To show or hide the tab bar in Safari on iPad, open Settings, tap Apps, tap Safari, scroll to Tabs, and choose Separate Tab Bar (tabs get their own row) or Compact Tab Bar (tabs and the address bar share one row). Current iPadOS has no switch that removes the tab bar completely, but Compact Tab Bar takes away the extra row, and Hide Toolbar clears the top of the screen while you read.
These steps follow Apple’s iPad User Guide for iPadOS 27, mainly the page Change the layout in Safari on iPad. Notes for older iPadOS versions are in their own section below.
What the Tab Bar Is and What You Can Change
The tab bar is the strip near the top of Safari that shows one small tab for each open webpage. Tap a tab to jump to that page. It is separate from two other bars that people often mix up with it:
- Tab bar: your open webpages. Controlled by the Tabs choice in Safari settings.
- Favorites bar: a row of shortcuts to sites you saved as favorites. Controlled by Show Favorites Bar.
- Toolbar: the search field and buttons. You can hide it for the page you are reading with Hide Toolbar.
You need an iPad with Safari and access to the Settings app. None of the changes in this guide delete tabs, bookmarks, or browsing history, and each one can be reversed in the same place.
If you do want to remove past browsing, follow the steps for deleting history on iPad.
How to Change the Safari Tab Bar on iPad (iPadOS 18 and Later)
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Apps. Scroll down the Settings sidebar if you do not see it.
- Tap Safari in the list of apps.
- Scroll down to the section labeled Tabs.
- Tap Separate Tab Bar to show tabs in their own row, or tap Compact Tab Bar to fold them into the address bar row.
- Open Safari to see the new layout.
Apple says you can move between the two layouts as much as you want without losing the tabs you have open. If the row still feels crowded, you can close all open Safari tabs on your iPad at once.
The same Tabs section has a Close Tabs option that works like the iPhone setting to automatically close Safari tabs after one week.
Separate Tab Bar vs. Compact Tab Bar
Both layouts keep your tabs within reach. The difference is how much of the screen they use.
| Layout | What you see | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Separate Tab Bar | The address bar on one row and your tabs on a second row | Seeing more of each tab’s title, and matching the steps in Apple’s guide |
| Compact Tab Bar | Tabs and the address bar combined in a single row | Giving the webpage more vertical space, which helps on smaller iPad screens |
One thing to know before you pick Compact: with the Compact Tab Bar layout, menus and the layout may look different from what Apple’s guide describes. If you follow other Safari instructions and a button is not where the steps say it should be, switch back to Separate Tab Bar while you follow along. Because the tabs share a row with the address bar, each tab also has less room for its title when many pages are open.
How to Hide the Toolbar While You Read
If your goal is a cleaner screen while you read one page, hide the toolbar. This is temporary and affects only what you are viewing right now.
- Open Safari and go to the webpage.
- Tap the Page Menu button on the left side of the search field.
- Tap Hide Toolbar.
The search field moves out of the way so the page fills more of the screen. To bring it back, tap the top of the window. Apple’s Customize your Safari settings on iPad page lists Hide Toolbar with the other display controls. For other ways to clear screen clutter, learn how to get full screen on iPad.
How to Show or Hide the Favorites Bar
The Favorites bar is the row of bookmark shortcuts under the address bar. Many people looking for a missing bar in Safari are looking for this one. To save a copy of those bookmarks or move them to another browser, export Safari bookmarks on iPad.
- Open Settings, tap Apps, then tap Safari.
- Find Show Favorites Bar below General.
- Turn the switch on to show the bar, or off to hide it.
The bar only shows sites saved in your Favorites folder, so it can look empty at first. To add a site, open it in Safari, tap the button to the right of the search field, tap View More, then tap Add to Favorites.
To make the bar smaller, go to Settings > Apps > Safari, tap Favorites Bar Appearance, and tap Show Icons Only. To shrink a single site instead, touch and hold it in the Favorites bar, tap Edit, turn off Show Title, and tap Save. Apple covers these options in Bookmark a website as a favorite in Safari on iPad.
Steps for Older iPadOS Versions
The setting has moved and changed names over the years. To see which version you have, open Settings, tap General, then tap Software Update. The installed version of iPadOS is shown there.
- iPadOS 18 and later: Settings > Apps > Safari > Tabs, then Separate Tab Bar or Compact Tab Bar.
- iPadOS 15, 16, and 17: Settings > Safari > Tabs, then the same two choices. There is no Apps step in these versions.
- Before iPadOS 15: older guides describe a Show Tab Bar switch in Settings > Safari that turned the tab bar off entirely. Apple’s guides for iPadOS 15 and later list only the two layout choices, so do not expect to find that switch on an updated iPad.
How to Confirm the Change or Undo It
Open Safari with at least two webpages open. With Separate Tab Bar, you should see a row of tabs under the address bar. With Compact Tab Bar, the tabs sit on the same row as the address bar.
To undo any change, go back to the same screen and pick the other option:
- Tab bar layout: return to Settings > Apps > Safari > Tabs and tap the other layout.
- Favorites bar: turn Show Favorites Bar off or on again.
- Hidden toolbar: tap the top of the Safari window.
Troubleshooting
There is no Show Tab Bar switch
That is expected on a current iPad. The switch was replaced by the Separate Tab Bar and Compact Tab Bar choices. Use Compact Tab Bar for the smallest tab area, and Hide Toolbar when you want the top of the screen clear.
Safari is not in the main Settings list
On iPadOS 18 and later, app settings live under Apps. Scroll down the Settings sidebar, tap Apps, and then tap Safari in the list of apps.
Only one layout choice appears
Apple’s guides for iPadOS 26 and iPadOS 27 list both layouts. If you see only one choice, install the latest update: go to Settings > General > Software Update, and if an update is available, tap Download and Install. Back up your iPad first. See Update iPadOS for the full steps.
The tab bar or toolbar disappeared
If the whole top of Safari is gone, the toolbar is probably hidden. Tap the top of the window to bring it back. If the address bar is there but you do not see a second row of tabs, you are likely using Compact Tab Bar. Switch to Separate Tab Bar in Safari settings.
The Favorites bar is on but nothing shows
The bar displays only the sites in your Favorites folder. Add at least one site with Add to Favorites, then check Safari again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I completely turn off the tab bar in Safari on iPad?
Not with a permanent setting in current iPadOS. Apple’s guide offers two tab bar layouts, Separate Tab Bar and Compact Tab Bar, and both show your tabs. The closest options are the Compact layout, which removes the separate tab row, and Hide Toolbar, which hides the top bar until you tap the top of the window.
Safari on iPad also has no option to move the address bar to the bottom of the screen. That layout is only available on iPhone.
Will changing the tab bar close my tabs?
No. You can move between the Separate and Compact layouts as much as you want without losing the tabs you have open. If you close a tab by accident later, you can restore closed tabs on your iPad.
Why do my Safari menus look different from the instructions I am following?
You may be using Compact Tab Bar. Several Apple Safari pages, including Open and close tabs in Safari on iPad, mention that menus and other items may look different in that layout. Switch to Separate Tab Bar to match the written steps.
Is the tab bar setting the same on iPhone?
No. The Separate Tab Bar and Compact Tab Bar choices described here are the iPad options. Safari on iPhone has its own layout options, so use an iPhone guide for that device.
Does the tab bar layout change my bookmarks or history?
No. The layout only changes where tabs are drawn on screen. Your bookmarks, favorites, Reading List, and browsing history are not affected.
Next Step
Try each layout for a day and keep the one that suits how many tabs you usually have open. If you are tidying up Safari in general, these guides cover related settings:
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
Read more about Matthew and how Solve Your Tech writes and updates its guides, or report a correction.