Safari didn’t need a new design. It needed forward and back buttons. With iOS 26 beta 2, Apple added them.
They now appear at the bottom of the screen when you open a web link from apps like Messages, Mail, or Notes. Tap once to go back. Tap again to go forward. That’s it.
There’s no setup. No extra steps. The system handles it.
Safari has always leaned on gestures. Swiping from the edge or tapping toolbars usually worked, but not always.
Some websites blocked gestures. Others didn’t respond. Going back often felt harder than it should.
Now, the controls sit near your thumbs, right where you need them. They work without delay.
Also: Apple quietly reversed a small change in macOS 26—but the message behind it was loud and clear
I saw it while checking a shipping update. I tapped through a few links, then hit the back arrow. It returned me to the previous page with no issue.
This change builds on Safari View Controller, a system Apple has used for years to display web content inside apps. The difference is Apple now shows navigation buttons when it matters most.
It’s a quiet fix for a problem users have dealt with for years. And it makes Safari easier to use, without changing how anything else works.
Let me know if this solves a real problem for you or if you’d never noticed it missing.
