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iPadOS 15 Gains macOS Monterey's Redesigned Safari Tab Interface

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The fourth beta of iPadOS 15 that was released today introduces tweaks to Safari, with the Safari layout now mirroring the updated layout that was introduced in macOS Monterey Beta 3.

safari redesign ipados 15 beta 4

The new Safari design in iPadOS 15 beta 4

Prior to this beta, Safari on iPad was similar to Safari on iOS with no dedicated tab bar, but after the update, Apple has added a dedicated tab bar that's activated by default, which is the same layout that's now used in macOS Monterey.

ipados 15 safari design original

The original Safari design in iPadOS 15 beta 3

While the separate tab bar is enabled automatically when updating, in the Safari section of Settings, there is an option to toggle on the original compact tab bar that merged everything together.

Apple in iOS and iPadOS 15 introduced a compact and unified Safari design that did away with the dedicated URL and search interface, instead letting any individual tab be used for navigation input.

safari ipados 15 controls
This design has not been popular with users, which has led to Apple making some changes during the beta testing period. As of now, Safari on iPadOS mirrors Safari on macOS Monterey, though additional design tweaks could come in the future.

Related Forum: iOS 15

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Top Rated Comments

frou Avatar
frou
67 months ago
Why do the bubbles have white padding below them? If they're not connected to the web content rectangle then it breaks the metaphor of what a tab is.



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Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
cmaier
67 months ago

I like the new design. People just want to complain about something.
I think people have been very specific about why the new design is worse in very real and quantifiable ways.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kuckuckstein Avatar
Kuckuckstein
67 months ago

It is an option in settings 😀
It is interesting that - at least to me - the UX of the icons in the options page is better than the actual implementation. The blue bars clearly indicate what is selected. The actual implementation leaves me confused.

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Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
podycust Avatar
podycust
67 months ago

I hope they keep the compact tab bar as an option in settings.
It is an option in settings 😀

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Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I
iterva
67 months ago

People still use Safari?
Yep. Any reason not to besides personal preference?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
J
JetLaw
67 months ago

Why do the bubbles have white padding below them? If they're not connected to the web content rectangle then it breaks the metaphor of what a tab is.


I totally agree. Not having the tab connected to the content it is associated with makes it much harder to know which tab is the active one. This update is better than the previous beta but I think it’s still worse than Safari 14.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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