In 2020, Google added a function to its Chrome browser called Scroll to Text Fragment (STTF) that helps you achieve this. It allows URLs to link directly to any visible text on a page. You may have seen it work in Google Search, where clicking on a link in your returned results takes you to a highlighted passage of text further down the page.

Google later added the feature to the Chromium codebase, so most other popular Chromium browsers like Edge, Opera, Brave, and Vivaldi also support it. Here’s how it works.

Copy Link With Highlight in Safari

Apple added full support for text fragment links in Safari 18, and the feature is available in Safari on macOS Sequoia and later. To use the feature, visit a web page and simply highlight the text you want to create a link to, then right-click (Ctrl-click) and choose Copy Link with Highlight from the dropdown menu.

This will generate a special URL that includes a hash (#) symbol and “text” element, followed by a few words that bookend the selected text. All you need to do is share the link with someone, and when they click it they will be sent directly to that part of the webpage with the specific passage highlighted, as shown below.

That’s all there is to it. The Copy Link to Highlight option is also available in Safari on iPhone and iPad, though we have found it to be buggy and inconsistent in iOS 26.3. Hopefully Apple can fix it soon. At least on Mac, it makes it easier for you to direct the recipient of the link to the content you actually want them to focus on.

Bear in mind that the look of highlighted text can differ depending on whether the page author has styled it to look a certain way. Also, text fragment linking does not work in PDFs. Since July 2025, Copy Link to Highlight has also been introduced in Firefox.

This article, "macOS: Share a Link That Jumps to a Specific Line on a Webpage" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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At 60Hz, your screen refreshes every 16.7 milliseconds, meaning each frame of a scrolling page stays on screen for that duration. At 120Hz, the refresh interval drops to 8.3 milliseconds, so the image updates twice as often. This reduces the perceived blur and judder as content moves across the screen, making motion look more fluid and responsive. For a better idea of the difference, visit Blur Buster’s Motion Tests webpage and watch the refresh rate test in Safari.

The difference is most noticeable when scrolling text-heavy pages or panning across detailed content. That said, the improvement is more dramatic for some people than others. If you’ve never noticed Safari feeling “off” compared to other apps, you may not register much difference. But if you’ve used Chrome or Firefox on the same device and wondered why Safari felt slightly sluggish, this is the reason.

The 120Hz option is buried in Safari’s Feature Flags, a developer-focused menu that doesn’t require any special mode to access on iPhone or iPad. On Mac, you’ll need to enable developer features first, but it’s a straightforward process. Keep in mind that turning on 120Hz may impact your device’s battery life if you tend to browse a lot.

Here’s how to enable 120Hz scrolling on all your Apple devices.

Enable 120Hz Safari Browsing iPhone and iPad

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Apps.
3. Tap Safari.
4. Scroll to the bottom and tap Advanced.
   
   
   

5. Tap Feature Flags at the bottom of the list.
6. Scroll to Prefer Page Rendering Updates near 60fps and toggle it off.
7. Force quit Safari and reopen it.
   
   
   

With this setting disabled, Safari will now render pages at up to 120Hz on ProMotion-equipped devices, including iPhone 13 Pro and later, and iPad Pro models with ProMotion.

Enable 120Hz Safari Browsing on Mac

Enabling 120Hz on Mac requires a few extra steps to reveal the Feature Flags menu.

1. Open Safari, then click Safari in the menu bar and choose Settings….
   
   
   

2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. At the bottom of the pane, check the box next to Show features for web developers.
   
   
   

4. A new Feature Flags tab will appear in the toolbar – click it.
5. In the search field at the top right, type 60fps.
6. Uncheck Prefer Page Rendering Updates near 60fps.
7. Quit Safari completely and reopen it.
   
   
   

This works on any Mac with a ProMotion display, which includes the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2021 and later. If you have external displays connected to your Mac that are capable of refreshing at 120Hz, they should also benefit from the change.

Kudos goes to MacStories for unearthing the 120Hz scrolling tip recently shared by developer Matt Birchler.

This article, "Enable Smoother 120Hz Browsing in Safari" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Marco Triverio was a lead designer for Safari and has now joined The Browser Company, the developer of the Arc and Dia browsers. The move was confirmed by The Browser Company chief executive Josh Miller in a post on X, marking the latest in a series of hires from Apple’s Safari design leadership.

Miller emphasized that Triverio’s arrival means The Browser Company has now recruited lead designers from every Safari design era that overlapped with the development timelines of Arc and Dia, roughly spanning 2020 through 2025.

The Browser Company has positioned itself as an alternative to traditional browsers by emphasizing significant new interaction models rather than incremental updates. The apps are often compared to Apple software due to their focus on visual clarity, animation, and user experience design.

Its Arc browser introduced a nontraditional tab system, extensive customization options, and collaborative tools such as shared workspaces and a built-in whiteboard. In 2025, the company introduced Dia, a browser designed around AI-assisted workflows that integrate generative tools, collaborative features, and creative utilities directly into the browsing experience.

For Apple, Triverio’s exit adds to a broader pattern of senior staff departures that became more visible throughout 2025.

This article, "Apple Loses Safari Lead Designer to The Browser Company" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Hate the compact Safari browser controls in iOS 26? You can easily switch the iPhone Safari toolbar back to the full-featured design.

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

AI-enhanced browsers are the future. Going hands-on with the ChatGPT Atlas browser makes it crystal clear that Safari’s falling behind.

(via Cult of Mac – Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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.)

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 Firefox). The regulation takes full effect in December.

Apple has already allowed non-WebKit browsers on the iPhone and iPad in the EU since iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 18, to comply with the Digital Markets Act. However, Apple has a long list of requirements for alternative browsers on the iPhone and iPad, and there are still no major non-WebKit browsers available in the App Store on those platforms.

As noted by the not-for-profit Open Web Advocacy group on Wednesday, Japan’s law goes a step further to ensure that there is a viable path for non-WebKit browsers, by preventing Apple from imposing “unreasonable technical restrictions” on web browsers that wish to implement alternative browser engines on the iPhone.

Japan’s law will also require Apple to show a default browser selection screen in Safari on the iPhone, and the requirements for that are similarly strict.

Alongside the EU and Japan, it is expected that the UK will also require Apple to allow non-WebKit browsers on the iPhone in the foreseeable future.

This article, "Japan Law Will Require Apple to Allow Non-WebKit Browsers on iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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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

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap Apps, then locate and tap Safari in the alphabetical list.
3. Scroll down to the “Tabs” section.
4. Select either Bottom or Top instead of Compact.

Both the Bottom and Top options function exactly like the Safari tab bar layouts from iOS 18, so you don’t need to relearn how to navigate between tabs or access your bookmarks.

What’s the Difference?

• Compact Layout (Default): Hides the share, bookmark, and tab settings behind a three-dot button on the right side of the URL bar. It saves screen space but requires an extra tap to access frequently used features.
• Bottom Layout: Places all Safari controls at the bottom of the screen, making them easily reachable with your thumb during one-handed use.
• Top Layout: Keeps the traditional desktop-style layout with controls at the top of the browser.

All three options now feature Apple’s new Liquid Glass translucent design that blends the URL bar and buttons into the background of whatever webpage you’re viewing. The translucent effect works in both Light and Dark Mode, and auto-adapts to match the webpage’s color scheme.

Apple Learned From Its Mistake

This isn’t the first time Apple has rethought Safari’s design after user feedback. During iOS 15’s beta testing, Apple initially changed Safari’s design without providing layout alternatives and received full-throated negative feedback in return. It ultimately added options to revert to the original design. This time, Apple has gotten ahead of potential complaints by building choice directly into iOS 26, which will see a general release in September 2025.

This article, "iOS 26: Restore Safari's Old Layout From iOS 18" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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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, or macOS Tahoe, you already have Safari 26 as it is included with the updates.

This article, "Safari 26 Beta Now Available for macOS Sequoia and macOS Sonoma" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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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 space, and everything is rounder.

When you scroll down, the tab bar collapses down and you just see a small bar with the website URL, so the entire focus is on the website content. Scrolling back up returns the tab bar to its full size.

Updated Layout

There is a new compact design option in ‌iOS 26‌, but Apple left the option to use the previous Top and Bottom tab view layouts if you prefer those. Layout options are available in the Safari section of the Settings app.

Compact tucks away the share, bookmark, and tab options behind the three-dot button on the left of the tab bar. It’s a cleaner look, but it may be frustrating if you often need to access features like the tab menu. There is a back arrow, which splits into forward and back arrow options when you’re navigating through content. Settings like Translate and Reader mode are still available by tapping on the small icon next to the URL.

The Top and Bottom views offer the same setup that’s available in iOS 18, but with a new Liquid Glass look. Both bars are slimmed down, and no longer take up the full width of the display.

Tab management has been overhauled with the same design changes. The “+” button to open a new tab is still located on the left, and there’s now a blue checkmark when you’re done interacting with tabs. In the center of the tab view, there’s a slider bar that shows your current number of open tabs in the tab group that you’re in.

Swiping from left to right allows you to quickly swap between your tab groups. Changing profiles can be done with a dropdown menu at the top of the display, and other tab management tools are available by tapping on the “···” icon.

Web Apps

When you add a website to your Home Screen in ‌iOS 26‌, it will always open as a web app. Web apps have been supported on the ‌Home Screen‌ in earlier versions of iOS, but web developers needed to configure them to operate as web apps.

If websites weren’t configured properly, they would open in Safari when added to the ‌Home Screen‌. Now a website will open as a dedicated web app, even if it hasn’t been explicitly set up to work that way.

There is an Open as Web App option that can be toggled off when adding a website to a ‌Home Screen‌ if you prefer that websites open up in Safari.

Tracking Prevention

Advanced fingerprinting protection now extends to all browsing by default, rather than only being turned on by default for private web browsing. Apple’s fingerprinting protection features are meant to keep websites from tracking your device usage across websites.

HDR Images

‌iOS 26‌ adds HDR image support to Safari. HDR images have a wider dynamic range for brighter whites and deeper blacks, along with improved color gamut. P3 HDR images will now appear as intended in Safari on iPhones with XDR displays.

SVG Icons

Safari supports the SVG file format for icons wherever icons appear in the interface, including the start page, web apps, Safari tabs, menus, and more.

SVGs are superior to PNGs because they can be scaled up without a loss of quality, and in Safari, icons often need to appear at multiple different sizes.

WebGPU

Safari in ‌iOS 26‌ includes WebGPU, a feature that Apple has been testing in Safari Technology Preview. WebGPU is similar to WebGL, but it maps more directly to Metal and the underlying iPhone hardware. WebGPU isn’t a user facing feature that you’ll be able to use directly, but there will be benefits from it.

Web-based games will be able to achieve higher frame rates and better effects with lower CPU load, plus photo editors, 3D modeling sites, CAD viewers, and websites that do on-device ML should run faster while using less battery. WebGPU requires an iPhone 15 Pro or later.

Digital Credentials API

Apple added support for the W3C Digital Credentials API to Safari, which means a website is able to request identity documents like a driver’s license from Apple Wallet for private and secure identity and age verification.

The Verify with Wallet on the Web feature in ‌iOS 26‌ uses the Digital Credentials API and takes advantage of biometric authentication. Websites can ask customers for information like date of birth without receiving unnecessary extra data, and customers can approve the data sharing with Face ID or Touch ID.

The first websites that will support the Verify with Wallet on the Web feature include Chime, Turo, Uber Eats, and U.S. Bank.

Privacy Improvements

The ‌iOS 26‌ version of Safari prevents known fingerprinting scripts from accessing web APIs that can reveal device characteristics like screen dimensions, cutting down on the ways that advertisers can track you across websites. These scripts are also blocked from setting long-lived storage like cookies, and from reading query parameters that could be used for navigational tracking.

Reporting Website Compatibility Issues

A new feature lets you report an issue if you’re having trouble with a webpage. In the Page menu, Apple is adding a “Report a Website Issue” option that lets you share information with Apple to improve Safari.

Release Timing

‌iOS 26‌ is available to developers right now, and Apple plans to release a public beta in July. After a few months of testing, ‌iOS 26‌ will launch alongside new iPhones in September.

Read More

We have a dedicated iOS 26 roundup that goes into detail on all of the new features that are available in the update.

This article, "Safari in iOS 26: Everything New From Design to Privacy" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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