Safari vertical tabs are in the first iOS 27.3 beta, which Apple released to developers on November 3, 2026. They move your tabs from the top of the screen to a slim strip down the side. The same beta adds an Adaptive Dark Mode for websites and lets Siri tidy your tabs for you.
Here are the facts you need before you decide whether to try it.
- Included in the iOS 27.3, iPadOS 27.3 and macOS 27.3 developer betas
- First betas arrived November 3, 2026; a public beta is expected later this year
- Per 9to5Mac, the full release will likely reach everyone in December
- On iPhone, turn it on in Settings > Apps > Safari
Remember that betas can change, so treat the details below as a preview rather than a final spec.
How Safari vertical tabs work on iPhone, iPad and Mac
Instead of a row of tabs across the top, you get a vertical strip. By default it shows only icons, so it takes very little room. You can widen it to read full site titles.
On iPhone, you switch it on in Settings > Apps > Safari. On Mac and iPad, use Safari’s View menu. T3 reports that hovering over an icon shows the tab’s details, and that you can group tabs by topic.
The layout should help most on wide screens. A Mac or iPad has plenty of horizontal space, while tab titles get squashed when you have 20 tabs open across the top.
A practical tip: group tabs by topic, such as work, travel and shopping. A tidy side strip is far easier to scan than a long pile of identical icons, and groups make it simpler to close a whole task at once.
Adaptive Dark Mode: dark pages for sites that never had one
Plenty of websites still blast white at you at midnight. Adaptive Dark Mode fixes that by applying a dark look to sites that don’t support Dark Mode themselves.
When your device is in Dark Mode and you open such a site, Safari shows a Try button. Tap it and Safari builds a dark version on the spot. You can set it to apply automatically, or choose site by site.
According to T3, Safari also inverts logos and takes images and layout into account. You can always flip back to the normal view if a page looks off.
Siri can now clean up your tabs
The beta also adds Siri AI actions for Safari. Siri can move, sort, organize and close tabs, and it can group them for you. If you are the type who never closes anything, this may be the feature you use most.
Apple has also said Siri’s on-screen awareness will later extend to a page’s full content, not just the part you can see. That piece is not in the beta yet. If you want more on Siri’s recent changes, see our look at what the iOS 27.3 beta opens up for third-party apps.
Safari vertical tabs at a glance
This table sums up the three Safari additions and where to find each one.
| Feature | What it does | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical tabs | Moves tabs to a side strip; icons by default, wider on request | iPhone: Settings > Apps > Safari. Mac and iPad: View menu |
| Adaptive Dark Mode | Creates a dark version of sites without Dark Mode | A “Try” button appears on supported pages; can be automatic or per site |
| Siri tab actions | Moves, sorts, groups and closes tabs | Ask Siri while using Safari |
All three are in the iOS 27.3 beta only. Stable iOS 27.2 users, covered in our iOS 27.2 rundown, will have to wait for the final release.
Should you install the iOS 27.3 beta?
If Safari is your daily browser on an iPhone you rely on, hold off. Developer betas can have bugs, and a broken browser or battery drain is a real cost.
A spare iPad or a Mac you can afford to experiment on is a better test bed. Otherwise, wait for the public beta, which Apple is expected to release later this year, or for the December release.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Safari vertical tabs be released?
Apple has not given a date. 9to5Mac expects the iOS 27.3 release to reach everyone in December 2026, but that is an expectation, not a promise.
Do Safari vertical tabs work on iPhone?
Yes. On iPhone you enable them in Settings > Apps > Safari. On Mac and iPad, you use the View menu.
Can I turn Adaptive Dark Mode off for certain sites?
Yes. You can choose which sites get the dark treatment, and you can switch back to the regular view at any time.
Is Siri tab control available in the beta?
Yes, Siri can move, sort, organize and close tabs in the beta. Full-page awareness is still marked as coming later.
My take: vertical tabs are the headline, and they will matter most to Mac and iPad users with crowded windows. Adaptive Dark Mode is the one that will quietly win over night owls. Give it a month, wait for the public beta, and try it on a device you can afford to reset.
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