Customize Safari Compact Tab Bar in iOS 15

With the release of iOS 15, Apple introduced a redesigned browsing experience featuring a compact bottom tab bar, alongside several native settings to customize how tabs behave and appear. This article covers the specific configuration tools added in iOS 15, detailing how to switch between layout designs, enable or disable website tinting, configure landscape viewing modes, and adjust settings directly within Safari.

Tab Layout Options in Settings

To give users control over the new compact design, Apple added dedicated tab configuration tools inside the iOS Settings app. You can access these tools by navigating to Settings > Safari and scrolling down to the Tabs section.

  • Tab Bar: This option enables the compact bottom tab bar. It moves the address and search bar to the bottom of the screen, allowing users to swipe left and right directly on the bar to switch between open tabs or swipe up to reveal the tab grid.
  • Single Tab: This option reverts Safari to the classic layout found in earlier iOS versions. It anchors the URL and navigation bar to the top of the display and displays standard navigation buttons along the bottom edge.

Website Tinting Toggle

iOS 15 introduced a visual setting that dynamically alters the interface color to match the site currently being viewed.

  • Allow Website Tinting: Located under the Tabs section in Safari settings, this toggle controls whether the top status bar and bottom compact bar adapt to the header color of the loaded webpage. Disabling this setting keeps the Safari interface elements in standard light or dark system tones regardless of the webpage's color scheme.

Landscape Tab Bar

For users browsing in horizontal orientation, iOS 15 added a specific toggle to replicate a desktop-like experience:

  • Landscape Tab Bar: Found in Settings > Safari, enabling this switch displays a persistent horizontal row of tabs across the top of the screen when your iPhone is held in landscape mode. When turned off, open tabs remain hidden behind the tab overview button to maximize screen real estate.

On-the-Fly In-App Switching

In addition to system-level settings, iOS 15 introduced an in-app shortcut to change tab bar placement without leaving the browser:

  1. Tap the aA (Page Settings) icon located in the address bar.
  2. Select Show Top Address Bar to instantly switch to the classic layout, or Show Bottom Tab Bar to return to the compact view.