Apple finally puts foot down over cluttered web with handy new Safari feature
Alexa Popovich (Pexels)Apple’s latest addition to its browser, Safari, will help clean up the ever-cluttered mobile web pages.
Apple is rolling out the fifth developer beta versions of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. This update brings additional features to these platforms, including Distraction Control on the Safari browser, reports MacRumours.
Unlike ad-blockers that filter out dynamic advertisements from the web page, Distraction Control lets you manually hide static elements from the page.
Persistent newsletter sign-up pop-ups, cookie preference alerts, auto-playing videos, or sign-in windows can all be blocked using Distraction Control.
That said, while Distraction Control can hide static content, it’s not designed as an ad blocker. Ads may be temporarily hidden but will reappear upon refresh, as the feature isn’t intended for dynamic elements.
How to Use Distraction Control
- Ensure that you’ve downloaded the fifth developer beta version of the OS on your device
- Navigate to Page Menu in Safari
- Select “Hide Distracting Items.”
- You can then choose specific areas on the page to hide.
- If you need to view hidden elements, you can use the “Show Hidden Items” option in the Safari search field.
- This instantly reveals all the elements you’ve chosen to hide on a particular webpage.
For iPhone, iPad, and Mac users, Apple has implemented an opt-in approach. This means you have full control over what gets hidden, ensuring nothing disappears without your permission.
Interestingly, your Distraction Control preferences are stored locally on your device and won’t sync across your Apple ecosystem. This means you’ll have to manually set up your preferences on each device individually.
Apart from Distraction Control, Apple is introducing various other features to Safari. These include the Highlights feature, which quickly surfaces key information from websites.
A revamped Reader interface is also being introduced. It features a table of contents and summaries. Apple is also introducing an immersive video viewer designed to minimize distractions during playback.