I've tried Chrome. I've given Brave a shot. I've flirted with nearly every major browser on my iPhone, yet I always end up coming back to Safari. It's not just because it's Apple's default or because it syncs so seamlessly with my MacBook and iPad. What really keeps me hooked is the sheer number of gestures Safari supports.
Think about it. What makes browsing on a PC feel so effortless is the keyboard shortcuts. There's one for almost everything: opening and closing tabs, switching windows, undoing actions, and more. On a phone, you don't have that luxury. Safari's gestures fill that gap perfectly, and now that I've gotten used to them, it's hard to switch to an alternative, no matter how good it is.
5 Swipe to navigate pages and switch tabs
Effortless navigation at your fingertips
Let’s start with a basic one that works across your entire iPhone, which is swiping right and left in Safari. With just a quick flick of your thumb, you can move back to the previous page or forward to the next one. Sure, Safari already has the back and forward arrows in the toolbar, but when you’re in full-screen mode or just don't want to stretch your thumb, those swipe gestures can come in handy.
Another universal iPhone gesture that works in Safari is tapping the clock area in the top left corner. Doing so scrolls you back to the top of the page. Swiping isn't just for moving between pages. It also makes switching between tabs easy. Simply drag your finger left or right on the address bar, and Safari will cycle through your open tabs.
4 Interact with tabs like never before
More control, fewer taps
Safari's gestures also make it easy to play with your tabs. When you swipe left on the last tab, Safari automatically opens a new one. This means you don't need to tap the three-dot icon and select New Tab if you are already on the last page.
Then there’s the Back arrow trick. Tap and hold the Back button, and Safari pulls up your entire browsing history for that specific tab in a tidy, scrollable list. You can jump back to any page instead of hammering the Back button like you’re rewinding an old cassette tape.
And if you tap and hold the address bar itself, you get options to share the page, copy the URL, perform a voice search, or manage your tab groups. It’s all right there under your thumb.
3 Manage tabs without breaking your flow
Stay on top of your tabs
If you’re anything like me, you probably have dozens of tabs open at any given time. The good thing is, Safari actually makes wrangling all those tabs surprisingly easy. You can swipe up on the tab bar or pinch to zoom out to get a bird’s-eye view of all your open tabs.
From there, tap and hold a tab, then drag it around to reorder it however you like. And when you’re done with a tab, just swipe left on the tab to close it.
Safari also hides a couple of clever shortcuts in plain sight. Tap and hold the + button in the tab view, and you’ll see a list of your recently closed tabs. It’s a lifesaver for those "wait, I didn’t mean to close that!" moments. And if you tap and hold the "tick" button, you get the option to close all tabs at once.
2 Shake to undo your last action
Your real-life Ctrl + Z on iPhone
Shake to Undo is another handy gesture that comes in clutch when you accidentally close a tab or delete something mid-typing. Give your iPhone a quick shake, and a small pop-up appears asking if you'd like to undo your last action. Tap Undo, and everything goes back to how it was. It's basically the iPhone's version of Ctrl + Z.
Shake to Undo comes pre-enabled, so it should work out of the box. But if it doesn’t, you can turn it on by heading to Accessibility settings on your iPhone and enabling Shake to Undo. Once done, you’ll find yourself using it for more than just Safari. It works across iOS, in notes, messages, and even when editing text.
1 Share links and images seamlessly
Sharing made as smooth as browsing
While browsing, if you come across an interesting read or a meme worth sharing, Safari makes it ridiculously easy to pass it along. Tap and hold the link or image you want to share, and Safari will pop up a neat little preview so you know what you’re grabbing.
Once you've got it, keep holding the link or image with one finger, and with another, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to go to the Home Screen or open the app switcher. Then, open the app where you want to drop it and simply let go.
At the end of the day, Safari isn’t the flashiest browser out there, and it definitely doesn’t overwhelm you with endless customization options. But that’s kind of the point. I could switch to another browser for a few fancy add-ons, but none of those features are worth giving up the fluid gestures that make Safari feel so effortless.