Apple has added a bunch of new capabilities to WebKit that power many new features in its Safari browser on iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe 26.
iOS 26 brings massive WebKit changes that power a ton of new Safari features
Safari
iOS 26: Safari opens every bookmark added to the Home Screen as a web app
In iOS 26, every website you add to your iPhone's Home Screen opens as a web app by default, but you can change it to open as a regular bookmark instead.
iOS 26: Safari lets you choose between three tab bar designs
Apple has brought a new compact tab bar to Safari with iOS 26, but iPhone owners can easily revert to the previous top or bottom URL bar design.
Security researcher wh1te4ever demos WebKit-based re-jailbreak utility for iOS 12
Security researcher @wh1te4ever shared a particularly interesting tidbit via their 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) social media account this weekend of what appears to be a WebKit-based re-jailbreak demonstration for iOS 12 devices.
Safari can now push web notifications even when a website isn’t open
Apple's Safari browser on the Mac now supports Declarative Web Push to display push notifications even if a website isn't open in any tabs.
Safari could bring AI search integration via OpenAI, Anthropic and Perplexity
Apple could add AI search tools from companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Perplexity to Safari as an option, but won't replace Google yet.
Apple Maps on the web now works in Safari on iPhone and iPad
The Apple Maps web app now works in Apple's Safari browser on the iPhone and iPad, in addition to Mac and Windows computers like before.
How to stop seeing all location pop-ups in Safari on Mac and iOS
Learn how to stop location-related popups from appearing when you visit websites in Safari on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
iOS 18.4: Apple adds an option to Safari to stop exposing recent searches
The Safari browser in Apple's iOS 18.4 software update exposes your recent searches, but there's a toggle to stop this from happening for privacy reasons.
LineBreakLiberator fixes truncated Quick Search results in the Safari app on jailbroken devices
When you perform a search using the search bar in the mobile Safari web browser, you’ll be presented with potential search results in real time (called Quick Search), which tends to include your recent web searches along with other recommendations.
iOS 18.4 privacy issue: Safari shows recent searches upon tapping the address bar
Apple tweaked Safari in iOS 18.4 in a way that could upset privacy advocates because the browser exposes recent searches when touching the address bar.
You can now set ChatGPT Search as your default Safari search engine
The ChatGPT app for iOS has picked up an extension that lets you set ChatGPT Search as the default search engine in Safari on your iPhone or iPad.