macOS Monterey and iPadOS 15.1 Release Candidates Limit Safari Color Tab Bar Option to Compact View - MacRumors
Skip to Content

macOS Monterey and iPadOS 15.1 Release Candidates Limit Safari Color Tab Bar Option to Compact View

With the macOS Monterey and iPadOS 15 release candidates that were seeded to developers today, Apple has eliminated the option to use the Color Tab Bar with the separate tab design in Safari.

macbook pro tab bar blending safari 15

A tab bar with color in Safari 15

If you want to have a color tab bar that blends in with the background color of a website, you need to toggle on the Compact Tab Bar, which is the tab bar design that Apple introduced with macOS Monterey and iPadOS 15 updates. "Show Color in Compact Tab Bar" is an option that can be enabled in both iPadOS 15.1 and macOS Monterey.

On the iPad, the option is available in the Safari section of the Settings app. Scroll down to the bottom to find it and toggle it on, and then the color tab interface will show up when the ‌iPad‌ is using the Compact Tab Bar.

On the Mac, the Show Color in Compact Tab Bar option can be toggled on in the Safari preferences under Advanced and then Accessibility.

Apple today updated macOS Monterey to change the tabs back to the original tab design, essentially undoing many of the design changes that were introduced in Safari with the initial release of the Monterey beta. As of now, the standard Big Sur design is the default, and the Compact Tab Bar is an optional change that can be toggled on.

It is not surprising that Apple has made this change as the color tab bar interface was designed for the new look in Monterey and not the older Big Sur design that Apple has now reverted to.

Tag: Safari
Related Forum: macOS Monterey

Popular Stories

Switch to Safari

Apple Explains Why Chrome Users Should 'Switch to Safari'

Tuesday October 13, 2026 5:29 am PDT by
Apple has launched a new "Switch to Safari" marketing campaign that encourages Chrome users to switch to Safari as their web browser of choice on the Mac. "Safari is a more powerful and private browser than Chrome," says Apple. Apple has a new "Switch to Safari" page on its website that outlines more than 10 reasons that Chrome users should switch to Safari, including faster performance...
safari iphone duo webkit

Apple Wants to Fix Safari's Cramped Layout on iPhone Duo

Saturday October 24, 2026 9:58 pm PDT by
Apple is considering changes to Safari on the iPhone Duo that would give websites access to more of the outer display, although the company has yet to settle on an approach. The challenge is allowing pages to occupy the area beneath Safari's side-mounted controls without making parts of a website inaccessible. In an Friday, October 23 WebKit post, Apple's Jen Simmons explained that an...
Switch to Safari

Apple Addresses Web Security Threat, Working on macOS Update With Additional Fix

Sunday October 25, 2026 4:07 pm PDT by
Earlier this month, a security researcher discovered that private cryptographic keys associated with eight of Indian company eMudhra's intermediate certificate authority (CA) certificates were weak. The compromised keys could have allowed attackers to impersonate legitimate websites, potentially putting users' sensitive information at risk. However, there is currently no evidence that the keys...

Top Rated Comments

DHagan4755 Avatar
66 months ago
Apple is listening. Thank god.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
randomthoughts Avatar
66 months ago
Finally discovered who’s been leading the Safari UX team…



Attachment Image
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nicole1980 Avatar
66 months ago
This whole safari thing feels like APPLE is so damned determined to ”innovate” that they’re making changes in the long shot hopes it will be viewed as another groundbreaking change ... when in fact, it’s just a stupid change for changes sake.
Please Apple, innovations will come, and you’ll recognize them when you see them. But for gods sake quit trying to FORCE IT and just do dumb ****.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ErikGrim Avatar
66 months ago

Honestly, Apple software development teams are run by clueless people. It's sad to see.
They really thought they had an improved design with the compact view. And it does make sense to free up real estate on smaller screens. It was when they tried to unspool it and backtrack into a traditional tab design it fell apart – especially since they lost faith in the compact design as the default. This is the best of both worlds - a functional design as default with the compact design for people who prefer it (and there's quite a few).
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
66 months ago
Honestly, Apple software development teams are run by clueless people. It's sad to see.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kiensoy Avatar
66 months ago
It’s been fun to follow all this Safari fiasco.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Requiring Developers to Disclose Location Sharing and Dating Features in Apps
Apple Requiring Developers to Disclose Location Sharing and Dating Features in Apps
4 hours ago
Apple's Q4 2026 Earnings Call Takeaways
Apple's Q4 2026 Earnings Call Takeaways
5 hours ago
Apple Dodges Question on More Price Hikes as Memory Costs Climb
Apple Dodges Question on More Price Hikes as Memory Costs Climb
5 hours ago
Apple CEO Ternus Says iPhone Duo Shortages Have No End Date in Sight
Apple CEO Ternus Says iPhone Duo Shortages Have No End Date in Sight
7 hours ago
Apple Reports 4Q 2026 Results: $30.7B Profit on $114.5B Revenue
Apple Reports 4Q 2026 Results: $30.7B Profit on $114.5B Revenue
8 hours ago
Early Black Friday Brings Steep Price Drops on Apple's Latest iPhone Cases
Early Black Friday Brings Steep Price Drops on Apple's Latest iPhone Cases
10 hours ago
John Ternus Hosting His First Earnings Call as Apple CEO Today
John Ternus Hosting His First Earnings Call as Apple CEO Today
12 hours ago
Here's What Spotify Looks Like on Apple's HomeView
Here's What Spotify Looks Like on Apple's HomeView
12 hours ago
iOS 27.2.1 Coming Soon, iOS 27.3 Beta Likely Available Tomorrow
iOS 27.2.1 Coming Soon, iOS 27.3 Beta Likely Available Tomorrow
13 hours ago
Mark Gurman: Apple Initially Aimed to Release iPhone Duo in November
Mark Gurman: Apple Initially Aimed to Release iPhone Duo in November
13 hours ago
Best Early Black Friday Deals on Apple Products Available Now
Best Early Black Friday Deals on Apple Products Available Now
14 hours ago
Apple Isn't Done With 2026: Here's What's Still Coming
Apple Isn't Done With 2026: Here's What's Still Coming
14 hours ago
Apple 'HomeView Ultra' With 9-Inch 360º Screen Detailed in New Report
Apple 'HomeView Ultra' With 9-Inch 360º Screen Detailed in New Report
14 hours ago
Apple TV 4K Pre-Order Discount Returns at Amazon
Apple TV 4K Pre-Order Discount Returns at Amazon
15 hours ago
Zoom and These Microsoft Apps Now Optimized for iPhone Duo
Zoom and These Microsoft Apps Now Optimized for iPhone Duo
15 hours ago
Canva Brings Free All-in-One Affinity App to iPad
Canva Brings Free All-in-One Affinity App to iPad
15 hours ago
iPhone Duo: Latest Buyer Wait Times
iPhone Duo: Latest Buyer Wait Times
17 hours ago
iPhone Duo Owners Can't Change Display Zoom After Setup
iPhone Duo Owners Can't Change Display Zoom After Setup
13 hours ago
Apple HomeView Could Double as a Security Camera
Apple HomeView Could Double as a Security Camera
19 hours ago
Apple Launching Five New Products This Friday
Apple Launching Five New Products This Friday
20 hours ago
Nearly Every M5 MacBook Air Now $200 Off on Amazon
Nearly Every M5 MacBook Air Now $200 Off on Amazon
2 days ago
Apple's HomeView Ships With Six-Month-Old Software
Apple's HomeView Ships With Six-Month-Old Software
2 days ago
Three New iPads Rumored to Launch in First Half of 2027
Three New iPads Rumored to Launch in First Half of 2027
2 days ago
Apple Offers Steps to Fix Daylight Saving Time Bug on Apple Watch
Apple Offers Steps to Fix Daylight Saving Time Bug on Apple Watch
2 days ago
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
3 days ago
Reminder: Apple's Big Discount on Beats 360 Ear Cushions Ends Today
Reminder: Apple's Big Discount on Beats 360 Ear Cushions Ends Today
3 days ago
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
3 days ago
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
3 days ago
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
3 days ago
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
3 days ago