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

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

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Top Rated Comments

gavin_ Avatar
26 weeks ago
love it. will be changing straight back
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Populus Avatar
26 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
26 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
26 weeks ago
about time
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
26 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
26 weeks ago
Okay, let’s think of something new to beg for!!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)