The safari update in iOS 16, iPados 16 and MacOS Tahoe introduces a number of important innovations in the field of design, functionality, privacy and performance. The most important change is the new Liquid Glass design, which gives a transparent look to the address bar, tabs and buttons.
Another important addition is the merger of the address bar and button bar in a compact display. Furthermore, Apple has added more privacy options and from now on you can install all websites as a web app on the home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
Liquid Glass design for safari
The most important change is the new Liquid Glass design, which gives a transparent look to the address bar, tabs and buttons. This ensures an elegant look where more of the background remains visible.
The interface has also become more compact and rounder, which increases the focus on the web content. During scrolling, the buttons and tabbeam reduces a narrow beam with only the URL address, so that your screen becomes less distracted.
Compact display in Safari
iOS 26 and iPados 26 offers three layout options for safari on iPhone and iPad: compact (standard), below and above. As a user you can decide for yourself which view you set for Safari. This freedom of choice is a lesson from earlier criticism of earlier layouts in, among others, iOS 15.
Open settings on your iPhone or iPad, go to ‘Apps’ and tap ‘Safari’. Then make a choice with ‘tabs’:
- Compact: All buttons are bundled behind a new menu button, so that the screen is almost entirely for web pages. You only get to see extra buttons when you tap, which makes Safari look even more minimalist and leaves extra room for content. This gives you more space in Safari, but it requires more ticking.
- Below or above: these are the familiar views, but with the new design. At ‘Under’ the address bar is at the bottom of the screen and functions as a compact tabbar, while ‘above’ offers the classic display with the address bar at the top and a button bar at the bottom.
The compact layout has disappeared on the Mac; There you have the ‘floating’ tabs as standard. The tabs are rounded, seem to float above the button bar and can be rearranged more easily.
The navigation column has been redesigned for faster access to iCloud tabs and stored items such as bookmarks. This new layout makes everything immediately accessible and ensures that browsing with many tabs, favorites and tools is clearer, without full of the screen.
WebApps for all websites
Another important improvement is that every website that you add to the home screen is now open as a self -employed web app, even if the website is not explicitly optimized for this.
WebApps are applications that are accessible via a web browser. Unlike traditional mobile applications, web apps are not installed on the user’s device. As a result, they are not dependent on the operating system on which they are executed. Instead, web apps are hosted on a server and made accessible via the internet.
WebApps can vary from simple pages with information to complex applications with advanced functionality, such as social networks, online games and business applications.
From iOS 26 and iPados 26, all websites that you place on the home screen are opened as a web app, even if it is not optimized for this. In previous software versions, the website was opened in the linked web browser.
Add website to the home screen
- Open safari on your iPhone or iPad
- Go to the website that you want to add
- Tap the three dots (compact display)
- Tap the part button
- Choose ‘Place on the home screen’
- Possibly adjust data
- Select ‘Add’
Users can choose not to open it as a web app while placing the website on the home screen. You can place web apps in the dock on a Mac.
Improved privacy in Safari
Apple has improved the privacy in Safari with standard protection against fingerprinting. This makes it more difficult to make a unique digital fingerprint of your device. This protection is always active and applies to all platforms, which is particularly favorable for privacy -conscious users, because it works out tracking and profiling. In addition, there are stricter anti-tracker measures for advertising and analysiscripts, which reduce data collecting by websites.
Other adjustments
- Veberd profile management: Switching between work and private profiles is made easier, with a renewed tab overview per profile
- Battery optimization: Especially on the Mac you benefit from a longer battery life during streaming and browsing
- Support for SVG: pictograms on homepage, bookmarks and favorites always remain sharp thanks to SVG icons
- Full support for HDR images On websites
- Addition of webgpu: WebApps can use the computing power of the graphic system for Gaming, AI and 3D applications in the browser, among others.