[ad_1]
iOS 18 includes updates for many of Apple’s built-in apps, and Safari is no exception. Apple’s browser has some useful new features for faster access to the information you want most on websites.
This guide highlights everything new in Safari.
Strong points
Highlights detects relevant information on a webpage you are visiting and displays it for you so you can find the relevant details without having to scroll through a page.
When a highlighted item is available on a webpage, you’ll see a small purple sparkle on the tool’s icon in the browser bar, as well as a quick flash to the available highlighted data. If you tap the icon with the sparkle, Safari will show you key information about the website, like location, hours, and directions.
The information you see in highlights depends on the website you’re visiting. For stores, hotels, and other places you want to visit, Safari will provide directions. For other websites, you might see links to learn more about people, music, movies, and TV shows.
Highlights is currently available in US English, and since iOS 18 is in beta, this feature is not available on all websites. Highlights can be disabled by opening the Safari section of the Settings app and turning it off.
Reader mode
Safari has updated reader mode to provide a table of contents for long articles and also a quick summary of what’s on the page.
New Reader Mode features allow users to jump to a specific part of an article as well as preview the content of an article to decide whether it is worth continuing to read.
New player mode options are available in English (Australia), English (Canada), English (Ireland), English (New Zealand), English (South Africa), English (UK), and English (US)
Change of design
Apple has updated the design of Safari tools accessible via the URL address bar. The tool icon is now a box with two lines. Tapping it takes you to the full overlay window at the bottom of the screen.
Now, not all tools appear at once, with Apple prioritizing the ones users want most, like translation, reader mode, privacy protections, and font size. Tap the ellipsis at the bottom of the interface to reveal the rest of Safari’s settings, like Show IP Address, Request Desktop Website, and Hide Toolbar.
Apple has also changed the design of the tab management page, with a unified toolbar for separate sections and tab groups.
New quick access options
Some of the features that were previously hidden in the Share Sheet are now more easily available through the Safari toolbar.
New options include:
- To print
- Add to favorites
- Add a bookmark
- Add to quick note
- Add to playlist
- Move to tab group
- Pin tab
- Access to the camera
- Microphone access
- Access to location
- Open links in profile
The page menu can be edited so you can customize which tools appear in your favorites list for quicker access.
All of these options are still available through the share sheet.
Passwords
With a new dedicated passwords app, Safari IDs, passwords and access keys are automatically filled in if your information is saved in the app.
The Passwords app has the same functionality as the Passwords section of the Settings app, it’s just been split into a standalone app for easier access. Safari can automatically save login and password information to the Passwords app, and everything syncs across devices. Passwords are even accessible on Windows PCs.
Locked applications
Apps like Safari can be locked and hidden, requiring Face ID or Touch ID authentication to access them. Locking an app goes further than the protected private browsing feature Apple introduced in an earlier version of iOS, as the entire Safari browser can be locked.
To open a locked app, you need to authenticate. So someone with your unlocked phone still won’t be able to see your browser if you lock Safari. Hiding an app locks it and removes it from the Home screen, putting it in a secret Hidden Apps folder in the App Library.
Learn more
To learn more about the new features Apple added in iOS 18, we have a dedicated iOS 18 roundup.