Apple giving iOS 15 users choice between new and old Safari design

AppleInsider

The sixth developer beta for iOS 15 has added a toggle that reverses Apple's Safari address bar design to the iOS 14 top-bar style.

Choose between the new and old Safari design in iOS 15

When Apple introduced the upcoming iOS and macOS operating systems at WWDC, it showed a big redesign for Safari across platforms. However, Apple has since slowly walked back the controversial design with tweaks and user-accessible toggles.

The latest developer beta for iOS 15 adds a toggle to Safari settings that brings back the old design language. Users can navigate to the Settings app, Safari, then select the top or bottom style as desired.

A similar toggle had been added to macOS Monterey and iPadOS 15 as well. Apple has received a lot of pushback from beta testers over the new design, and it seems it is listening.

Apple hasn't made any official announcement regarding the new Safari design. It appears the toggle is permanent, but Apple could remove it once it is satisfied with the final Safari redesign.

Apple has given users some agency over its more controversial choices in the past. For example, some users prefer to toggle off "natural scrolling" on the Mac despite being in the reverse direction of touch-enabled scrolling.

Read on AppleInsider

nizzard

Oh PRAISE BE!!   This window tinting is the stupidest fucking thing they've ever done. And I'm including the Touch Bar.

xyzzy-xxx

That's a good thing, now let's give users also a CSAM scan free version iOS15 and I will update and also buy the iPhone 13

netrox

xyzzy-xxx said:

That's a good thing, now let's give users also a CSAM scan free version iOS15 and I will update and also buy the iPhone 13

It only happens if you have a child account. Sheesh. 

hmlongco

The floating thing was a bit of a mess, but I may try the new solid bottom bar placement for awhile.

lkrupp

Gotta keep the luddites happy.

wattouk

I was massively against the move to the bottom after the first couple of Beta’s, but I have now got used to it at the bottom and actually think it is easier than before.

kkqd1337

wattouk said:

I was massively against the move to the bottom after the first couple of Beta’s, but I have now got used to it at the bottom and actually think it is easier than before.

Choice is the best way forwards.

Honestly, I hated it at the bottom. And I had moved to Chrome/Edge permanently because of it. Which is doubly annoying because I personally find Apples third party integrations substandard so prefer using Safari.

gregoriusm

netrox said:

xyzzy-xxx said:

That's a good thing, now let's give users also a CSAM scan free version iOS15 and I will update and also buy the iPhone 13

It only happens if you have a child account. Sheesh. 

No. It’s any time you have iCloud Photos turned on.  

caladanian

Give users some choice. Natural scrolling would drive me mad, luckily I can choose.  

StrangeDays

lkrupp said:

Gotta keep the luddites happy.

Not really. On iPad & desktop, they broke the tab metaphor, moving to floating pills. Gruber of Daring Fireball is hardly a luddite and found it a poorer experience. I'm glad there will be an option to switch to preference.

StrangeDays

gregoriusm said:

netrox said:

xyzzy-xxx said:

That's a good thing, now let's give users also a CSAM scan free version iOS15 and I will update and also buy the iPhone 13

It only happens if you have a child account. Sheesh. 

No. It’s any time you have iCloud Photos turned on.  

There are two different things being confused here -- the known-child-porn (CSAM) being scanned, which is for images trying to be uploaded to iCloud. And then my-kid-is-sending-nudes-in-Messages, which is for parents. 

elijahg

Good. The new design is clunky, and doesn’t work unless sites explicitly code for it. And why should they? That stinks of MS’s tricks with IE in the 90’s and early 2000s.  Now there’s a toggle, barely any sites will code for it therefore it’ll never work properly anyway. 

It just doesn’t work well, constantly making footers jump up and down or worse, hide underneath. I keep missing the address button and hit reload instead too. I can’t decide whether having two layers of swipeable tabs (app switcher being first layer) is better or not, I don’t really find it useful especially with the added clunkiness of accessing bookmarks etc. 

Controls at the bottom is good, and that’s something that should be the case in all iOS apps. Having the back button as far away from most people’s thumb as possible is bad design. 

crowley

I hope that Safari in macOS also allows you to turn the tinting off.  Every time Apple does this dumb UI flair with anything, whether it be the menu bar, or unnecessary animations or transparency, I look to turn them off straight away.  I want a computer, not a visual feast.

And stop hiding functions behind menus too, buttons are useful.

elijahg

Just installed beta 5 and the bottom tab bar works much better. It’s no longer on a bubble and is just solid, works much better. 

People have mentioned website tinting, anyone care to explain what it is? I’ve not noticed. 

pumpkin_king

wattouk said:

I was massively against the move to the bottom after the first couple of Beta’s, but I have now got used to it at the bottom and actually think it is easier than before.

Makes a lot of sense on a phone to have it right the bottom, once you get used to it. The first few days I was against it and found it annoying but I realized I wasn’t giving it an honest chance. I forced myself to take 5 mins and learn the layout and now I find old Safari annoying on my iPad.

bestkeptsecret

I really hope people stop bringing CSAM into every damn thread. 

beadlien

This is a REALLY big deal. I find the toggle option on Natural Scrolling absolutely essential to ensure my muscle memory of using Macs since the Mac Classic doesn’t get compromised. I have a feeling I will like having Safari controls at the bottom of my iPhone as I browse A LOT and always prefer the default Apps in an OS. But having the option is even better - as this is a big change. 
What is concerning though is why I STILL have to revert to Chrome to make some things work properly. And don’t get me started on Search in Apple Mail.
But the thing that really bugs me is how come I cannot Home Share with family overseas? I bet that annoys a LOT of users. Surely it can’t be that hard to get the licensing sorted. Does Apple think all families live in the same country. Such a US centric view. 

cfilipponi

netrox said:

xyzzy-xxx said:

That's a good thing, now let's give users also a CSAM scan free version iOS15 and I will update and also buy the iPhone 13

It only happens if you have a child account. Sheesh. 

OMG...please tell me you were joking about the child account.  How can you be that "lost"

OctoMonkey

lkrupp said:

Gotta keep the luddites happy.

HEY!!!  That's Luddites with a capital T, thank you!!!

payeco

StrangeDays said:

gregoriusm said:

netrox said:

xyzzy-xxx said:

That's a good thing, now let's give users also a CSAM scan free version iOS15 and I will update and also buy the iPhone 13

It only happens if you have a child account. Sheesh. 

No. It’s any time you have iCloud Photos turned on.  

There are two different things being confused here -- the known-child-porn (CSAM) being scanned, which is for images trying to be uploaded to iCloud. And then my-kid-is-sending-nudes-in-Messages, which is for parents. 

Both are essentially worthless now that they’ve been so heavily talked about. Child abusers will just turn of iCloud Photos now that they’re aware of it and kids/teens will just use some other messaging app to send their nudes now that they’re aware of it. I could actually see it putting a huge dent in iMessage usage among young people because they worry something will get flagged.