Check out these lesser-known tips to use Safari like a pro on your iPhone and enhance your web browsing experience.
You can watch this 12-minute video or scroll down for the written instructions.
Note that many of these tips are also applicable to Safari on Mac.
Touch and hold the Safari app icon
You can touch and hold the Safari app icon on the Home Screen to quickly open a new private tab, access your bookmarks, and more.
Lock Safari to secure your history, bookmarks, and more
Like other iPhone and iPad apps, you can lock Safari o prevent anyone with access to your unlocked phone from viewing your browsing history, bookmarks, reading list, and more.
Swipe to open a new tab and switch between them
Instead of tapping the tabs button and then hitting the plus icon, simply swipe left on the most recent address bar, and it will create a new tab. You can also swipe horizontally on the address bar to access your other open tabs.
Furthermore, you can swipe up from the address bar and hold (similar to accessing the App Switcher) to see all your open tabs in a tile view.
Go to the top of the page
When you’re far down on a web page, tap anywhere at the top of your iPhone screen (the area with the time and battery indicators) to instantly scroll to the top. This hidden tip also works in other iOS apps.
Refresh the page by pulling down
Instead of hitting the curved arrow icon in the address bar, simply go to the top of a web page and pull it down to refresh it. This gesture also works in other iOS apps like the App Store, where you can pull down the Account screen to see new pending app updates.
Move the address bar to the top
Given the rise of big-sized iPhones, the address bar at the bottom makes sense as it’s easy to access. However, if you feel otherwise, go to iPhone Settings > Apps > Safari and choose Single Tab view to move it to the top.
Use Reader Mode and Apple Intelligence Summary
Reader Mode is a hidden gem in Safari that removes ads and other clutter from web articles, allowing you to focus on meaningful text and images.
Simply tap the menu button and select Show Reader. From here, you can also tap the reader icon in the address bar to adjust the text size, background, and font style for a more comfortable reading experience.
Additionally, with Apple Intelligence, you can use the new “Summarize” button in Reader Mode to quickly understand what the article is about without reading it in full.
Hide distracting items
If certain menu items, ads, or other elements on a web page bother you, you can use the new Hide Distractions features to remove them. It works well and is especially helpful on sites that cover the page with unrelated stuff.
Set a website to always show its desktop version
If there is a particular website that offers more functionality when you access its desktop version, you can set Safari to load the desktop view automatically. Simply visit the website and tap the menu button in the address bar, followed by the three-dot icon, and scroll to the “Website Settings for name” section. Turn on “Request Desktop Website.”
From the same screen, you can also enable Reader Mode for the site or tweak its camera, mic, and location permissions.
Take a screenshot of the entire web page
Instead of taking multiple screenshots of a web page and stitching them together, you can take a single screenshot and tap the screenshot thumbnail, followed by Full Page. This will take a full screenshot of the Safari web page, which you can save as a PDF.
Close all open tabs in one go
Simply touch and hold the tabs button and select Close All n Tabs. Note that pinned tabs and open tabs of other Tab Groups are not closed.
Set Safari to automatically close old tabs
You can have Safari automatically close tabs that are older than a day, week, or month. This is a great solution for people who forget to close tabs manually.
Pin tabs
You can pin your favorite websites in Safari to access them quickly and also exclude them from being closed when you clear all open tabs. Simply tap the Tabs button and then touch and hold a website tile to get the Pin Tab option.
Copy photo subject
In addition to the Photos app, you can also touch and hold a photo on a web page in Safari and then select Copy Subject to add the main subject of a photo to your clipboard. From there, you can paste it into Notes, Messages, and various other places.
Set a Safari background wallpaper
If the Safari Start page feels boring, hit the Edit button and turn on the switch for Background Image. You can select a default wallpaper or add one from your photo library.
For more: 11 tips to customize and personalize Safari on iPhone and iPad
Access Safari iCloud tabs on other Apple devices
You can access your iPhone Safari tabs on your iPad, Mac, or Vision Pro and vice versa. Just hit the Edit button on the Safari start page on your phone or computer and turn on the iCloud Tabs option.
Translate web pages directly in Safari
When visiting a web page in another langauge, Safari will offer a translation option in the address bar. If you don’t see it, tap the menu button in the address bar and select “Translate to English.”
Rather than sharing a web page link, you can share it as a normal PDF or a Reader PDF (without ads or clutter). Just tap the share button in the toolbar, select Options, choose PDF or Reader PDF, tap Done, and pick a medium to share from the iOS Share Sheet.
Use voice search
The microphone button for dictation is readily visible on the iPhone keyboard when typing in a search query. However, instead of using that, consider tapping the microphone icon in the Safari address bar to use direct voice search.
The advantage is that the mic icon is always visible, so you don’t have to open the keyboard to activate dictation. Additionally, Safari voice search intelligently recognizes when you finish your query and begins searching automatically.
These two small but useful differences give Safari voice search an edge over traditional system-wide keyboard dictation.
Note: You can also use Voice Search by tapping and holding the address bar.
Use the Reading List feature
Safari has a handy Reading List feature that lets you add web links to access later. You can even set Safari to automatically download Reading List items for offline reading, such as when you’re on an airplane.
Have Siri read web articles to you
Safari can read a web article if you tap the menu button in the address bar and select Listen to Page. This is a great way to listen to lengthy articles or tutorials without having to focus on the text.
Supercharge Safari with third-party extensions
Like Chrome and other web browsers on a computer, you can install and use extensions in Safari on your iPhone or iPad to add extra features. For example, you can use extensions to dim the webpage or enable Picture in Picture (PiP) for videos, even on websites that don’t natively support PiP.
Create and use multiple Safari profiles
You can keep your personal, work, hobby, and other searches separate by using multiple profiles in Safari. This allows you to log in to multiple accounts on the same website, with all your browsing data kept separate.
Use Tab Groups
Tab Groups allow you to keep your website tabs organized. The feature makes it easy to access and switch between the various websites within each Tab Group. You can learn all about it in our dedicated tutorial.
On a related note: How to block all web browsing on iPhone or iPad