When Apple added Dark Mode to its operating systems, like iOS and macOS, the company made a pretty big deal about it. Which makes sense, considering it was one of the more oft-requested features for the platform(s). And it looks like Apple has some plans to offer up some new elements, along with even more features, in Safari.
As first reported recently by 9to5Mac, developers are looking to add a few more features to the Safari toolbox in the future. The report says that WebKit code associated with iOS 15.4, the next big update to the platform that is expected to arrive in early March, identifies some key changes coming to Dark Mode and more.
Specifically, the code directly references “overriding the system color-scheme with a per-website preference,” which will allegedly be a new option within Safari for the end user. This will allow users to utilize custom Dark Mode settings on a per-website basis. So if you simply prefer one website to be presented in Dark Mode, even while the rest of the operating system is running in Light Mode, you’ll be able to do that with this feature enabled.
There’s more, in regards to pop-ups:
Similar to this option, there’s another one that will let users allow or block modal pop-ups (which look like system alerts) for specific websites on iOS and macOS. Apple has also been working on a new API to manage what is called “Cookie Consent,” as many websites ask users for permission to collect cookies.
Now, the one thing to be aware of here is that while the WebKit code is associated with iOS 15.4 –as it’s the next update coming down the line– that doesn’t necessarily mean these features will roll out with that software update. It’s possible Apple rolls out these relatively subtle changes for Safari with iOS 15, but it’s also equally possible the company is laying the groundwork to get these features, and probably even more Safari-specific elements, ready to go for iOS 16 later this year.
In any event, these should be welcomed additions whenever the new features do arrive.