Apple is updating Safari this year for a cleaner, faster web browsing experience on iPhones, iPads and Macs. While the enhanced Reader mode and Highlights stand out as key additions to Safari in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, several other changes will come to Apple’s web browser as well.
Below we’ll look at all the improvements coming to Safari later this year.
All the Safari improvements in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia
While you can use third-party browsers on iPhone, iPad and Mac, Safari provides the best experience. It uses less power, protects your privacy and won’t slow down your device like Google’s Chrome browser can. So, any improvement the browser gets is always welcome. With iOS 18, Apple is making Safari smarter by enhancing the Reader mode using AI-powered summaries and highlights.
Below are all the Safari improvements that iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia will bring to your iPhone, iPad and Mac later this year.
Table of contents: Safari improvements in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia
Highlights
Photo: Apple
When this year’s upgrades arrive, Safari will automatically detect and highlight relevant information on a web page, such as addresses, phone numbers and directions. This feature will work across the iPhone, iPad and Mac in the United States, as long as the device language is set to English.
Smarter Reader mode
Photo: Apple
Reader mode in Safari in iOS 18 will show an AI-generated overview of the content along with a table of contents for long articles. This will let you quickly jump to relevant sections of an article, saving you from unnecessarily scrolling. However, the smarter Reader mode in Safari will work only in English in a handful of countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Design tweaks
Screenshots/Graphics: Rajesh Pandey/Cult of Mac
Apple also made small design tweaks to Safari in iOS 18 for a cleaner experience. The toolbar sports a new look, with the Reader mode controls also getting a revamp.
Improved video viewer in macOS Sequoia
To make watching videos on the web easier, Safari for Mac will automatically put video controls at the front for quick access. The improvement applies even when watching videos in Picture in Picture mode. Another small but important usability change is that macOS Sequoia can open links directly to web apps.
Safari in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia: Not a major redesign
While Apple did not go for a total overhaul of Safari in iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, these small improvements will help improve the overall browsing experience. While not mentioned, the company likely made improvements to the underlying WebKit engine to reduce page-loading times and boost performance.
