Apple Is Bringing Back One of Safari's Best Features

Credit: aileenchik / Shutterstock.com

Table of Contents

One of the nicest things about Apple software, at least in theory, is its uncluttered design. That's why many users (myself included) were annoyed when Safari's Compact Tabs feature was dropped in macOS 26 or iPadOS 26. It was a great way to neaten up your browser bar, and people have been complaining about the missing feature ever since.

Happily, the complainers now have something to look forward to, as the upcoming ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 releases will bring back the Compact Tab option, according to MacRumors. Their reporting shows a screenshot of the Safari settings on macOS, with "Separate" and "Compact" tab style both on offer.

Why I love Compact Tabs

Here's why I'm jazzed about this feature's return: Your browser's tab bar, by default, sits right below the main toolbar (which contains your address bar as well as forward/back buttons and new tab buttons). Compact Tabs moves the tabs into the address bar, a space that is otherwise mostly blank. This cuts the amount of occupied space taken at the top of the browser in half. This isn't a feature for everyone—people who routinely keep dozens of tabs open tend to like having more space to see which tab is which. But for those of us who like to keep things clean (like me) Compact Tabs was perfect.

And it will be perfect again. Apple hasn't announced when the 26.4 update will ship to all macOS and iPadOS users, but based on based release cycles, it's likely to come out in the next month or so. ANd if you don't want to wait, you can try out the 26.4 beta now.

The serious caveat here is that beta versions of software are, by definition, less stable than the release version, meaning you may have to put up with a few bugs that will annoy you or (at worst) leave your computer unusable.

All that aside, if you want to jump in, open System Settings on your device and head to General > Software Update. From here turn on beta updates—you should then be offered a beta version of 26.4. I don't generally recommend risking using a beta operating system for a minor quality of life improvement (even though there are other cool features coming), but the full version shouldn't be long in coming.