The close button for Safari tabs has been in the upper left as long as I can remember. Why did they go Microsoft on us and move it to the upper right in iOS 15? Are they going to move the close/minimize/maximize buttons to the right on macOS too?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Why did Apple move the close button from the left to the right on iOS 15 Safari tabs?
- Thread starter scave
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Here you go. Red arrows added to hi-light the new close button position. Running plain vanilla public releases of both iOS 15.0 (iPhone mini 12) and iPadOS 15.0 (iPad mini 5). I am not aware of the existence of any settings that might have yielded this result, plus I would not have made such a change, even if I knew how.
Which way do you swipe to remove a tab in iOS 15? I don't think I've ever pressed the x.
I’m not an Apple Dev so I can’t give you a cast iron answer, however: as a right handed user holding your phone in your dominant hand there is a fair chance your thumb can reach that spot, which would not be the case if the close button was on the left. So one handed use is improved.
I have a degree in ergonomics, and quite a few of the changes in iOS 15 seem to be aimed at improving that aspect of iOS, for example the URL address bar being at the bottom and allowing you to swipe between open tabs whilst, again, holding your phone one handed.
Doing the same on the iPad is presumably to maintain consistency on the ‘i’ platforms. There is no benefit from doing it on MacOS since you use a trackpad or mouse as a pointing device and the platforms are already more differentiated.
Last edited:
I'm right handed and always hold the phone in my left hand. If I'm doing a lot on the phone, this frees up my dominant hand to do the work. However, this means that I do most of my one-handed use in my left hand - making the move of the close button to the right a reachability problem for me.
The close button is still on the left in the tab bar. The inconsistency is more jarring than the position.
Me too. I primerely hold it in my left hand even though I am right handed.
And the inconsistency between iOS and macOS to have a close the tab or red application button to close the app is slightly irritating. Even if they are different platforms. But my mind needs consistency - if I want to close - I go to this (left) side. And now right as well.
Not a big deal, but if Apple changed everything to the right side it would make it so much easier (also in cases working with Windows)
On iOS Safari, the new tab button used to be on the bottom center, but now it is on the far left, which is harder to reach with the right hand, while the close button on each tab is on the right corner of each tab, which creates inconsistency.
If closing tabs with a left swipe, the ones on the left column sometimes fail to close because they're closer to the bezel unless you start swiping at the right border of the tab to generate distance, while the tabs on the right column close fine with the left swipe because they have that distance.
This is just one example in only one app that they have changed in iOS 15. There are many more.
Ergonomics degree or not, I think we just need eyes and fingers -- our actual experience as users and human beings -- to feel that quite a few of the changes in iOS 15 has made this aspect worse.
I doubt there are many one handed phone users. The most efficient way to close is a right thumb press at lower right of screen followed by a left thumb press at upper left of the desired window. The change to the upper right probably adds close to a second for each window closing. In addition, if someone is a one handed phone user, there is probably a very good chance that they are dexterous enough to continue as things were. I vote change it back. And bring the “tilt” to those windows back as well.
I very much suffer of having all those close buttons on the right side. Not because the right side is somehow worse than the left side, but because they always were on the left and now moved to the right.
Aahhrrr. This is annoying.
And what's even more annoying is that they nowadays not fully on the right, nor fully on the left. F*CK, now they could be on any side depending on the window, even inside one application.
I do not like holy wars about close buttons position. But, instead I would suggest make their position as an option. Also, on most windows close buttons can be easily removed to not annoy anybody.
Aahhrrr. This is annoying.
And what's even more annoying is that they nowadays not fully on the right, nor fully on the left. F*CK, now they could be on any side depending on the window, even inside one application.
I do not like holy wars about close buttons position. But, instead I would suggest make their position as an option. Also, on most windows close buttons can be easily removed to not annoy anybody.
The only current workaround for me today is to remove every app that does not respect me as a user by putting close buttons to the right side. Pity.
I'm thinking of not using iPhones anymore. I do not respect myself for using hardware/software from people who do not respect me.
I'm thinking of not using iPhones anymore. I do not respect myself for using hardware/software from people who do not respect me.
Because ~90 percent of all people are right-handed. The top-right corner is much easier to reach on an iPad and for consistency they chose the same corner on iPhone. 😌
Nope.
I'm a left-handed person and find it weird that they keep the MacOS buttons on the LEFT side of the window but there's no redundancy with iOS/iPadOS.
They could just do like they did with the address bar. Move the close button to the bottom of Safari and get rid of the navigation buttons. I never use the navigation buttons when you can just swipe from left to right (back) or right to left (forward).
They could just do like they did with the address bar. Move the close button to the bottom of Safari and get rid of the navigation buttons. I never use the navigation buttons when you can just swipe from left to right (back) or right to left (forward).