In iOS 13, Apple has added new functionality in Safari that should enable iPhone and iPad users to better manage their open tabs.

Because of the way Safari for iOS displays tabs in a vertical array, the amount of open tabs in the browser can often get out of hand, and sometimes number in the tens or even hundreds.

D8ovBA8UEAAPwiX


However in iOS 13, Safari will offer to automatically close tabs that have not been viewed recently after one day, one week, or one month. The new Safari function can be changed later in the Settings app.


Apple unveiled iOS 13 last week at WWDC. The newest version of the operating system for ‌iPhone‌ (and the ‌iPad‌, though the ‌iPad‌ version has been renamed to iPadOS) introduces a long list of new features and some changes that are quite exciting. Be sure to check out the video above for more.

(Thanks, Chris!)

Related Forum: iOS 13

Top Rated Comments

madsci954 Avatar
74 months ago
I’m I the only one who opens at most 2, rarely 3, tabs in a browser, then closes them when I’m done?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
74 months ago
I went to use my wife’s xr and she had 300+ tabs open. I looked at her like ??? She said, what’s wrong with that?

So when iOS 13 comes around I’m setting this option on her phone.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dz5b609 Avatar
74 months ago
I’m I the only one who opens at most 2, rarely 3, tabs in a browser, then closes them when I’m done?
I think a lot of people (including myself) are using tabs as reminders for stuff.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spartan Weaver Avatar
74 months ago
Woo hoo I'm popular! :P thanks Macrumors.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Grey Area Avatar
74 months ago
I went to use my wife’s xr and she had 300+ tabs open. I looked at her like ??? She said, what’s wrong with that?
I just counted (and closed) the tabs on my SE: there were 506 of them. :) And yes, what is the problem with that? I do not think they are doing much in the background, they sure aren’t updating themselves.

To be honest, I have never really thought of them as tabs, given that they neither look nor behave like desktop browser tabs. Rather, to me they were something like a browser history.

I’m not even sure why there would be so many open ones otherwise, it is not like I create them by explicitly opening links in a new tab.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
74 months ago
I’m I the only one who opens at most 2, rarely 3, tabs in a browser, then closes them when I’m done?
Every few weeks I have to hold it down and click on the "Close 500 tabs" button. That is the limit. I am a tab whore.
[doublepost=1560184983][/doublepost]

How could one find a previously open tab within 300? Safari became a digital garbage can. lol.
If you tap to go to the top of your tabs, and then pull down, there is a search bar.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
Tim Cook Apple Park

10+ Announcements Apple Could Have Rolled Into a February Event

Saturday February 15, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead. There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event: ...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
m2 pro mac mini

Apple is Now Selling a Refurbished Mac Mini for Just $319 (!)

Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note. Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal. That's no longer...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: Apple Teases Its Next Major Product Launch

Friday February 14, 2025 9:38 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the imminent Apple product "launch" that is widely expected to be the fourth-generation iPhone SE. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos In a social media post on Thursday, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of...