Apple has restored the compact tab bar option in Safari after removing it last year, responding directly to user complaints about the missing interface feature. The streamlined layout returns in developer betas of macOS Tahoe 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4, giving people back their preferred browsing configuration.
When macOS Tahoe and iPadOS 26 launched last fall, they quietly eliminated the compact tab view that had been available since macOS Monterey arrived in 2021. The streamlined interface merges tabs with the address bar into a single horizontal row, conserving vertical screen space particularly valuable on laptops and tablets.
The restoration appears in System Settings on Mac and Settings on iPad as a toggle between "Compact Tab Bar" and "Separate Tab Bar" options. This marks a reversal from Apple's initial decision during what The Mac Observer described as the Liquid Glass redesign period, when the company likely prioritized other features over maintaining this specific layout choice.
Feedback from Mac and iPad users clearly influenced the decision to bring back compact mode. Some initially thought the feature was broken rather than intentionally removed, reporting technical issues like unresponsive mouse clicks on active tabs and blurry extension icons after updating to macOS 26.
The compact tab layout first appeared in Safari with macOS 12 Monterey but faced initial controversy that led Apple to make separate tabs the default while keeping compact available as an alternative.
This pattern of introducing bold interface changes then walking them back after user feedback has repeated throughout Safari's recent history, including the Safari 15 redesign that colored browser chrome to match webpage accents.
Current macOS Tahoe 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 releases remain limited to developers, though public betas typically follow soon after initial developer availability. Apple plans a wider spring release for both operating system updates.
