Am I the only one confused by new Safari design?

[gank41]

Previous iOS 15 betas:
View attachment 1813154



iOS 15 beta 4:
View attachment 1813153


The menu is still the same menu, but they changed the icon to the share icon. I’ve been showing my coworkers and friends not on iOS 15 and asking them to find certain functions and their opinions on the button, and they all agree the older method is a more clear option. They all said they wouldn’t think to access features like Reader mode or Bookmarks from the Share button.

Accept that the old way, although the icon looked better IMO, had all the commonly used “share” options among the … option, requiring additional taps to get to specific things. At least now it’s a proper share sheet. Removing options to add them under some catch all junk drawer obviously isn’t the total answer. But it took more taps to do very common things before. At least now I can tap the Share icon to get to those options. I don’t need an extra … option to then see “Share” or “Reload”.

Again, they’re cutting off their nose to spite their face.

 

[gank41]

I’ve been showing my coworkers and friends not on iOS 15 and asking them to find certain functions and their opinions on the button, and they all agree the older method is a more clear option.

Everyone I’ve shown the new Safari UI to has then asked me if they’ll HAVE to update. When I tell them Apple will support security updates with iOS 14 after iOS 15’s been released, they’ve ALL told me they just won’t update then. From what feedback I’ve received, it’s pretty bad when LITERALLY everyone tells you they hate it.

And to the people that have to go out of their way to explain how to use the new way, that’s not very Apple’like, having to explain how to do basic things in the default browser.

I’d also add that my Mom now won’t update her phone at all. She’s on 14.7 and said she’s just “not going to risk losing her current layout”. Even though I told her it’s iOS 15 with the change, not iOS 14.x, and she just replies “whatever. I’m not dealing with it”

To all of you tech savvy folks here, the ones your family turns to for tech help, good luck come September.

 

[macOS Lynx]

Everyone I’ve shown the new Safari UI to has then asked me if they’ll HAVE to update. When I tell them Apple will support security updates with iOS 14 after iOS 15’s been released, they’ve ALL told me they just won’t update then. From what feedback I’ve received, it’s pretty bad when LITERALLY everyone tells you they hate it.

And to the people that have to go out of their way to explain how to use the new way, that’s not very Apple’like, having to explain how to do basic things in the default browser.

I’d also add that my Mom now won’t update her phone at all. She’s on 14.7 and said she’s just “not going to risk losing her current layout”. Even though I told her it’s iOS 15 with the change, not iOS 14.x, and she just replies “whatever. I’m not dealing with it”

To all of you tech savvy folks here, the ones your family turns to for tech help, good luck come September.

Well, we both have small sample sizes that represent less than 0.1% of all Apple users, so it’s overall not much to go off of.

It’s also a bit reactionary to say “I’m not going to update” after a few minutes of a look, unless you’ve got them testing it over a longer period of time (couple days or couple weeks). It’s really silly to just say you don’t like something just from a minute hands on.

Accept that the old way, although the icon looked better IMO, had all the commonly used “share” options among the … option, requiring additional taps to get to specific things. At least now it’s a proper share sheet. Removing options to add them under some catch all junk drawer obviously isn’t the total answer. But it took more taps to do very common things before. At least now I can tap the Share icon to get to those options. I don’t need an extra … option to then see “Share” or “Reload”.

Again, they’re cutting off their nose to spite their face.

The option is still there when you press and hold on the URL bar. I think a pop-up when you open Safari like when you first set up the phone to demo the home bar pointing this out would go a long way.

 

[gank41]

Well, we both have small sample sizes that represent less than 0.1% of all Apple users, so it’s overall not much to go off of.

This has also been a common reply I’ve received online. The whole “not that many people” thing. Largely, most people don’t read tech blogs and read up on beta stuff like this.

I’d love to see a MacRumors poll, yes/no do you like the new Safari. We’re almost at b5 and I’ve only once seen a general poll about this, and just today.

38 say they don’t like it or want changes as opposed to 30 who like it. I’d still prefer a straight up yes/no “do you like the new Safari” poll

Poll: How do you feel about the new Safari designs?

Apple's Safari redesign in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey has been met with mixed responses, not least because the company seems intent on changing it every time a beta update comes out. Let us

www.imore.com

 

[macOS Lynx]

This has also been a common reply I’ve received online. The whole “not that many people” thing. Largely, most people don’t read tech blogs and read up on beta stuff like this.

I’d love to see a MacRumors poll, yes/no do you like the new Safari. We’re almost at b5 and I’ve only once seen a general poll about this, and just today.

I mean, there are BILLIONS of active iOS devices. Even if you and I sat down with 500,000 individual people each, you finally hit 0.1%.

 

[macOS Lynx]

I don’t mean that as a reason to not share discussion by the way, I just share it to make sure we’re not too absolute with our ancedotes. Everyone I’ve shown the redesign to likes it overall, but I mean a simple internet search clearly shows plenty of people don’t.

I will be curious this fall to see the general public reaction. Sometimes they love changes, like Widgets on the Home Screen, and sometimes they hate them! Like the iMessages app bar.

If it does end up that it’s universally hated, I hope the bottom bar still remains an optional toggle, as I am a huge fan of it overall as I find it so much easier for one handed browsing (but to be fair, the only extra features I use in Safari are Share and Reader. I don’t do Reading List or Bookmarks or Tab Groups or any of that. Someone relying on those functions I can understand the frustration).

 

[gank41]

It’s really silly to just say you don’t like something just from a minute hands on.

True! And yet there will be plenty of “non-tech savvy” people that will immediately say no. The general public doesn’t have time to relearn how to use their web browser.

I think a pop-up when you open Safari like when you first set up the phone to demo the home bar pointing this out would go a long way.

There’s something to be said about bad design when you need to go that far out of your way to “explain how to use it”…

 

[macOS Lynx]

True! And yet there will be plenty of “non-tech savvy” people that will immediately say no. The general public doesn’t have time to relearn how to use their web browser.


There’s something to be said about bad design when you need to go that far out of your way to “explain how to use it”…

I don’t think explaining how to use something = bad design.

Plenty of people had to have it explained how to use the Home Bar on the iPhone X and iPad Pro, and they still have the gesture overview as part of the OOBE. Would you then classify the iPhone X and iPad Pro designs as bad designs, since they had to be explained?

 

[gank41]

I don’t mean that as a reason to not share discussion by the way, I just share it to make sure we’re not too absolute with our ancedotes. Everyone I’ve shown the redesign to likes it overall, but I mean a simple internet search clearly shows plenty of people don’t.

I will be curious this fall to see the general public reaction. Sometimes they love changes, like Widgets on the Home Screen, and sometimes they hate them! Like the iMessages app bar.

If it does end up that it’s universally hated, I hope the bottom bar still remains an optional toggle, as I am a huge fan of it overall as I find it so much easier for one handed browsing (but to be fair, the only extra features I use in Safari are Share and Reader. I don’t do Reading List or Bookmarks or Tab Groups or any of that. Someone relying on those functions I can understand the frustration).

Adding Widgets on the Home Screen or adding extra App functionality with Stickers and stuff in iMessage is in no way a viable way to compare this to the changes in Safari. Adding those things didn’t take away from the basic functionality or require people to relearn how to use a common and oft used app.

And I would prefer the URL bar back at the top, personally. I find most sites I visit are just borked. Some “endlessly scrolling” type of sites don’t work right anymore. Not to mention the amount of space now used by it, along with the space at the top that’s actually still there regardless of the bar being at the bottom. It’s great that one-handed you can surf the web a little better, but I can’t now. So that’s one to one, yes & no.

I’ll say this again, a proper poll is needed. Maybe I can make one on Macrumors in the forum.

 

[gank41]

I don’t think explaining how to use something = bad design.

Plenty of people had to have it explained how to use the Home Bar on the iPhone X and iPad Pro, and they still have the gesture overview as part of the OOBE. Would you then classify the iPhone X and iPad Pro designs as bad designs, since they had to be explained?

This was a major hardware change that required new functionality. If you bought an iPhone X or iPad Pro (like me), you probably know what you’re in for.

My Wife opted for the first gen iPad Pro to keep the (fake) button, while my Mom opted for the iPhone 8 Max to also keep the (fake) button.

 

[gank41]

What I find funny is that this can all be fixed by retaining most of Safari 14’s appearance. What’s wrong with Safari 14 you ask? Nothing. Everyone uses it and it’s great. Now there’s scrambling and stuff trying to make people happy, and they won’t make everyone happy, obviously. Sure, it’s easier to type with one hand now on a Max style phone. Maybe don’t use such a big phone if it’s that difficult for you? Maybe someone should have explained that maybe you should have gotten a smaller phone, since we’re in to the “have to explain how to use it” reasoning.

I joke, but also not joking.

 

[gank41]

Here we go

A Fan of Safari 15? Yes/No

Just a generic poll if you like Safari 15 (yes) with all of the new changes, or if you prefer Safari 14 (no)…

forums.macrumors.com

 

[ghostface147]

My biggest issue with the new safari bar, besides it sucking in general, is that when I type in my search criteria, I just naturally keep looking at the top to see what I typed. Yet it is at the bottom is what I’m truly typing in.

 

[Ludatyk]

The menu is still the same menu, but they changed the icon to the share icon. I’ve been showing my coworkers and friends not on iOS 15 and asking them to find certain functions and their opinions on the button, and they all agree the older method is a more clear option. They all said they wouldn’t think to access features like Reader mode or Bookmarks from the Share button.

I understand now.

But I was looking at it from the perspective of Safari on iPadOS 15… however, we are on the same page. I prefer a clean and clear set up, but I think Apple wants to keep that Share button because familiarity with current users. It’s one thing blowing up the old design without showing users familiar buttons to give them some idea of how to navigate.

 

[dannyyankou]

It’s getting a little better. But that’s because they keep making it more similar to the old design.

 

[Surfheart]

I have big hands. Using my XS max one handed, it’s easier for me to reach the top with my thumb than to employ the hand gymnastics to touch the interface at the bottom.

When i need to hit the top I can slide the phone down in my hand and it’s stable, if I try and hit the buttons at the bottom I have to slide the phone up and it is then unsupported and feels like it’s going to topple.

 

[miamialley]

I’m always tapping the top of my screen, but there is nothing there.

Also, if you want to refresh from the bottom of a page, you need to:
1. Scroll up to the top; or
2. Open the web settings

which is not very good in term of accessibility.

Didn't you have to refresh from the top of the page in ios14? And refreshing is still a 1 step process, just drag the page from the middle or above and it refreshes.

 

[noobinator]

I hate it because my favorites/bookmarks are now at the top and require two taps to get to them.

 

[gank41]

I hate it because my favorites/bookmarks are now at the top and require two taps to get to them.

I second this. In the name of making it look “cleaner”, more taps to do common basic things.

 

[bmac89]

Didn't you have to refresh from the top of the page in ios14? And refreshing is still a 1 step process, just drag the page from the middle or above and it refreshes.

No. Refresh button is at the top of the screen not the top of the webpage. Pull to refresh requires being at the top of the webpage and also losing your scroll position on the page.

 

[miamialley]

No. Refresh button is at the top of the screen not the top of the webpage. Pull to refresh requires being at the top of the webpage and also losing your scroll position on the page.

Oh…I see what you mean. Yeah, takes some getting used to.

 

[Ansath]

Beta 6 has brought more changes.....

Option to keep it old school, and the new bottom option is a bit bigger than before... (sadly).....

 

[dannyyankou]

Beta 6 has brought more changes.....

Option to keep it old school, and the new bottom option is a bit bigger than before... (sadly).....

Yes the bottom bar is bigger, but it takes up the same amount of space. It’s just taking up more space at the bottom instead of the top.

 

[gank41]

Yes the bottom bar is bigger, but it takes up the same amount of space. It’s just taking up more space at the bottom instead of the top.

It's actually now taking up the same amount of space as in Safari on iOS 14. The bottom bar clears away when scrolling while leaving the URL Bar at the top, also minimizing while scrolling. It's the same behavior as what's shipping now if you bought a phone and turned it on and didn't update to a beta. Except now there's still the new Start Page, which is great, and the new view for open Tabs, along with the extra options when long pressing on the URL Bar. I think this is a great move. Still introduces a lot of the new features, while allowing the same look and feel as iOS 14, and still gives you the option to have the URL Bar at the top or bottom. Perfect. We can have our cake and eat it, too.

 

[Ansath]

Yes the bottom bar is bigger, but it takes up the same amount of space. It’s just taking up more space at the bottom instead of the top.

I'm not talking about bottom vs top. I'm talking about the B5 version of the bottom bar compared to the B6 version of the bottom bar.

It's taking up more space at the bottom than the B5 version did, due to the addition of the navigation buttons, etc.