macOS Tahoe 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 add compact tab bar in Safari
Source: 9to5Mac
Safari’s compact tab bar returns to Mac and iPad
Have you been missing the compact tab bar on your Mac or iPad?
It’s not often that Apple entirely removes a Safari feature that’s long been available, but that’s exactly what happened in macOS Tahoe and iPadOS 26.
Perhaps due to the Liquid Glass redesign and the need to prioritize other features, the compact tab bar didn’t make it into the first versions of macOS and iPadOS 26.
Fortunately, the outcry from upset users appears to have reached Apple’s ears. Today’s beta 1 releases of:
restore the compact tab bar option.
Availability
- Mac: The setting is located inside the System Settings app.
- iPad: The option appears in Settings.
Enabling it condenses the Safari tab bar into a single row that includes the address bar, current tabs, and more.
Personal note
I’m sticking with the “Separate Tab Bar” option on my iPad, but it’s great to see the compact look back for users who prefer it on both Mac and iPad.