How to stop Safari from changing colors in iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS 12

How to stop Safari from changing colors iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS 12
(Image credit: Apple)

Safari in Apple iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS 12 feels like a whole new browser in a lot of ways. And while I like Tab Groups, there's one feature that I immediately didn't really enjoy and wanted to disable. And fortunately, that's very easy to do.

This new feature changes the color of the interface around the tabs, bookmark and navigation button areas in Safari, to match the color of the website you're using. Sometimes this change doesn't bother me, such as when Safari goes black while I'm reading a CNN article, but when it takes on a color like blue (seen above for CNBC, or on TweetDeck), it's a bit jarring to my eye. 

The intent is clearly to immerse the reader in the site's aesthetic, but I'd rather that site pop off the neutral shade like it did in past versions. That might sound awesome to you. But if it doesn't, read on. And don't be ashamed. It's normal to not like change. I just wish some other Safari changes were equally configurable, as it doesn't make sense that the Reload button is now hidden in iPadOS.

And so I figured out how to change this setting in all three of the operating systems. Fortunately, it's the exact same in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, and macOS 15 is only slightly different. 

How to stop Safari from changing colors in macOS 12

How to stop Safari from changing color on macOS step 1: click Safari in Menu bar

(Image credit: Apple)

1. Click Safari in the Menu bar. Of course, you'll need to have Safari open for this.

How to stop Safari from changing color on macOS step 2. Click Preferences.

(Image credit: Apple)

2. Click Preferences.

How to stop Safari from changing color on macOS step 3. Click Advanced.

(Image credit: Apple)

3. Click Advanced.

How to stop Safari from changing color on macOS step 4: uncheck Show color in tab bar

(Image credit: Apple)

4. Uncheck "Show color in tab bar."

How to stop Safari from changing color on macOS: done!

(Image credit: Apple)

How to stop Safari from changing colors in iOS 15

According to my colleague Philip Michaels, who wrote our hands-on iOS 15 beta review, Safari's color-changing nature isn't a big a deal on the iPhone. Specifically, he told me "to be very honest, I do not notice it at all," as he's too busy being confused by the Safari iOS tab bar moving to the bottom of the screen.

That might be because iOS gives the tab bar much less space than macOS and iPadOS do. That said, here's how to disable it outright.

How to stop Safari from changing colors on iOS step 1: open settings and tap safari

(Image credit: Apple)

1. Open Settings and tap Safari.

How to stop Safari from changing colors on iOS step 2: turn off Show Color in tab bar

(Image credit: Apple)

2. Turn "Show Color in Tab Bar" off.

How to stop Safari from changing colors in iPadOS 15

iPadOS 15 review hands on beta

(Image credit: Apple)

Here, the difference is a little more pronounced, as you'll notice in the above TweetDeck screenshot. That big blue section is what temporarily appears when you pull a web page down to reload it. 

How to stop Safari from changing color on iPadOS step 1: open settings

(Image credit: Apple)

1. Open Settings.

How to stop Safari from changing color on iPadOS step 2: select Safari

(Image credit: Apple)

2. Tap Safari.

How to stop Safari from changing color on iPadOS step 3: turn off show color in tab bar

(Image credit: Apple)

3. Turn "Show Color in Tab Bar" off.

There, now you know how to stop Safari for changing its color to match websites, on every new Apple OS.

Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.