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

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iphone pocket%402x

Apple Debuts iPhone Pocket, a Limited Edition iPod Sock-Style Accessory

Tuesday November 11, 2025 1:23 am PST by
Apple has teamed up with Japanese fashion house ISSEY MIYAKE to launch iPhone Pocket, a 3D-knitted limited edition accessory designed to carry an iPhone, AirPods, and other everyday items. The accessory is like a stretchy pocket, not unlike an iPod Sock, but elongated to form a strap made of a ribbed, elastic textile that fully encloses an iPhone yet allows you to glimpse the display...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
homepod mini colors

New HomePod Mini Coming Soon With These Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 7:30 am PST by
Apple is expected to announce a new HomePod mini imminently, headlining with new chips. Here are all of the new features we're expecting. The second-generation HomePod mini is highly likely to contain a more up-to-date chip for more advanced computational audio and improved responsiveness. The current HomePod mini is equipped with the Apple Watch Series 5's S5 chip from 2019. Apple is likely ...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Announces Launch of U.S. Passport Feature in iPhone's Wallet App

Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport. To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need: An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on An Apple Account ...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...

Top Rated Comments

edjusted Avatar
54 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)
nmeed Avatar
54 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)
Bob-K Avatar
54 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)
Lobwedgephil Avatar
54 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)
iBluetooth Avatar
54 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)
Fuchal Avatar
54 months ago

Ugh, maybe I'll get used to it but right now I'm finding this "chameleon" toolbar very awful to look at -- it's different on every site I visit and calls so much attention to itself. If you switch tabs a lot, it's very distracting. Maybe someone will write a plugin that stabilizes its appearance. Not a fan!
You could always... turn it off
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)