Safari Browser to Get UI Overhaul and New Features Including Tab Groups

For its new mobile and desktop OSes, Apple is redesigning the Safari browser user interface to be more compact and allow for better organization of multiple open tabs, specifically with a new feature called Tab Groups.

safari ios15
Tab Groups aim to offer a new way to easily save and manage related tabs, such as those used when planning trips or shopping, or groups can be used to store the tabs you visit daily.

In addition, a new tab design on macOS puts your active tabs front and center, allowing you to see more of the page as you scroll. At the same time, the new tab bar takes on the color of the webpage and combines tabs, the tool bar, and the search field into a single compact appearance.

On iPad, the new tabs design and tab groups work just like on Mac, with instant syncing across devices. On iPhone, the new tab bar appears at the bottom under your thumb with a tap, and it's possible to swipe between them, or swipe up into a grid view.

Meanwhile new extensions for ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ also add to the native functionality of Apple's web browser, with shared code with existing Safari Web Extensions to make it easier for developers to create new ones.

Top Rated Comments

d5aqoëp Avatar
33 months ago
UI copied from Firefox 89.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Frobozz Avatar
33 months ago
My first reaction to blending the tab and address bar UI into the web page is that Apple has introduced a new set of usability problems. This will look great on idealized websites and either bad and/or will be abused intentionally by others. There is a good reason to set expectations that application UI is separated from content UI. They have different functions.

I could be wrong. I haven’t used it yet. I’ve just seen this pattern repeat at Apple over the years where they flatten or remove UI which introduces usability problems, only to re-introduce it later.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghostface147 Avatar
33 months ago
Still won’t allow ublock origin.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
33 months ago
Very excited for extensions coming to iOS but that tab bar looks like it came from ie9 with the address bar and tabs on the same line.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ferc Kast Avatar
33 months ago

UI copied from Firefox 89.
Because clearly Apple couldn't have working on this for a while instead just scrambling to put this together during this last week after Mozilla redid their browser. :rolleyes:
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
munpip214 Avatar
33 months ago

Power users are going to love this, but I can see this confusing so many people
Exactly! My family is going to get lost. Hate having to re-teach them how to use their devices every year. They are still getting used to having the address bar also do search. Half of the time they go to google.com then do a search
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

ios stolen device protection

iOS 17.3 Beta Adds New Stolen Device Protection Feature to iPhone

Tuesday December 12, 2023 10:20 am PST by
The first iOS 17.3 beta rolling out to developers today includes a new "Stolen Device Protection" feature that is designed to add an additional layer of security in the event someone has stolen your iPhone and also obtained the device's passcode. Earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern and Nicole Nguyen reported about instances of thieves spying on a victim's iPhone...
iOS 17

33 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 17.2

Tuesday December 12, 2023 1:57 am PST by
Apple has made available for download its major end-of-year iPhone software update, iOS 17.2, featuring a large number of features and changes that users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 33 new things that your iPhone can do once you've installed the update. Check Settings ➝ General ➝ Software Update on your device to get downloading. 1. Help You Keep a Daily ...
iPhone 16 Mock Back 1

iPhone 16 Early Prototypes: What Apple's Next-Generation iPhone Will Look Like

Tuesday December 12, 2023 3:07 pm PST by
With the launch of the iPhone 15, Apple introduced design changes like a curved frame and a frosted glass back. Information acquired by MacRumors suggests that Apple's next-generation iPhone 16 will build on these updates with modifications to the buttons and the camera layout. We have details on early pre-production designs for the iPhone 16, including a look at the variants and hardware...
CarPlay Phone Call

GM Says It's Nixing CarPlay to Make Drivers Safer

Tuesday December 12, 2023 1:47 pm PST by
Earlier this year, General Motors (GM) announced plans to phase out Apple's CarPlay and Android Auto in its future electric vehicles, with the company instead relying on an infotainment system co-developed with Google. This has not been a popular decision with iPhone users, and today, GM provided some additional insight into the decision in a discussion with MotorTrend. According to Tim...
iPhone 16 Side Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Rumored to Have These 12 New Features

Monday December 11, 2023 10:46 am PST by
While the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are still over nine months away from launching, there are already several rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped new features and changes expected for the devices so far. These are some of the key changes rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models as of December 2023:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped...
Apple TV 2022 Feature Blue

Apple Releases tvOS 17.2 With Revamped Apple TV App

Monday December 11, 2023 9:58 am PST by
Apple today released tvOS 17.2, the second major update to the tvOS 17 operating system that came out in September 2023. tvOS 17.2 comes more than a month after tvOS 17.1, an update that expanded the availability of the Enhanced Dialogue feature. tvOS 17.2 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌Apple TV‌...
maxresdefault

Top Five Features in macOS Sonoma 14.2

Wednesday December 13, 2023 3:21 pm PST by
When Apple releases new software, iOS updates tend to get most of the attention, and there are sometimes useful new features in Mac updates that go under the radar. That's the case with macOS Sonoma 14.2. It doesn't have flashy features like the Journal app that came in iOS 17.2, but there are a number of useful improvements that make it worth installing. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube ...