Ios 27.3 Brings Vertical Tabs and Auto-dark Websites to Safari

WHO:

TechRadar - Apple is updating Safari across its platforms with Vertical Tabs and Adaptive Dark Mode.

MacRumors - Apple is adding Safari features and Siri AI actions; Siri features require an Apple Intelligence-capable device.

Six Colors - Safari’s new features include vertical tabs, Adaptive Dark Mode, and additional integration with Siri AI.

MacRumors - Website developers can add a tag that prevents Safari from applying Adaptive Dark Mode.

Six Colors - Apple’s dark-mode changes do not affect in-app WebViews, and the article says HTML email in Apple Mail remains problematic in dark mode.

WHAT:

MacRumors - iOS 27.3, iPadOS 27.3, and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 add Vertical Tabs as an alternative to Safari’s horizontal tab bar.

MacRumors - Vertical Tabs appear on the left, use icons by default, and can be widened to show website titles. They work with Topics and Tab Groups; users can pin tabs by dragging and switch between Tab Groups.

Six Colors - On Mac, hovering over a vertical-tab icon displays its tab name; pausing over it displays a floating page preview.

MacRumors - Safari’s Vertical Tabs setting is in Safari settings or the View menu on Mac and iPad. Six Colors says the feature is configurable in Settings on all platforms and in the View menu on Mac and iPad.

MacRumors - Adaptive Dark Mode can create a dark version of a website that lacks its own dark mode. Safari may offer users the option to “Try” it when they use Dark Mode and encounter a bright-background site.

MacRumors - Adaptive Dark Mode can darken backgrounds, change text contrast, invert logos and graphics, recolor vector artwork, lift raised surfaces, and rebalance layered shadows; Safari applies adjustments as needed for readability.

MacRumors - Users can enable Adaptive Dark Mode for all sites or individually. It does not activate on sites with native dark mode or an already-dark design.

Six Colors - Adaptive Dark Mode is opt-in; users can choose automatic use on all websites or approve it site by site.

MacRumors - Siri can sort, move, close, and arrange tabs and windows in Tab Groups, and can clear browsing history for a particular site and time period, such as the last 10 days.

Six Colors - Siri can understand complete content across open Safari tabs, including content below the visible portion of a page, and can move, sort, and organize tabs, add items to Reading List, and clear history.

MacRumors - Apple said Siri’s webpage-awareness feature was not in the first beta.

Six Colors - Safari’s first developer betas are available; public betas were expected in the next few weeks.

WHERE:

MacRumors - Vertical Tabs are available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Six Colors - Vertical Tabs are available on Mac, iPad, and iPhone Duo in portrait and landscape orientations.

WHEN:

MacRumors - Apple said iOS 27.3, iPadOS 27.3, and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 would launch this December after several rounds of beta testing.

Six Colors - Apple expected the final versions of the 27.3 operating-system updates to ship to everyone in December.

WHY:

Six Colors - The article says vertical tabs use screen space differently because most screens are wider than they are tall, making vertical space more limited.

HOW:

MacRumors - Safari’s automatic Apple Intelligence tab sorting creates Topics.

TechRadar - The update brings Vertical Tabs and Adaptive Dark Mode to Safari across platforms.

Six Colors - Siri’s expanded access lets it parse entire webpages rather than only content currently displayed on screen.

(UPDATED November 4, 2026 01:05 UTC)

Apple is adding vertical tabs and Adaptive Dark Mode to Safari across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The new dark mode can dim bright websites, while users choose automatic or site-by-site application. Siri can organize tabs and understand webpages, but its AI features require compatible devices.