Apple Reverses iOS 15 Safari Changes With New Toggle for Top Address Bar

[_Spinn_]

I'm glad the address bar is no longer floating on the bottom. Giving the users a choice between the top and bottom seems like a good choice.

 

[Radeon85]

Good because after using it for a week it's really pissing me off and it just gets in the way constantly.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Actually, I have not tried it, but it kind of makes more sense to be at the bottom, it seems easier to operate with one hand.

 

[IAmGLaDOS]

HALLELUJAH!

 

[LukeHarrison]

Having the address bar on the bottom was the one thing I really loved about Windows Phone when I had a brief dalliance with that a few years ago, glad to see it come to iOS but happy for it to be an option too. Nothing wrong with giving users choice.

 

[AlexESP]

Is it still possible to swipe the bar itself (I guess only in bottom option) to switch between tabs?

EDIT: Yes

 

[PlainviewX]

Initially I was, "What an idiotic design choice." Then I realized that if iI'm using it one handed, I have to swipe to bring down the address bar to just type into it. Choice is good, but I think I'll be a bottom address bar person.

 

[bchery21]

I'm all for the option to have either or. With the address bar up top, can we still swipe between tabs?

 

[testcard]

Good call - give users an option.

 

[jcshas]

Thanks goodness. I can’t even imagine trying to explain this change to my elderly parents and relatives that call me for tech support.

 

[TechRemarker]

The near full reversal so quickly is remarkable for Apple. Thankful for everyone screaming at the top of their lungs the problems and regressions, notably, Gruber on Daring Fireball among others. But also thankful to Apple for responding so quickly when realizing they made a mistake that needed a complete return rather than minor tweaks. Enjoy the old iOS 14 but with the option having the url at the bottom.

 

[rorschach]

Really wish there was also an option to keep the floating tabs as well. I’d love to keep that style. The only issue I had was the reload button they added.

 

[Hanterdro]

Very good, I also hated this bottom address bar in iOS.

Next they must give us an option to opt-out this gender-language **** in German
and then give us back tabs which look like tabs.

 

[Traverse]

I’m happy for this. This has hopefully saved me a lot of family members calling me for help and/or somehow blaming me for Apple design choice breaking their phone.

The woes of being the go to tech person in the family

 

[svish]

I prefer the address bar on top. Nice to know that there is a choice

 

[Sheppard]

Beautiful!

One less reason to use reachability gesture. Only 999 reasons left.

 

[robertcoogan]

Or you can just use Firefox. 😉

 

[palev]

It took me a while to reprogram 11 years of muscle memory... but now I actually prefer the bottom address bar.

I know what you mean. Kept reaching for the top of the screen at first but now I love the way it works.

 

[matthewadams]

Dunno where all the hate for the bottom bar comes from. I wish we had gotten this sooner. I always had to move my whole hand to reach the top, now it's much more fluent on usability.

Sad they refined it with this blocky UI in b6. I quite like the airyness and elegance of the hovering address bar prior. But I might have been in the minority here.

 

[edolecki]

I will switch to the new bottom UI as it's been improved and see what they are after. We've been so used to Safari on the desktop with the UI at the top of the window and moving down for iOS looks a little strange. With tinting and the refined bottom UI, I think it could rock pretty hard. Like... Ronnie James Dio.

 

[Wildkraut]

Visually i preferred the free floating bar without the translucent background, it looked fresher unframed.

 

[gusnyc]

Have to say, at first having the address bar at the bottom annoyed me to no end, because for a decade I've been tapping at the top to use the address bar. BUT, given how large my 12 pro max is, I've ultimately found having the address bar at the bottom to be so much more functional and easy to use. I am converted!

I agree! With the Max, the bar at the bottom is much more convenient and easy to use. I love they added the row with bookmarks and share sheet at the bottom as well

 

[scottishwildcat]

Oh dang, that might be the best possible outcome. They just fixed a lot of issues with that new design of the bottom UI, plus made it optional.

Options are rarely the best possible outcome. Twice as much code to write, test, and document means twice the chance of bugs, and a more complicated settings UI for everyone.

 

[elvisimprsntr]

Why’s he on a beta??!?

He isn't on a beta! Where did I say he was on a beta?

I run the betas, so I know what the changes are before iPad/iOS 15 is released.

 

[dugbug]

So, basically, we have come full circle? I'm sure when iOS 16 releases next fall, this toggle will disappear, and we will be back to where we were in iOS 14...

no the URL bar is still at the bottom but its now a toolbar and not a floating pill (as best I can interpret), and you have the option of returning to IOS14 style URL bar at top.