When macOS Tahoe and iPadOS 26 were released last fall, they removed support for Safari’s optional layout: the compact tab bar. Now this feature is back in macOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 beta 1.
Safari’s compact bookmarks panel returns to Mac and iPad
Did you miss the compact tabs panel on your Mac or iPad?
It’s not often that Apple completely removes a Safari feature that’s been available for a long time, but that’s exactly what happened in macOS Tahoe and iPadOS 26.
Perhaps due to the redesign of liquid glass and the need to prioritize other functions, the compact tab bar did not make it into the first versions of macOS and iPadOS 26.
But thankfully, the cries of upset users seem to have reached Apple’s ears.
Today’s beta 1 releases of macOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 restore the compact tab panel option.
Available in System Preferences on Mac and Settings on iPad, you can now choose to condense Safari’s bookmarks bar into a single row containing the address bar, current tabs, and more.
Personally, I stick with the ‘Detach tab panel’ option on my iPad. But I’m glad to see this option return for Mac and iPad users who prefer a compact look.
Did you miss Safari’s compact tab bar? Let us know in the comments.
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