Apple launches major Safari overhaul on Macs ahead of Monterey release

This week, Apple released Safari 15 for macOS Big Sur and Catalina. Among other things, the new update includes a major design overhaul, as well as the ability to revert to the old layout and watch if you’re not a fan.

Apple released major software updates for all of its platforms on Monday except macOS. The updates have been synchronized closely with the release of new iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch models.

But last week’s product launch event didn’t include Macs, which are expected to gain more focused attention by the end of the year, alongside an announcement on the release date of macOS Monterey.

Nonetheless, Apple seems to have decided to push the Safari update separately to keep the experience consistent across all platforms in the meantime. (This is what it did with some earlier versions when macOS also came after iOS.)

The Safari redesign has undergone several changes during recent beta releases across all platforms (and especially iOS and iPadOS). The most dramatic change on the iPhone was moving the address and search bar from the top of the screen to the bottom, a tweak designed to make Safari easier to use on the one-handed phone.

Initially, it was Apple’s way or the highway with this change, but Apple added a way to reverse this change when iOS 15 went public.

In addition to the address and search bar, iOS and macOS had one other big change in common: a minimalist streamlining of the interface so that it uses less screen space overall. This has also been somewhat recalled for release on macOS and iOS.

If you still don’t like the recalled iteration, you can revert to an earlier design in Safari’s preferences pane. For example, you can place the address bar above your browser tabs as before. (By default, Safari now places them side by side.) You can also turn off the behavior that recolors the tab bar to match the content of a web page.

Aside from the design changes, Safari 15 has some new features. Tab groups “help you save and organize your tabs and easily access them on all devices,” Apple says in its release notes. Additionally, Safari can automatically switch sites from HTTP to HTTPS when possible.

Here are Apple’s full (but short) release notes for this week’s Safari update:

Safari 15 offers faster performance, improved security, and the following new features:

• Tab groups help you save and organize your tabs and easily access them on all devices
• Redesigned tabs have a rounder and more defined appearance and take on the color of
the web page
• Compact tab bar option displays more of your web page on screen
• The HTTPS upgrade automatically switches sites from HTTP to more secure HTTPS when
available