Apple released Safari 15 last month for Macs running macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina ahead of macOS Monetery’s public launch. While the latest update of Safari brings new features, including tab groups, start page sync, automatic HTTPS upgrade, one change that has drawn the most criticism is the browser’s redesigned tabs.
Safari 15 Controversial Tab Design
According to Apple, tabs in Safari have a rounder and more defined appearance and they adjust to match the colors of each site. This also means that the web page appears as if it is extended to the edge of the window. While it should look aesthetically pleasing in theory, the implementation is not up to the mark on websites with bright colors.
For instance, if a website has a bright color that doesn’t usually go easy on the eyes, Safari will continue showing it as long as you browse the page. In fact, as Twitter user miemo points out, the color stays even if you scroll towards the bottom of the website. You can change this behavior by disabling the ‘Show color in tab bar’ toggle from Safari’s settings though.
That said, the biggest complaint about Safari 15’s tabs, is the contrast difference between active and inactive tabs. In old Safari releases, the light color that blends into the browser indicates the active tab. However, that’s no longer the case with Safari 15. In Safari 15, the dark accent is meant to represent the active tab and inactive tabs are shown in a lighter accent that’s relatively darker than the rest of the browser.
To put all that in perspective, check out the image gallery below:
Clearly, Mac users are not happy with this change. Several users have taken to social media platforms including Reddit and Twitter to share their frustration. In fact, a post on r/apple about the subject garnered over 1,000 upvotes (and a few awards) in two days. You can check some of the tweets below:
So, how do you feel about Safari 15’s new tabs redesign? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Comments
3
Just Awful. Why mess with a good thing? Like Malcolm said..
“…Your Scientists Were So Preoccupied With Whether Or Not They Could, They Didn’t Stop To Think If They Should.”
It’s worse and broader than this article states. These aren’t even tabs, and the world has fogotten what tabs are. The whole idea is that the tab looks connected to its content, and the “front” one looks “front.”
We figured this out in 1983! I’m fine with improving on old lessons, but not just forgetting them.
Oh but I love love it. The new design is so lovely.