labeled Hidden . Tap on the folder, then use Face ID or your passcode to view the apps inside it. 

It's important to note you can only hide third-party apps, and you can lock certain iPhone apps. Be aware that a few, like Maps and Contacts, can't be locked or hidden. 

Read more: Lock and Hide Your iPhone Apps for Additional Security

Send Later, Text Effects and more upgrades in Messages

One iOS 18 feature I've wanted was the ability to schedule messages to send later , and Apple came through on this. The software lets you schedule messages , and it brings new text effects to your messages, additional Tapbacks -- Apple's version of Reacts -- and more to the app.

Read more:  Messages via Satellite Is iOS 18's Most Underrated Feature

If you want to send a message later, go into a chat, tap the plus sign next to the text field, and tap Send Later . A day and time will appear above your text field that you can tap and change. 

Once you've selected the right day and time, you send a message like you normally would, and the scheduled message will appear in the chat with a dotted outline. There are two options above the message: Send Later  at your scheduled time, and Edit . Tap Edit to adjust when a scheduled message is to be sent, to send the message now, or to delete it. If you want to edit the content of the message, long press on the message itself and tap Edit like you would a message you've already sent.

There are new formatting options and text effects to make your messages more expressive. To access the new options, like bold and italic, or use a text effect, like Ripple or Shake, go into a Messages chat and tap the text field. Then, above the keyboard, tap the A button on the far right side of the screen, right above the letter P on your keyboard. This opens the new text effects menu. Tap the effect you want, like Explode, and you'll return to the keyboard where you can type out your message and watch your words blow up or dance.

This is a serious question.

While you can only select one text effect at a time, like Big, Small or Nod, you can use all the formatting options, like bold, italicize, underline and strikethrough, at the same time. But you can't have a bolded word or message also Shake or Bloom. 

You can assign different effects to each word in the message by highlighting a particular word, tapping the A button above the letter P on the keyboard, and then choosing the appropriate effect. Do that for one word in a message to really emphasize it, or do it for every word in the message for fun.

Read more: Make Your Messages Jump and Shake With Excitement

Apple also expanded the Tapbacks function, which now allows you to react to a message with any emoji you want, rather than the six original Tapbacks. To access your full emoji for Tapbacks, long-press a message, swipe left in the Tapbacks menu and tap the smiley face. This pulls up the emoji keyboard, giving you the full array of how you can react to certain messages -- the "100" emoji just feels more friendly than the thumbs up to me.

I've enjoyed these updates to Messages so far. Sending a message later ensures I don't wake someone up when I send a message at 4 a.m., the text effects help me get across just how excited I am for any given thing, and being able to use all the emoji for Tapbacks is a great addition -- because sometimes "Haha" feels sarcastic, while the crying laughing face doesn't.

Read more: Schedule a Message to Send Later So You Don't Forget

In addition, iOS 18 also brings RCS messaging to the iPhone. If I'm being honest, this feature flew under the radar for me, and I haven't noticed a difference in my messages or messaging habits. 

Photos app gets a facelift

Your Photos app also gets remodeled in iOS 18. On the main Photos menu, you can easily see your recent photos in the Recent Days section, and you can see the different collections for people and pets, any shared albums you have and more. The new Photos menu is meant to make it easier to find photos instead of scrolling through hundreds of pics or searching through different albums all the time.

I think the new features are fine. You can use them, or you can use the old view -- which I did a lot -- by swiping down on the main menu near the top of the app. I don't take a lot of photos so I'm probably not the best judge of this feature.

The new Passwords app 

Tap Show Network QR Code to easily share your network password with others.

Your iPhone could store passwords and passkeys before in your iCloud Passkeys feature. The new Passwords app does more than that. It can save verification codes, it can keep your deleted passwords for up to 30 days, and it shows you all your Wi-Fi connections.

The Wi-Fi connections menu also makes it easy to share Wi-Fi passwords by creating a QR code that lets you share the password with someone else. If you're at a coffee shop and didn't write the password down, you can easily share it with your friends, even if they don't have an iPhone.

Upgrades in Notes

Apple announced that Notes would receive an upgrade as part of iPadOS 18 , but those upgrades also come to iOS 18. That means you can highlight words, make collapsible sections and solve math problems in notes.

To highlight a word, select the word by tapping on it and then tap the Aa button in the toolbar across the top of your keyboard to open the Format menu. Then, on the far right of the menu, tap the pencil (you'll see a colored dot next to a pencil) to highlight your selected word in whatever color that dot is. Tap the dot and change the highlight color to purple, pink, orange, mint or blue.

If I tap the arrows next to the days of the week, the section expands and shows notes for that day.

To create collapsible sections to keep your notes tidy, type a word into Notes, select the word and tap the Aa button to access the format menu. Then, format the word to be either a Title , Heading or Subheading . Type some notes below the formatted word, then tap the Title , Heading or Subheading, and an arrow will appear to the left of the word. Tap this arrow, and whatever is below the Title , Heading or Subheading will collapse. Tap the arrow again and that section will expand. 

Read more: How to Organize Notes With Subsections

The iPad isn't the only Apple device getting more math functionality in Notes. You can set values and solve equations in your iPhone's Notes app, but you can type them out instead of using the Apple Pencil. If you type out different variables, like X and Y, and assign values to them -- X=32 and Y=28 -- then in a different part of the note, you type X + Y = , Notes will solve the equation for you -- the answer's 60.

The collapsible sections in Notes are a game-changer for me. I jot down a lot of notes on my phone, so being able to tidy them up so I can find older notes is huge. 

Calculator also gets an overhaul

Remember when teachers said we wouldn't always have a calculator in our pockets? I wonder how they feel now. In addition to Notes doing calculations with iOS 18, your Calculator app can do even more. When you open the app, it doesn't look different, but if you tap the new calculator button in the bottom-right corner, it opens a new menu with options like Basic, Convert, Scientific and Math Notes.

Basic is the standard calculator that most people will use. Convert might be the next most useful one, which lets you convert different measurements, like pounds to kilograms, Fahrenheit to Celsius and meters to feet. It also lets you convert between different currencies, like the US dollar and British pound.

No more wondering what currency conversion rates are.

Scientific is a scientific calculator with functions like sine, cosine and tangent. Math Notes connects to your Notes app and makes it easy to access information from there. 

Read more: Convert Distance, Currency and More in the iOS 18 Betas

Tap to Cash

The Wallet app has a new feature called Tap to Cash that lets you easily send cash to a person by tapping your iPhones together like you would AirDrop or NameDrop. 

To use Tap to Cash, go into Wallet , tap Send or Request , tap Tap to Cash , enter an amount and tap Next . If you have enough funds in your Apple Cash, you'll be prompted to tap your iPhone against another and the funds will transfer over.

Apple said this feature doesn't require you to exchange phone numbers, making it easy to buy something at a garage sale or to pay someone back for a drink.

Create a custom route in Maps

With iOS 17, your iPhone has offline maps, and with iOS 18, you can create and save a walking or hiking route. 

To create a custom route , open Maps, drop a point where you'd like your route to start and tap More in the menu that appears across the bottom of your screen. Tap Create a Custom Route , then tap out the route on your map. If you tap close to a trail or street, Maps will adhere to that trail or street, so there's no need to tap around curves. If you place a point wrong, though, you can tap an undo button in the bottom-left corner of the map.

There are also options in the menu across the bottom of your screen to Reverse your route, Out & Back, which maps your route back onto itself, and Close the Loop which makes it easy to finish mapping your route. After you've mapped out your route, tap either Save to keep your route for later, or Go to start your route.

Mapping out a route has been a nice way to track how far I've jogged with my dog. We usually take a route every day, and I always wonder how far we go. Sometimes it feels like we run miles and miles, but this feature has shown me it's much shorter -- which makes me wonder how marathon runners do it.

Read more: Your iPhone's Maps App Just Got This Helpful Feature

Find on Page in Safari moves

Something that wasn't mentioned at WWDC but is very helpful in iOS 18 is that the Find on Page search function in Safari has been moved. Before, you'd have to tap Share on a web page to access the search function, but if you weren't careful, you could have accidentally sent the web page to someone or posted it online.

To find the search function now, open the web browser and go to a web page. Then, tap the Reader icon -- the rectangle with lines below it in the address bar. In the new menu, tap the icon that looks like a page with a magnifying glass to pull up the search function. Now, you don't run the risk of sending a potentially embarrassing web page to a friend.

I didn't know Safari had a search function before iOS 18, because who would think to look for it in the Share menu? Placing the function in the Reader menu makes more sense because Reader has more tools to help you navigate the web page. Share should be for, you know, sharing things with your friends and family.

Read more: Where to Locate Safari's Find on Page Function in the iOS 18 Betas

Another feature not mentioned at WWDC is that your Phone app now gets T9 dialing . That means you can type someone's contact name into your app in order to bring up their number and call them. 

To do this, open Phone and tap Keypad across the bottom of your screen. Then, instead of typing someone's number, you can type a contact's name using the numbers on the screen like people used to type on those old Nokia phones . So if you want to call your dad and they are saved as "Dad" in your phone, type 3-2-3 and they should pull up. Same for "Mom." Type 6-6-6 and… huh, that's potentially ominous. 

Read more: How to Call Mom and Dad With T9 Dialing

That's how you use many of the new features in the iOS 18 beta. This is the first public beta for iOS 18, so there will likely be more beta versions before iOS 18 is released to the public. That means there's plenty of time for Apple to add things or remove features to be released with later updates. Apple said it will release iOS 18 to the general public in the fall, but there's no word on an exact date yet.

For more on iOS 18, here's how to download the public beta now and what to know before downloading the beta . You can also check out or iOS 18 cheat sheet  and  what we might see at Apple's September iPhone event .

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