Learn how to turn off the Safari website tinting feature on iPhone, iPad, and Mac to prevent the top of the browser from matching the website’s header color.
When Safari website tinting is enabled (which it is by default), the status bar of your iPhone or iPad will be tinted temporarily to match the dominant color in the header of the website you’re currently viewing. If you’re on a Mac, it colors the entire top part of the browser.
The website tinting feature blurs the boundary between Safari and the system status bar, which is a dedicated area at the top of the display where iOS shows you things such as the current time, signal strength, and battery.
People who dislike this feature argue that a website has no business spilling its colors into the status bar, as doing so can be distracting, especially when flipping between open tabs. Thankfully, Apple provides a quick switch to toggle website tinting at will.
Turn off Safari website tinting on iPhone or iPad
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Scroll down and tap Apps > Safari.
- Turn off Allow Website Tinting.
From now on, Safari won’t match the color of the system status bar to the current website’s header color.
Note that not all websites support status bar tinting.
Stop Safari on Mac from changing the top color
The top part of Safari on Mac changes its color based on the website only if you use the Compact Tab Layout. In case you already do but dislike the color effects, you can turn it off from Safari settings.
- Open Safari on your Mac and click Safari > Settings from the top menu bar.
- Click Tabs, and Compact should be selected next to Tab Layout.
- Next, go to the Advanced tab and uncheck the box for Show color in compact tab bar.
Safari will no longer change its top color depending on which website you are currently viewing.
More Safari tips for you: