Can You Customize Safari Highlights in iOS 18?

Apple introduced machine learning-powered Highlights to Safari in iOS 18, allowing the browser to automatically surface key information such as maps, directions, phone numbers, summaries, and media links directly from web pages. While this feature aims to streamline mobile browsing, many users want to know if they can choose which specific data types Safari pulls. This article explains whether iOS 18 allows customization of Highlights categories and outlines the control options available to users.

In iOS 18, users cannot customize which specific categories Safari Highlights automatically extracts. Apple does not provide granular toggle switches to disable individual information types—such as hiding music links while keeping map locations or contact details active. The extraction process is entirely automated through on-device machine learning, which decides what information is most relevant based on the structure and content of the page you are viewing.

Instead of category-level controls, Safari provides an all-or-nothing approach. When Safari detects actionable information, it displays a small Highlights icon in the Smart Search field (the address bar). Users can tap this icon to open the page menu and view the extracted details, or simply ignore it if the highlighted data is not needed.

If you prefer not to see Highlights or smart suggestions at all, your options are limited to broader browser settings:

• Dismissing Highlights Manually: You can tap the Page Menu icon (the reader/format button on the left of the address bar) and choose to dismiss or ignore the suggested cards.
• Managing Safari Suggestions: Navigating to Settings > Safari allows you to toggle general features like Safari Suggestions and Search Engine Suggestions, though this affects broader search behavior rather than on-page Highlights alone.

Until Apple introduces more advanced configuration options in future software updates, Safari Highlights remains an automated, non-customizable feature designed to deliver predefined categories dynamically.