Safari Gets Vertical Tabs and Adaptive Dark Mode in iOS 27.3 and macOS 27.3

Apple is giving Safari its biggest redesign in years. With iOS 27.3, iPadOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3, the browser gains a Vertical Tabs layout, an Adaptive Dark Mode for websites without one, and new Siri AI controls that can organise your tabs for you.

The changes arrived in the first developer betas on November 3, and the updates are expected to reach everyone in December after several rounds of beta testing.

Tabs move to the side

Safari's new Vertical Tabs layout arranges open websites in a sidebar on the left of the screen instead of the traditional horizontal tab bar across the top. Tabs show as icons by default to save space, and the bar can be widened to show page titles. The option can be turned on in Safari's View menu on Mac and iPad, or in Safari settings on iPhone, and the standard horizontal layout remains available for anyone who prefers it.

Moving tabs to the side leaves more room for the webpage itself, which is especially useful on smaller screens and on the Mac, where vertical space is precious. It also builds on the automatic tab organisation Apple introduced in iOS 27.

Dark mode for every website

Alongside the new layout, Apple is adding Adaptive Dark Mode. With Dark Mode turned on, websites that do not offer their own dark theme will now be adjusted automatically, so late-night browsing no longer means being blinded by a bright white page. The feature works across iPhone, iPad and Mac.

Siri can now manage your tabs

The update also gives Siri AI direct control over Safari. Siri can take action on tabs and windows — sorting, moving, closing and arranging them in Tab Groups — and manage web history, including clearing your history for a particular site or a set time period, such as the last 10 days.

Siri can already see what is on your screen, but Apple says its awareness will soon expand further: in a later beta, Siri will be able to understand the full content of webpages, including non-active tabs and content not currently in view. That expanded awareness is not in the first beta. The Siri features require an Apple Intelligence-capable device.

Sources

• MacRumors — iOS 27.3 Adds Vertical Tabs and Adaptive Dark Mode to Safari
• 9to5Mac — iOS 27.3 and macOS 27.3 add Vertical Tabs, Adaptive Dark Mode, and more to Safari
• MacObserver — iOS 27.3 Brings Vertical Tabs and Adaptive Dark Mode to Safari on iPhone