In this podcast, Thomas Domville walks through Safari’s new Tabs layout options in iOS 26, explains the default Compact view, and shows how to switch between Compact, Bottom, and Top tab layouts. The demo is VoiceOver-centric, with practical navigation tips (rotor use, headings, and screen-edge gestures) to make changing this setting quick and repeatable.
Summary
- What changed: Safari now defaults to a Compact UI along the bottom: a single row with More, Tabs, the Address Bar, and a Page Menu. Traditional back/forward controls aren’t where long-time users expect.
- Why it matters: If Compact disrupts your muscle memory (or your VoiceOver workflow), iOS 26 lets you pick an alternate layout—Bottom (classic iOS) or Top (very old Safari style).
Key Points & Takeaways
- Three layouts available: Compact (default), Bottom (classic), Top (legacy-style).
- Settings location: You change this in Settings → Apps → Safari → Tabs.
- VoiceOver navigation pattern: Use headings to jump quickly through long Settings screens; the Apps button sits just left of the Search field at the bottom of Settings.
- Customization is back: Apple now lets you choose the tab bar placement instead of enforcing a single layout.
Step-by-Step Guide
Fast Path
- Open Settings.
- Go to Apps → Safari.
- Find the Tabs section.
- Choose one: Compact, Bottom, or Top.
Detailed Instructions with VoiceOver
- Open Settings.
Four-finger single tap near the bottom to reach the footer controls.
- Navigate to Apps.
You’ll encounter the Search field and a Dictate button; Apps is just to the left of Search. Double-tap Apps.
- Jump by Headings to the letter sections and flick to S; move right to Safari and double-tap.
- In Safari settings, use Headings to reach Tabs.
- Swipe right to the layout choices and double-tap your preference:
Compact (default)
- Bottom (classic bottom bar)
- Top (tab controls at the top)
- VoiceOver will announce Selected: \—you’re done.
Transcript
Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI Note Taker – VoicePen, an AI-powered transcription app. It is not edited or formatted, and it may not accurately capture the speakers’ names, voices, or content.
Thomas: Hello and welcome. My name is Thomas Domville, also known as AnonyMouse. I have a great battery saver mode that I want to introduce you today. Now, this is starting in iOS 26 and newer. We have a new battery adaptive power mode, and essentially this will allow Apple Intelligence, which is going to be kind of a drawback for some of you because this is only going to be available for those with the newer devices such as the iPhone 15 Pro, and newer, so you have to have AI-capable device to be able to use this adaptive power. So what is this adaptive power? So the cool thing about this is that the AI will just kind of watch your phone for you, and if it ever detects an app or a task that's just kind of just draining the battery a little faster than normal, taking a lot of CPU consumption, it will analyze it, and it'll detect it, and then it will try to make tweaks so it doesn't drain the battery as fast.
And I have seen some significant difference with this for myself. And so I can't say enough how important this is or something that you want to look at. Now, in saying that, enabling this, I will say that you will notice some slowdown in certain things. So if it does kick on, that you're going to see the screen display dim just a little bit and task seems to take a little longer, meaning that your emails and your messages may take a little longer to get to you than normal. Now, even though it's on, and if it's not detecting anything consuming a substantial amount of your CPU or battery, then have no worries, all your information ends. apps will work just as normal.
So it only takes effect when it notices that a particular app is being hogged. And it will kind of throttle that a little bit for you so other things don't consume your battery as quickly as they used to. All right, so where is this feature and where can I find it to turn it on? Well, you're going to be able to find it in the batteries within the settings. So let's head over to native settings.
VoiceOver: Settings. Double tap to open.
Thomas: Let's go ahead and go in here. One finger double tap. Now swipe to the right until you find battery. One finger double tap on that. Now at the very bottom, near towards the bottom. It's not the last element, but it's the second from the last element when I did this podcast. So I'll do a four finger tap on the bottom half of the screen.
Thomas/VoiceOver: And go left. And that's where we want to go. Double tap on power mode. adaptive power switch button off double tap to toggle setting now let's turn this item on on and now the adaptive power mode is on now let's go to the right there are some other things i want to point out to you adaptive power notifications switch button on double tap to toggle setting.
Thomas: That's clever. I like that. So it'll give you a notification when something kicks in and the adaptive power is active. So that is something that you'll need to double tap to turn that on if you want to get notification when that gets kicked on.
VoiceOver: When your battery usage is higher than usual, iPhone can extend your battery life by making performance adjustments, such as lowering display brightness, allowing some activities to take longer. We're turning on low power mode at 20%.
Thomas: So that's a pretty good, in a nutshell. And then, of course, you still have your handy-dandy dependable.
VoiceOver: Low power mode. Switch button off. Double tap to toggle setting.
Thomas: Lower power mode, which we've had in previous iOS, which takes more of an aggressive stance about what your throttle and such is. It's a little more aggressive where the... Adaptive power is more conservative and not so aggressive as a power mode, a low power mode. So with that on, now from this point on, if any apps or tasks is taking some high amount of CPU usage or your battery is starting to drain more more than usual, that will start curbing it, and we'll get a notification, let us know that it's occurring, and thus we'll save on your battery life percentage on that day. So this is a great new feature that I want to introduce to you, all of you. And if you have those devices that support AI, then I definitely highly recommend turn this on to extend your battery life. All right, well, that's going to do for me. My name is Thomas Domville, also known as AnonyMouse. Until next time.