Mac Format

What’s new in Safari

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When Apple announced iOS 15 back in June, one of the biggest changes to the interface was in Safari. Just like in macOS Monterey, the URL bar (or tab bar as Apple now calls it) hosts both the address field/search bar and the button for switching tabs. However, unlike Monterey, where it still sits at the top of the page, it moved and initially hovered above the web page at the bottom of the screen. The immediate consequenc­e was that the design hid the reload and Reader view buttons, much to the bemusement of many early preview users. Since then, Apple has made changes so that the reload button is visible, and the Reader view control appears when that mode is available. More importantl­y, the bar now sits below the web page. And there is now an option in Settings to place it back at the top of the screen.

There’s support for tab groups in iOS 15, and these sync across all your devices, so if you use Monterey or iPadOS 15, you’ll be able to see groups of tabs you set up on your iPhone, and vice versa. Tab groups can be renamed, and are selected from a menu that appears at the bottom of the screen.

Safari in iOS 15 also now supports extensions, so if you use, for example, Grammarly, or a clipper extension for a notebook app, you’ll be able to use those on your iPhone. And you can search the web in Safari using your voice. There’s also a new start page, similar to the customisab­le start page introduced in macOS Big Sur.

 ??  ?? Safari in iOS has a new, customisab­le start page similar to the one on the Mac.
Safari in iOS has a new, customisab­le start page similar to the one on the Mac.
 ??  ?? By default, the tab bar in Safari now appears at the bottom of the screen, below the web page.
By default, the tab bar in Safari now appears at the bottom of the screen, below the web page.

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