Japan’s new law could finally end Apple’s WebKit-only rule for browsers on iPhones, opening the door for true alternatives. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Japan's Mobile Software Competition Act will require Apple to allow non-WebKit web browsers in the App Store on the iPhone later this year. Specifically, the law "forbids designated providers from preventing individual app providers from using alternative browser engines." In most countries, Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and other popular web browsers on iOS are all currently forced to use WebKit, which is the web engine that powers Safari. Apple has previously stated that the WebKit requirement is due to security and privacy considerations, but critics have argued that the policy is anticompetitive. Japan's law will allow web browsers and in-app browsers on the iPhone to use alternative browser engines like Blink (used by Chrome, Edge, and Opera) and Gecko (used by…

Missing the familiar Safari design from iOS 18? In iOS 26, currently in beta, Apple has learned from past criticism and made it easy to ditch the new Compact layout in favor of the classic tab layouts you may well prefer. iOS 26 introduces a new "Compact" Safari design as the default, but Apple has included two additional layout options that essentially restore the iOS 18 experience. Here's how to get your old Safari back in just a few taps. How to Switch to the iOS 18 Layouts Open Settings on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap Apps, then locate and tap Safari in the alphabetical list. Scroll down to the "Tabs" section. Select either Bottom or Top instead of…

Apple today released the Safari 26 beta, allowing macOS Sequoia and macOS Sonoma users to download the browser and get the new Safari 26 features. Safari 26 adds support for HDR images, SVG icon support, additional tracking protection, and more, with some of the most interesting new features listed below. HDR image support SVG icon support Support for reporting a website compatibility issue Option for preventing fingerprinting for known tracking scripts Filters out tracking parameters for links in regular browsing mode Option for showing extension keyboard shortcuts in Settings and support for customization WebGPU support More on everything that's new in Safari 26 can be found on Apple's website. If you are beta testing iOS 26, iPadOS 26, visionOS 26,…

Apple updated many of its built-in apps in iOS 26, and Safari is one of the apps that has several notable changes. There's a new look, an updated layout, and a new feature set. This guide features all of the changes you can expect to see in Safari when ‌iOS 26‌ launches to the public this fall. Liquid Glass Design Safari adopts the same Liquid Glass design as the rest of Apple's apps, and you'll primarily see it in the address bar, tab view, and buttons. The buttons and tab bar have the Liquid Glass translucent look, and more of the background of each website is visible beneath them. The tab bar is more compact and it takes up less…

Apple executives have internally considered acquiring Perplexity AI to offer an AI-powered search engine in Safari on its devices. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)