News
iOS 15 Update: Move Safari Address Bar to Top of Page
Steps to go back to the familiar address bar at the top of the page on your iPhone.
Do you prefer that your Safari address bar is at the top of the page? In iOS 15, the address bar was moved to the bottom of the screen; however, there is a way to move the address bar back to the top.
Understanding and developing a mental map of the screen layout is especially important for users who are visually impaired. In iOS 15, the screen layout in Safari has changed significantly, with the the Address bar (textbox for inserting your search words or URL address) is just above the Tool bar. For students who rely on VoiceOver, the old navigation gestures (such as right swiping and/or the command to jump to the top of the page to access the Address bar) no longer takes the student to the desired area.
Note: The Tool bar – with Previous, Next, Share, Bookmarks, New Tab buttons – has always been located at the bottom of the page.
Why
The address bar moved to the bottom of the page in an effort to have all the important controls on the iPhone closer to your fingers. This makes the Address bar easier to access with one hand, especially if you have a larger iPhone.
Note: The Address bar has only been moved to the bottom of the page on iPhones; the Address bar remains at the top of the page on iPads.
How
Follow these steps to move the address bar back to the top:
- Open the Safari app on your iPhone (the Address bar will be at the bottom of the screen, just above the Tool bar)
- Select the aA button, just to the left of the URL in the Address bar. A popup menu appears with Show Top Address bar as the first option.
- Select Show Top Address bar.
The Address bar is now defaulted to appear at the top of the page.
VoiceOver Commands
While right and left swipes are often used to navigate to the Next or Previous item on the screen, there are short cut commands that make navigating more efficient! To instantly move to the first item on the screen (top left), use a four-finger tap at the top of the screen. To quickly move to the last item on the screen (bottom right), use a four-finger tap at the bottom of the screen. With the small screen on the iPhone, it is important to bring your fingers close together when making the four-finger tap, as all four fingers must touch the screen.
Note: Four Finger Gestures must be turned on in Settings for these gestures to work.
By Diane Brauner
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