Apple redesigned its Safari browser in iOS 15 with plenty of major changes, including new features like tab groups and extensions support on iPhone. Another key change was the relocation of the search bar at the very bottom by default. Unfortunately, the integration of the URL bar and the tab UI integration wasn’t well-received by a large number of iPhone users. They seem to prefer the classic Safari design with the address bar at the top. The criticism led Apple to revert the Safari redesign and let users change the Safari tab bar style, first in iPadOS 15. And now, the company has introduced an option to change the Safari address bar design in iOS 15 on iPhone. So if you want to move the Safari address bar back to the top on your iPhone, let me show you how it works.
Move Safari Address Bar Back to the Top in iOS 15 on iPhone (2021)
If you have installed the iOS 15 beta, you may be fully aware of the fact that Apple has been constantly tweaking the design of the Safari browser on the iPhone. No prizes for guessing, the tech giant has made notable changes to the browser in iOS 15 beta 6. This time around, the tech giant has added a toggle to let you show the Safari address bar at the top or bottom, depending on your convenience.
What’s more, Apple has also introduced an option to permanently switch to the classic iOS Safari design with the top URL bar. So, if you aren’t pleased with the placement of the URL bar at the bottom, you would welcome this new add-on.
Method 1: Change Safari Search Bar Design via Browser Settings
- To get going, open Safari on your iPhone running iOS 15.
- Now, tap on the “aA” text button located at the bottom left corner of the screen on the search bar. Then, choose “Show Top Address Bar” from the pop-up menu.
- That’s it! The Safari search bar will now show up at the top of your iPhone. If you ever want to move it back to the bottom, tap on the text “aA” icon at the top left corner of the screen. And then, choose “Show Bottom Tab Bar” to revert the change.
Method 2: Change Safari Search Bar Design from the Settings App
Switching to the classic Safari design with the top address bar from the Settings app is just as simple. Follow the steps below:
- First, open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Now, scroll down and choose Safari. After that, scroll down to the Tabs section and select the “Single Tab” option to move the search bar back to the top in Safari.
It’s worth pointing out that Apple has also added new settings option to let the users remove website tinting. You can also enable a tab bar while in landscape mode. In the previous beta versions, there was a “Show Color in Tab Bar” accessibility setting that seems to have been renamed as the “Allow Website Tinting” option.
Switch Between Top and Bottom Address Bar Design in Safari on iPhone
There you go! So that’s how you can switch between the top and bottom address bar design in the Safari browser on your iPhone running iOS 15. After the initial backlash, Apple understood that it’s always better to offer users the flexibility to pick the tab bar style they prefer. Thus, I welcome this nifty setting in iOS 15. What do you have to say about the redesigned Safari browser? Are you going to use the new bottom address bar design or the old top address bar design? Do let us know your choice in the comments section below.
