Apple has updated many of its integrated applications in iOS 26, and Safari is one of the applications that has several notable changes. There is a new look, a update layout and a new set of features.
This guide has all the changes you can expect to see in Safari when ios 26 launches to the public this fall.
Liquid glass design
Safari adopts the same liquid glass design as the rest of the Apple applications, and you will mainly see it in the address bar, the tab view and the buttons.
The buttons and the tab bar have the translucent look in liquid glass, and more the background of each website is visible below. The tab bar is more compact and takes up less space, and everything is rounder.
When you scroll down, the tab bar and you just see a small bar with the URL of the website, so the interest is to focus on the content of the website. The upward scrolling returns the tab bar to its full size.
Update
There is a new compact design option in ios 26, but Apple has left the option to use the previous upper and lower view provisions if you prefer them. Layout options are available in the Safari section of the Settings Application.
Compact away the sharing, bookmark and tab options behind the button three points to the left of the tab bar. It is a cleaner look, but it can be frustrating if you often need to access features such as the tab menu. There is a rear arrow, which is divided into front and rear arrow options when you sail in the contents. Settings like the Translate mode and the reader are always available by pressing the small icon next to the URL.
The upper and lower views offer the same configuration that is available in iOS 18, but with a new liquid glass look. The two bars are reduced and no longer take the width of the screen.
Tab management has been revised with the same design changes. The “+” button to open a new tab is always located on the left, and there is now a blue verification when you have finished interacting with the tabs. In the center of the view of the tab, there is a cursor bar that displays your current number of tabs open in the tab group in which you are.
The sliding from left to right allows you to exchange quickly between your tab groups. The modification profiles can be carried out with a drop -down menu at the top of the screen, and other tab management tools are available by pressing the icon “··” 199 “.
Web applications
When you add a website to your home screen in ios 26, it will always open as a web app. Web applications were supported on the home screen in the previous versions of iOS, but web developers had to configure them to operate as web support.
If the websites were not configured properly, they would open in Safari when added to the home screen. Now, a website will open as a dedicated web application, even if it has not been explicitly configured to work in this way.
There is an open web application option that can be moved when adding a website to a home screen if you prefer that websites open in Safari.
Follow -up prevention
The advanced protection of fingerprints now extends to all default navigations, rather than being activated only by default for private web navigation. The protection features of Apple fingerprints are aimed at preventing websites from following the use of your device on websites.
HDR images
Ios 26 adds the HDR image support to Safari. HDR images have a wider dynamic range for brighter whites and deeper blacks, as well as an improved range of colors. The P3 HDR images will now appear as planned in Safari on iPhones with XDR screens.
SVG icons
Safari supports the SVG file format for icons wherever icons appear in the interface, including the starting page, web applications, Safari tabs, menus, etc.
SVGs are superior to PNGs because they can be put on the scale without loss of quality, and in safari, the icons often must appear with several different sizes.
Webgpu
Safari in ios 26 includes WebGpu, a feature that Apple tested in Safari Technology Preview. Webgpu is similar to WebGL, but it corresponds more directly to the underlying iphone metal and equipment. WebGpu is not a functionality in front of the user that you can use directly, but there will be advantages.
Online games will be able to obtain higher image frequencies and better effects with a lower CPU load, as well as photo editors, 3D modeling sites, CAD viewers and websites that make ML arrangements should operate more quickly while using less battery. WebGpu requires an iPhone 15 pro or later.
Digital identification information API
Apple added the management of the Digital Credentials W3C API in Safari, which means that a website is able to request identity documents such as an Apple Wallet driving license for a private and secure identity and an age verification.
The portfolio Check with the portfolio on ios 26 uses the digital API of identification information and deals with biometric authentication. Website can ask customers information such as date of birth without receiving unnecessary additional data, and customers can approve data sharing with Face ID or Touch ID.
The first websites that will support the portfolio check with the portfolio on the web function include Chime, Turo, Uber Eats and Us Bank.
Confidentiality improvements
The ios 26 version of Safari prevents scripts of fingerprints known to access web APIs which can reveal characteristics of the device such as screen dimensions, reducing the way advertisers can follow you on websites. These scripts are also prevented from defining long -service storage such as cookies and reading the request parameters that could be used for monitoring navigation.
Compatibility problems of the report website
A new feature allows you to report a problem if you have problems with a web page. In the page menu, Apple adds an option “Report a website number” that allows you to share information with Apple to improve Safari.
Liberation timing
Ios 26 is available for developers at the moment, and Apple plans to publish a public beta version in July. After a few months of testing, ios 26 will be launched alongside new iPhones in September.
Learn more
We have a dedicated iOS 26 Roundup This in detail on all the new features available in the update.
