If you’re using Safari on a Mac, you can easily switch to compact tabs by following these simple steps:
- Open Safari and click the three lines in the top left corner of the screen. This will open a menu that looks like this:
- Scroll down to the bottom of the menu and select “Compact Tabs.” This will open a new tab with Compact Tabs as its default setting.
Tired of Safari’s default tab layout? Here’s how you can switch to compact tabs in Safari on your Mac to conserve the screen space and give it a leaner, more streamlined look.
Unlike Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, Safari’s tabs appear by default under the address bar, called the “Separate” layout. Switching to the “Compact” tabs layout aligns the address bar with the tabs to allow more area for websites. Also, you’ll only see the favicon along with the website’s domain, not the full page URL. So, for example, no matter where you are on our website, you’ll only see howtogeek.com in the address bar.
RELATED: How to See a Web Page’s Full URL in Safari
How to Switch to Compact Tabs in Safari on Mac
After updating Safari to Safari 15 or later on your Mac, open all your favorite sites in different tabs.
Click the “Safari” menu in the top-left corner of the menu bar
Select “Preferences” from the context menu that opens.
Select “Tabs” next to the “General” section.
Next, select the “Compact” option. The change will instantly apply to all the tabs open in Safari.
Unchecking the box for “Automatically Collapse Tab Titles into Icons” will cause tabs to be stacked when you have too many. You can also use Command+Tab to move to the next tab and Command+Shift+Tab to move to the previous tab, along with many other Safari keyboard shortcuts.
If you change your mind later, you can revisit the “Tabs” section in Safari’s Preferences to switch to the “Separate” tab layout.
That’s it! Ready to level up your skills and learn to master Safari Tabs on your Mac.
RELATED: The Complete Guide to Mastering Tabs in Safari
