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Safari will get side-by-side tabs and a dark mode for websites that don't have their own with iOS 27.3. Both features are now included in the first beta. The iPhone Duo should be a particularly good fit for the new tab bar.
The first beta of iOS 27.3 brings the two most noticeable changes to Safari since the AI overhaul in iOS 27. Apple lists them in the release notes for the Safari 27.3 beta: vertical tabs as a new, space-saving arrangement and an adaptive dark mode for light websites without their own dark theme.
iOS 27.3 is scheduled for release in December.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Vertical tabs can optionally replace the horizontal tab bar with a bar on the left edge.
- The adaptive dark mode darkens bright websites that do not have their own dark mode.
- Both features are mentioned in Apple's notes for the Safari 27.3 beta.
- According to a report, Siri AI will also manage tabs, windows and the history in Safari in the future.
Tabs on the left edge
According to Apple, the vertical tabs introduce a new vertical layout that arranges tabs more efficiently, leaving more space for the website itself. A MacRumors report provides further details: The tab bar is located on the left and displays only icons by default, but can be widened to also show page titles. It will be available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
According to the report, the arrangement works in conjunction with tab groups and the topics to which Apple Intelligence automatically sorts tabs. It can reportedly be enabled in Safari settings, and on Mac and iPad also via the "View" menu.
The strip should be particularly suitable for the iPhone Duo, whose large inner display has enough width for it.
Adaptive dark mode for light websites
According to Apple, the feature adapts bright websites that do not natively support dark mode, and is intended to make reading at night or in dark environments more comfortable.
The report describes the process as follows: Users with dark mode enabled who then visit a light-colored website are offered the option to try out the feature. Safari then darkens the background, adjusts the text contrast, and inverts logos and graphics. Depending on the website, only some of these adjustments may apply; the feature can be activated for all pages or individually.
On my iPhone 18 Pro Max with the beta, the feature is located under Settings > Apps > Safari in the „Website Settings“ section as „Adaptive Dark Mode“. It needs to be activated there; under „Other Websites“ there are the options „On“ and „Off“.
Pages with their own dark mode or dark design will therefore remain unchanged, and developers can disable the feature via a tag.
Siri AI in Safari
According to the report, new actions for Siri AI are also being introduced. The assistant can sort, move, close, and organize tabs and windows into tab groups, and delete browsing history, for example, for a specific website and a defined time period.
This requires a device with Apple Intelligence. However, Siri AI does not yet support German, and it is not yet available on iPhones and iPads in the EU, although it is available in Switzerland.
Why the changes matter in this country
Vertical tabs and adaptive dark mode are not currently linked to Siri AI. Therefore, I expect both to arrive in Germany with the final version of iOS 27.3, while the new Siri actions on iPhone and iPad will remain unavailable in the EU for the time being.
For me, the adaptive dark mode is the more interesting new feature. Everyone's experienced landing on a glaringly white website in the evening, and a built-in solution saves the trouble of searching for extensions. However, how good the result looks depends on how cleanly Safari recolors external websites.
Would you prefer using Safari with tabs at the side, or is the bar at the top still the better solution for you? Tell us in the comments which device vertical tabs would be most useful on for you.
