iOS 26 Safari Design Revealed: New Floating Toolbars and Customizable Layouts

Apple’s upcoming iOS 26 is set to revolutionize the Safari browser experience on iPhone with a striking new design system dubbed ‘Liquid Glass’. This innovative approach introduces floating toolbars and buttons that offer a translucent effect, allowing web page content to subtly shine through as users scroll.

A significant revamp focuses on the Safari toolbar UI. The default setting for iOS 26 will be a ‘Compact’ layout, which streamlines the interface by minimizing some commonly used buttons. In this mode, the URL bar floats at the bottom, positioned between the back button and a ‘•••’ menu for additional controls, featuring a single row of elements that shrink upon scrolling down and reappear when scrolling up.

Compact mode also enhances gesture-based navigation, enabling users to swipe on the URL bar to access tab view or swipe left and right to switch between tabs seamlessly. For users who prefer more immediate access to features like Share, Tabs, or Bookmarks, iOS 26 offers alternatives.

Users will have the flexibility to customize their Safari toolbar layout by navigating to Settings > Safari > Tabs and choosing between ‘Compact’, ‘Bottom’, or ‘Top’ modes. The ‘Bottom’ design, while embracing the floating aesthetic, mirrors the functionality of iOS 18’s ‘Tab Bar’ mode, providing a full-width URL bar and persistent navigation controls. The ‘Top’ layout remains a classic option, keeping the URL bar affixed to the top and navigation controls at the bottom, catering to users accustomed to traditional browser interfaces.

Consistent with the broader system theme, both top and bottom toolbars will now float with curved corners, aligning with the iPhone’s screen design, and will recede when scrolling, enhancing the immersive browsing experience.

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