Links open in new window instead of tab

[Webcat86]

On my iPad if I click a link in an email, it opens a new window and disregards my existing window/tab group. I’ve looked in settings but can’t find a way to change it, is it possible to have the default behaviour open the link in the existing window?

 

[Gregg2]

I always touch and hold, then select "Open in Background". This opens a new tab every time. But you said click, which leads me to believe you're using a mouse. ?

 

[Webcat86]

I always touch and hold, then select "Open in Background". This opens a new tab every time. But you said click, which leads me to believe you're using a mouse. ?

Opening a link from within Safari opens in a new tab, but if I open a link from a different app it starts a new Safari window

 

[It’s always something]

I just tried tapping a link in the Gmail app and it opened a new tab in the one Safari window I have open. 🤷‍♂️ The only setting I can think of (or see) that might have affected this is having multi tasking turned on, but it works the same way with that turned on (or off) too.

Edit to add: same results with the Mail app

 

[Webcat86]

I just tried tapping a link in the Gmail app and it opened a new tab in the one Safari window I have open. 🤷‍♂️ The only setting I can think of (or see) that might have affected this is having multi tasking turned on, but it works the same way with that turned on (or off) too.

Edit to add: same results with the Mail app

Did it open in the tab group you had open?

 

[It’s always something]

Did it open in the tab group you had open?

I don’t use tab groups, so I didn’t check that. Sorry, I was only testing the window part

 

[Gregg2]

Opening a link from within Safari opens in a new tab, but if I open a link from a different app it starts a new Safari window

Got it. I should read more carefully. I open new tabs from a link in Mail quite frequently. I've not had one open in a new window. The only thing I see in Settings that might control this is in Tabs. I have "Open pages in tabs instead of windows:" set to Automatically. I'm not sure how Automatically is different from Always, but the third choice is Never. If yours is set to Always, try Automatically.

 

[Webcat86]

Got it. I should read more carefully. I open new tabs from a link in Mail quite frequently. I've not had one open in a new window. The only thing I see in Settings that might control this is in Tabs. I have "Open pages in tabs instead of windows:" set to Automatically. I'm not sure how Automatically is different from Always, but the third choice is Never. If yours is set to Always, try Automatically.

So if you’re in a window with multiple tabs and open a link from mail, it opens that link in a tab alongside the rest, right?

 

[It’s always something]

Got it. I should read more carefully. I open new tabs from a link in Mail quite frequently. I've not had one open in a new window. The only thing I see in Settings that might control this is in Tabs. I have "Open pages in tabs instead of windows:" set to Automatically. I'm not sure how Automatically is different from Always, but the third choice is Never. If yours is set to Always, try Automatically.

🤔 I lack such a setting in the Tabs section on iPadOS 26.5

 

[Gregg2]

So if you’re in a window with multiple tabs and open a link from mail, it opens that link in a tab alongside the rest, right?

Correct. But, see below.

 

[Gregg2]

🤔 I lack such a setting in the Tabs section on iPadOS 26.

I should just be quiet now. I lost track of the fact that I was in the iPadOS 26 forum. My comments are about macOS Sequoia.

 

[It’s always something]

I should just be quiet now. I lost track of the fact that I was in the iPadOS 26 forum. My comments are about macOS Sequoia.

No worries, I thought you might have been on iPadOS 27 👍