Safari is usually one of the most used apps on one’s device. Luckily for us, recent iOS updates have increasingly allowed us to make multiple edits to Safari’s physical appearance.
You can change your background, enable website tinting, change the position of the address bar, and access websites in different layouts. You can easily make all of these changes in your iPhone’s Settings app.
Here, we’ll look at some of the different ways you can give Safari a whole new look on your iPhone.
1. Change Your Background for Safari’s Start Page
You can use any image from the stock Photos app to change your Safari background. Some pre-set wallpapers are also available for you to choose from. Follow these steps to customize your Safari’s background:
- Open a new Safari tab by pressing the Tabs button. Then, tap on the plus (+) icon.
- Swipe to the bottom of your new tab and tap on Edit.
- You will see the Background Image toggle at the very bottom. Enable it.
- Choose from any of the options present on your screen. Tap on the plus (+) icon to open your gallery and select a photo from any album. You can also use a Live Photo, but keep in mind that it will remain a still background in Safari.
The Edit button lets you customize your Safari start page in several ways. Besides changing the background, you can use the toggles to choose what sections appear on your start page.
2. Shift the Position of the Address Bar
Apple’s iOS 15 software update brought the address bar to the bottom of the screen by default as a part of the Safari revamp. However, if you want to switch back and put it at the top, you can do so in your iPhone’s settings. Here’s what you need to do:
- Open Settings and go to Safari.
- Scroll down to the section labeled Tabs. You will see multiple tab options here, including Tab Bar and Single Tab. As the icons depict, opt for Tab Bar to keep the address bar at the bottom of your screen or select Single Tab to shift it to the top.
3. Enable or Disable Website Tinting
Website Tinting is a feature that allows the layout of your Safari page (the address bar) to change according to the website you have open. If the website’s theme is black, your address bar will also turn black to match the layout when Website Tinting is enabled in Settings.
To turn website tinting on or off in Safari, follow these steps:
- Open Settings and go to Safari.
- Scroll down to the section labeled Tabs, and turn the toggle on or off for Website Tinting.
If you haven’t updated to iOS 15 yet, you can still find a similar feature in the Settings app under Accessibility with the name Show Color in Tab Bar.
4. Switch On Reader View and Make Edits to Text
Reader View tends to rework your webpage into a perfectly organized, ad-free layout to help you focus better on reading the content. The feature also allows you to do multiple things, like editing a webpage, changing font style, font size, and color. Here’s how to switch on Reader’s view in Safari:
- After you open the webpage you’d like to read on Safari, tap on the Reader View icon in the corner of the address bar. The icon has an upper case and lower case alphabet paired together.
- From the dropdown menu, select Show Reader View. Your webpage will appear ad-free and organized automatically. If the option is grayed out, Reader View is unavailable for that particular website.
If you want to make Reader View your default browsing method for a particular website, you won’t have to repeat the above steps every time you open it. Follow these steps to make Reader View your go-to method for a particular URL:
- Tap on the Reader View icon.
- Choose Website Settings from the dropdown menu.
- Turn on the toggle for Use Reader Automatically and press Done. The web page will now automatically switch to Reader View every time you open it.
To change the font style, size, and color once you’re in Reader View, here’s what you need to do:
- Enable Reader View by tapping on it and selecting Show Reader View. Once turned on, tap on the Reader View icon again.
- A new pop-up will appear, displaying multiple options for font color and style. To change font size, tap on the upper case alphabet repeatedly to increase and lower case to decrease as much as you like.
5. Switch to Desktop Website
Today, most websites offer a mobile version and desktop version to support various devices people use. This increases efficiency and makes the browsing experience more convenient for the user. Both versions usually tend to differ in layout and functionality.
If you prefer to use the desktop version of a website on your mobile device, you can request to do so in Safari. Follow these simple instructions:
- Tap on the Reader View icon in the address bar
- From the context menu that pops up, tap on Request Desktop Website. The webpage will reload automatically to show the desktop version of the site.
If you want to make the desktop version of a website the default option on Safari, you can do so with these steps:
- Open the website you want to change the feature for, tap on the Reader View icon, and a pop-up will appear. Tap on Website Settings.
- Now, simply turn on the toggle for Request Desktop Website.
That’s it. From now on, every time you visit this particular website, it will automatically load the desktop version of the site.
Give Your Safari a Whole New Look With These Tricks
The iOS 15 software update brought a ton of new features that let you change the physical appearance of your Safari to give you a more personalized browsing experience. From colors and fonts to backgrounds and layouts, you can apply a wide range of edits. So, update your iPhone to ensure all these features are available to use.
If you want to make functional improvements to your Safari besides these physical characteristics, extensions and shortcuts are the perfect way to go.