Image Courtesy: CSO Online
Apple has published the third developer betas for the next iOS 15 and macOS Monterey, and they include some much-needed Safari improvements, including the reversal of some of the more contentious changes implemented in prior betas. For macOS, this implies a regular tab bar that reverts to the old style, but iOS will get a more uniform design for the URL bar.
iOS 15 maintains the new tab view and the relocated URL bar at the bottom of the screen, but the newest beta docked it there permanently rather than bouncing it to the top of the screen when you selected it. When you press and hold the URL bar, Apple has also introduced a new refresh option to the pop-over menu. Together, the modifications make the new design a lot easier to use.
The transition to macOS is simpler: Apple appears to have simply reintroduced a portion of its Big Sur design for Safari’s URL bar and tabs, abandoning the integrated tab/URL bar layout that debuted in earlier betas. In the newest beta, a URL bar appears at the top of each Safari menu, with a row of tabs beneath it.
Each of those tabs still takes up a sizable chunk of real estate — the general Monterey design remains unchanged in that regard — but it’s a significant improvement over the previous betas. However, if you like the new look, 9to5Mac reports that it is still available.
The iPadOS version of Safari has altered, at least for the time being. Given that Apple’s current OS upgrades aren’t anticipated to be completely released until the autumn, there’s still plenty of time for more Safari modifications across all of Apple’s platforms.
