Apple Releases Safari 15 Update for macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina With New Safari Design, Tab Groups, and More - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Releases Safari 15 Update for macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina With New Safari Design, Tab Groups, and More

Apple today released Safari 15 for macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina devices, with Apple introducing support for features that are going to be coming in the macOS Monterey update set to be released later this year.

safari macos icon banner
Safari 15 introduces a new look for Safari with rounded, more defined tabs and support for transparency, a compact tab bar option that can be toggled on or off, and Tab Groups. Apple's notes for the update are below:

Safari 15 delivers faster performance, improved security, and the following new features:
- Tab Groups help you save and organize your tabs and easily access them across devices
- Redesigned tabs have a rounder and more defined appearance and take on the color of the webpage
- Compact tab bar option shows more of your web page on screen
- HTTPS upgrade automatically switches sites from HTTP to more secure HTTPS when available

safari 15 mac whats new
Safari 15 can be downloaded by opening up the System Preferences interface and selecting the Software Update option. There is no word yet on when macOS Monterey will be released, but it could come in October alongside new Macs as Apple is expected to hold a Mac-centric event this fall to debut new 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

Tag: Safari
Related Forum: macOS Big Sur

Popular Stories

MacBook Pro Low Angle Wide Lens

macOS 27: Two More Changes Leaked Ahead of WWDC Next Month

Sunday May 10, 2026 9:45 am PDT by
macOS 27 will have a "slight redesign" compared to macOS Tahoe, according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the design changes will help to improve the readability of macOS Tahoe's Liquid Glass interface:If you've used Tahoe, you're likely familiar with some of the quirks — particularly the transparency effects and shadows that...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

11 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro

Monday May 11, 2026 9:01 am PDT by
We're only four months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a sea change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a...
iOS 26

iOS 26.5 Features: Everything New in iOS 26.5

Monday May 11, 2026 5:09 pm PDT by
Apple released iOS 26.5 after a few months of beta testing, and while it doesn't have the Siri features we were hoping for since those are being held until iOS 27, there are a handful of useful changes worth knowing about. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. End-to-End Encryption for RCS Support for end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and...

Top Rated Comments

61 months ago

My one complaint is...doesn't *dark gray* usually mean something like "inactive"? I'm having trouble figuring out which tab I'm in when I only have 2 or 3 open because I keep thinking the *lighter* colored tab is the active one, not the *darker* one.
Ok, just figured out why I'm so discombobulated.



Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
61 months ago

Ok, just figured out why I'm so discombobulated.


Yes, this change is absurd, IMO. Whoever decided on it should be fired immediately and banned from anything to do with computers or design.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
61 months ago
This is a disaster on my 2015 MacBook Pro. Anyone know how I can revert to an earlier version?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lobwedgephil Avatar
61 months ago

Guys if you don't like Safari don't use it. Apple is too controlling. Things are beautiful on the other side, using FireFox ('http://www.firefox.com') and Brave ('http://www.brave.com') (Chrome without Google surveillance code) both of which are open source which is so much better for you on the privacy side and they let you do much more than Safari with extensions. Most problems I have with websites are Safari and its webkit engine anyway.

If you are looking for webkit engine and something that gives the same cool and quite performance of Safari, there is a new browser in beta called Orion ('https://browser.kagi.com') , its webkit based, get updates for older MacOS versions unlike Safari, and allows use of Firefox and Chrome extensions! Signup and you will receive an invitation link in some days.



Why what happened?



FOSS FTW!





I have been bitten before.

There are options in the browsers under bookmarks where you can book mark ALL opened tabs in each Window. You can save a copy. There is also an export option under File to user with other browsers too.
I like Safari, I hate this update.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
61 months ago
Have been using Safari for a while and it has replaced Chrome in daily browsing. Sometimes, also when developing, as I find errors faster, as Chrome is more error forgiving which tends to bite you in the end.
Safari is generally faster and no noice from the fans.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
61 months ago
Just submitted requests at the Apple feedback page to 1) make the active tab light again and 2) put tabs back below the Favorites bar.

https://www.apple.com/feedback/
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)