iOS 15 is officially here, and while it brings many cool new features, there’s also one we really, really dislike: the new Safari search bar.
In iOS 15, Apple redesigned Safari so that the address bar has been relocated from the top of the screen to the bottom. Theoretically, this makes Safari easier to use single-handedly. Apple did improve the search bar so it doesn’t jump around anymore like it did in early beta versions of iOS 15. However, if you find that you don’t like the search bar at the bottom, you can easily switch the address bar back to the top.
After you update to iOS 15, open the Safari app on your phone. In the bottom left-hand corner, you should see the “aA” icon in the search bar. Tap it and then select the Show Top Address Bar. And that’s it. Whoosh, it’ll go back to being up top. If you end up liking the search bar at the bottom, no worries. You can tap the “aA” icon again to send the search bar back to the bottom.
You can also change it by heading on over to the Settings app. From there, scroll down to Safari, and select the Single Tab option. Doing it this way also allows you to control some other new features in Safari. For instance, you can toggle the Landscape Tab Bar setting. If you turn it off, then the search bar will disappear whenever you view Safari in Landscape mode. There’s also the Allow Website Tinting setting, which changes the search bar’s colour scheme to match the website you’re visiting.
Apple first introduced the ability to revert back to the original Safari design we all know and love with the sixth iOS 15 beta. The move followed some backlash from beta users regarding the ping-ponging search bar. (You can see it in action in our iOS 15 preview.) It was a rare move from the company, which doesn’t generally change course when it comes to executive design changes — even if they’re massively unpopular. See: the notorious MacBook Butterfly switches and that time Apple nixed the headphone jack. Still, we’re not about to complain about Apple giving users more control over customising apps. Here’s to hoping Apple continues listening to feedback and giving customers more options in the future.
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