Compact Safari Tab Bar Returns in macOS Tahoe 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Compact Safari Tab Bar Returns in macOS Tahoe 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4

by

The macOS Tahoe 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 betas that Apple released today reintroduce a compact Safari Tab Bar option for those who prefer that view option.

macos tahoe 26 4 compact
Apple removed the compact tab bar option with the launch of ‌macOS Tahoe‌ and iPadOS 26, but there were Mac and iPad users who missed it.

The Safari app on Mac and the Safari section of the Settings app on ‌iPad‌ both now feature an option to toggle on the Compact Tab Bar as an alternative to the standard Separate Tab Bar.

‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 are limited to developers right now, but Apple should release public betas soon. The software is expected to launch in the spring.

Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe
Tag: Safari
Related Forums: iOS 26, macOS Tahoe

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...
Read Full Article • 162 comments
Apple Announces 2026 Pride Band Watch Face and iPhone Wallpaper Article 2

iOS 26.5 Coming Soon With These New Features

Monday May 4, 2026 8:40 am PDT by
iOS 26.5 is expected to be released next week, following more than a month of beta testing. The update is relatively minor, but there are a couple of new features and changes across the operating system that we have recapped below. iOS 26.5 lays the groundwork for end-to-end encryption for RCS in the Messages app and ads in the Apple Maps app, and it will include a new Pride wallpaper and a...
Read Full Article • 46 comments
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 Release Candidates to Developers

Monday May 4, 2026 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the fourth betas. Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update. iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 do not...
Read Full Article • 21 comments

Top Rated Comments

gavin_ Avatar
gavin_
15 weeks ago
love it. will be changing straight back
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Populus Avatar
Populus
15 weeks ago
YES!!! They listened!!! (Yes, I was one of those weirdos writing Apple for them to bring back Safari’s compact view).

I guess I’ll have to write them to bring back Launchpad to macOS 26…
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JamesMcFlyJR Avatar
JamesMcFlyJR
15 weeks ago
No joke, this was actually the biggest reason i never "upgraded" to Tahoe. Still on macOS 15.7.4 on both my M1 Pro MBP and M4 Mac Mini

Only thing left is bringing back Launchpad and implementing the previous macOS design without liquid glass (dont mind it on iOS but it looks so cartoony on macOS. hopefully macOS 27 reels the design back in)
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
Kylo83
15 weeks ago
about time
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T
ttyRazor
15 weeks ago
What I actually want is true vertical tabs. The sidebar almost does it, except it doesn’t hide the horizontal tab bar when it’s open. I guess this might be close enough, but I’d rather just have the usual controls without the redundant tabs taking up precious vertical space
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
Apple Knowledge Navigator
15 weeks ago
Okay, let’s think of something new to beg for!!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments