Everything New in Safari in iOS 16: Shared Tab Groups, Extension Syncing, Web Push Notifications and More

The iOS 16 Safari update builds on the Tab Groups feature introduced in iOS 16, plus it adds some much-needed quality of life improvements and security enhancements.

iOS 16 Safari Guide Feature
This guide covers all of the new features in Safari in iOS 16, which is available now, and iPadOS 16, coming in October.

Tab Group Updates

Introduced in iOS 15, Tab Groups let you organize and save your tabs into different segments that you can swap between. So, for example, if you're planning a trip, you can save all your tabs into a "Trip" group. In iOS 16, Apple takes Tab Groups even further with new features.

Pinned Tabs

Pinned tabs are now available in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, and they can be used in Tab Groups. If you have tabs in your Tab Group that you want to have open all the time, pinning is an option. To pin a tab to a Tab Group in iOS 16, open up the Tab Group then long press on the URL bar in Safari and choose the "Pin Tab" option.

pin tab ios 16 tab groups

Tab Group Start Pages

Every Tab Group has its own separate Start Page in iOS 16, so you can have different favorites, frequently visited sites, and other options that are exclusive to each group of tabs.

ios 16 tab group start page
Accessing the start page can be done by going to the Tab View and then pressing the "+" button to open an empty page. If you scroll down to the bottom, you can tap on "Edit" to customize your Tab Group start page. You'll need to have the Tab Group you want to customize active, as this is a process that needs to be done separately for each Tab Group.

Shared Tab Groups

Any Tab Group you've created can now be shared with friends and family, allowing multiple people to contribute links and work together. Everyone can add tabs and see the Tab Group update instantly.

ios 16 shared tab groups
A Tab Group can be shared by tapping on the share sheet icon at the top of the Tab View and then selecting a person to share with. You can send an invite using Messages, and then see who's participating in the Tab Group interface.

Passkeys

Passkeys are meant to replace traditional passwords when signing into websites or apps, and Apple is aiming to roll out Passkeys starting in iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura.

Passkey Feature Orange 1
Passkeys are next-generation credentials that are safer and easier to use than passwords, using a dual authentication key system. One key is public and stored on the website server, while the second key is private and kept on-device. On the iPhone and other devices with biometric authentication, Face ID or Touch ID is used to authorize the passkey to authenticate the user to the website. The keys must match to allow for a log-in, and because the second key is private and available only to the user, it cannot be stolen, leaked, or phished.

Passkeys rely on iCloud Keychain, which in turn requires two-factor authentication for further protection. Passkeys sync across all of a user's devices through ‌iCloud‌ Keychain, which is end-to-end encrypted with its own cryptographic keys.

Passkeys will work on all Apple devices, but Apple is also working with companies like Microsoft and Google to ensure that Passkeys can also be used with non-Apple devices.

Extension Syncing

If you've downloaded an extension on another device, you can see it in the Safari preferences on your ‌iPhone‌ thanks to Extensions syncing, a new iOS 16 feature.

ios 16 extensions syncing
After it's installed, the extension will sync across devices so you only need to turn it on once. Extensions are listed in the Settings app under Safari > Extensions. Extensions not on your device are listed in the "On Other Devices" section so you can easily download them.

If you don't want to share extensions across devices, you can toggle off the option in the same Settings section.

Web Push Notifications

Website push notifications have been available through Safari on the Mac for some time now, but in iOS 16, these push notifications are also going to be available on the ‌iPhone‌ and iPad.

Support for web push notifications won't be available when iOS 16 launches, with the feature coming in an update later this year.

As on the Mac, web notifications will be available on an opt-in basis, and you will be able to choose websites to receive notifications for.

Website Settings Sync

Your website settings like page zoom, automatic Reader view, and more, will now sync across devices so you only need to set your preferences once. If you don't want to share settings for websites across devices, you can toggle it off in the Safari section of the Settings app.

safari share across devices ios 16

Strong Password Editing

When you're creating a website account using Safari, Safari will suggest a strong password for you to use, which syncs with ‌iCloud‌ Keychain. Unfortunately, some websites have specific requirements like a certain number of symbols or capital letters that strong passwords don't always fulfill.

safari edit strong password
With iOS 16, there is an option to edit strong passwords so you can adjust them as needed to meet site requirements.

Focus Filters

Apple in iOS 16 added a new Focus option called Filters. Filters are designed to allow users to filter out content within apps, displaying a specific Safari Tab Group or Mail account. When you use a Focus with a filter set, the app with the filter will only show what you've selected, hiding everything else.

ios 16 focus filters 1
For Safari, you can choose any Tab Group account to associate with a Focus. With a filter set, when you're in that Focus, Safari will only show the Tab Group you've selected.

Lift Subject From Background

iOS 16 has a fun feature that lets you drag subjects right out of images, and it works in the Safari app. Open up a webpage with any image, long press on the image, and then choose the "Copy Subject" option.

safari isolate subject ios 16
Your ‌iPhone‌ will automatically copy the main subject of the image and then you can paste it elsewhere, into the Messages app, for example.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about Safari in iOS 16, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Top Rated Comments

rodedwards Avatar
18 months ago
Safari should lead the way in Apple web browsers - but it just doesn't. It also seems to manage memory badly too - which is a pain in the @ss for developing apps. Chrome and Firefox just seem to work better.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hagar Avatar
18 months ago
These levels of customisation by Apple were unthinkable a few years back. But I’m not sure it’s the direction Apple should be going.

Tab groups and especially Focus are very complex to grasp for the majority of people. The end user needs to configure everything manually while “Siri Smarts” aren’t doing anything. It’s like Apple gave up and said: let the user figure it out.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChristianSelig Avatar
18 months ago
That cat is cute
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Populus Avatar
18 months ago

Lipstick on a pig
Honestly I find most of this features really useful, especially for those who use Safari browser across all their devices.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nvmls Avatar
18 months ago
Lipstick on a pig
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LV426 Avatar
18 months ago

Does the new iCloud Password Editing feature allow you to change easily the already set passwords? Because many times we need to change the password and using iCloud Keychain used to be a bit difficult or clunky (or I’m doing it wrong).

Also I’m really wishing passkeys are broadly implemented soon.
Safari > Preferences > Passwords > Select site > Edit
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

apple card 1

Apple Ending Apple Card Partnership With Goldman Sachs

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:09 pm PST by
Apple is ending its credit card partnership with Goldman Sachs, according to The Wall Street Journal. Apple plans to stop working with Goldman Sachs in the next 12 to 15 months, and it is not yet clear if Apple has established a new partnership for the Apple Card. Apple and Goldman Sachs will dissolve their entire consumer partnership, including the Apple Card and the Apple Savings account....
ios 17 namedrop

Police Departments and News Sites Spreading Misinformation About How iOS 17 NameDrop Feature Works

Monday November 27, 2023 5:11 pm PST by
Apple with iOS 17.1 and watchOS 10.1 introduced a new NameDrop feature that is designed to allow users to place Apple devices near one another to quickly exchange contact information. Sharing contact information is done with explicit user permission, but some news organizations and police departments have been spreading misinformation about how functions. As noted by The Washington Post,...
Apple Logo

Apple Discontinued These 5 Products This Year

Monday November 27, 2023 7:03 am PST by
As the end of 2023 nears, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories. Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021. iPhone Mini ...
iOS 17

iOS 17.1.2 Update for iPhone Likely to Be Released This Week

Monday November 27, 2023 8:24 am PST by
Apple will likely release iOS 17.1.2 this week, based on mounting evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs in recent days. As a minor update, iOS 17.1.2 should be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues might be addressed. Some users have continued to experience Wi-Fi issues on iOS 17.1.1, so perhaps iOS 17.1.2 will include the same fix for Wi-Fi...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.2 Beta 4

Tuesday November 28, 2023 12:18 pm PST by
Apple is wrapping up development on iOS 17.2, with the update expected to come out in December. While we're getting to the end of the beta testing period, Apple is still tweaking features and adding new functionality. We've rounded up everything new in the fourth beta of iOS 17.2. Default Notification Sound Under Sounds & Haptics, there's a new "Default Alerts" section that allows you to ...
All New CarPlay Five New Features Article 2

What to Expect From All-New CarPlay, Still Listed as Coming 'Late 2023'

Tuesday November 28, 2023 7:44 am PST by
At WWDC in June 2022, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, increased personalization, and more. Apple's website still says the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience will be announced in "late 2023," but it has not shared...
Google Drive

Some Google Drive Users' Files Have Mysteriously Vanished

Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:55 am PST by
Google Drive users have been warned not to disconnect their account within the Google Drive for desktop app, after a spate of reports of files going missing from the cloud service. Alarm bells began ringing last week on Google's community support site when some users reported files mysteriously disappearing from Google Drive, with some posters claiming six or more months of data had...