iOS 15 Safari Compact Tab Bar Customization Options

With the release of iOS 15, Apple introduced a redesigned Safari experience centered around a bottom compact tab bar, along with several new customization settings that give users control over their browsing layout. After initial feedback during the beta testing cycle, Apple added flexible options allowing users to switch freely between the modern bottom-aligned tab bar and the classic top address bar, configure website color blending, and manage tab strips in landscape orientation.

Switching Between Tab Bar and Single Tab

iOS 15 introduced a dedicated Tabs section in the Settings app that provides two primary layout choices:

  • Tab Bar (Bottom Layout): This compact design relocates the search and address field to the bottom of the screen. It is optimized for one-handed navigation, allowing users to swipe left and right directly on the bar to switch between open tabs, or swipe up to reveal the tab overview grid.
  • Single Tab (Top Layout): This option restores the traditional iOS Safari design, placing a static address and search bar at the top of the display and keeping the standard navigation toolbar pinned to the bottom.

Users can toggle these layouts by navigating to Settings > Safari and scrolling down to the Tabs section to select their preferred view.

In-App Quick Switching

In addition to system settings, Apple added an in-app toggle directly within Safari:

  1. Tap the aA (Page Settings) icon located in the address bar.
  2. Select Show Top Address Bar to instantly switch to the traditional view.
  3. If using the top layout, tap the aA icon and select Show Bottom Tab Bar to return to the compact design.

This eliminated the need to leave the browser to test or change interface preferences.

Website Tinting Control

The compact layout originally forced the Safari interface and system status bar to inherit the background color of the active webpage. iOS 15 added an explicit toggle for this behavior called Allow Website Tinting, located in Settings > Safari. When disabled, Safari maintains standard light or dark interface colors regardless of the site's accent colors.

Landscape Tab Bar Setting

For horizontal viewing, iOS 15 added the Landscape Tab Bar toggle under Safari settings. When enabled, rotating the iPhone into landscape mode displays a persistent Mac-style tab strip along the top of the browser, making it easier to see and switch between multiple open tabs simultaneously. When disabled, the tab strip is hidden to maximize vertical screen space.