I keep a ridiculous number of Safari tabs open on my iPhone, dozens at any given time.
Some are news stories I plan to read later, others are half-finished online orders, and a few have been hanging around so long I’ve forgotten why I opened them.
I’ve tried tab groups and even pinned tabs, but nothing has made the mess feel manageable. That changed with iOS 26.
Apple added a new Safari feature that quietly solves one of the iPhone’s most frustrating habits: tab overload.
In the iOS 26 developer beta, you can now organize open tabs by title or website. It sounds simple because it is, but it’s the kind of polish that makes Safari feel smarter without adding complexity.
It uses Apple Intelligence in the background, but the experience is seamless. Tap the tab view icon, then the three-dot menu, and select “Arrange Tabs By.”
Safari will instantly organize things alphabetically by tab or domain name. That’s it.
On a recent trip to San Francisco, I had tabs open for flights, hotel check-ins, rental cars, and a dozen restaurants I was trying to decide between.
Before this update, finding anything meant endless scrolling and guesswork. Now, I just sort by website, and suddenly all the Yelp, OpenTable, and Google Maps tabs are grouped together.
It’s the closest thing to a magic “declutter” button Safari has ever had.
Also: At first, I hated iOS 26’s liquid design—until I realized it solved the iPhone’s biggest UI problem
Apple also moved a few things around. The “Done” button and new tab icon are now at the top instead of the bottom, which initially threw me off.
But after a few hours, it feels more consistent, especially when switching between private browsing and tab groups, which now sit on a carousel at the bottom of the screen. The whole interface feels more fluid.
For anyone who uses Safari daily, and that’s a lot of us, it’s one of those quiet updates that instantly makes your iPhone feel less chaotic and more under control.
iOS 26 is still in early beta, so things might change before the fall release, but I really hope this one sticks.
What are your thoughts on Safari’s new tab management coming to iOS 26 this fall? Let us know in the comments.
