New Safari Feature in iOS 18.4 Could Compromise Your Privacy

Apple in iOS 18.4 plans to introduce a potentially privacy-concerning change to Safari that puts your search history on full display when opening new tabs.

The software update, currently in beta, modifies how Safari handles new tabs by automatically showing recent search history whenever users tap into the search field. That contrasts with the latest iOS 18.3.2 release and earlier versions, where opening a new tab and tapping the search field just brings up the keyboard while continuing to display the personalized Safari home page.

Privacy-conscious users are likely to raise eyebrows at the change, as it could expose previous searches in situations where users hand their devices to friends, family members, or colleagues – or just search for something when someone else is looking at their screen. A quick tap on the search field would immediately reveal what the device owner has been searching for online.

What makes this even more concerning is that, so far, Apple hasn't included any setting to disable the feature in the current beta. If that doesn't change by the time iOS 18.4 is released to the public, users who update and prefer to keep their search activity more private will need to regularly clear their history using the "Clear All" option every time they hit the search bar in a new tab, or alternatively, exclusively use Safari's Private Browsing mode.

Of course, there's an upside to the change, otherwise Apple wouldn't have introduced it. It makes frequently used search terms more conveniently accessible, potentially saving time if you often search for similar topics. But the convenience still comes with the tradeoff of reduced privacy.

Apple may still adjust this functionality before iOS 18.4's public release in early April, as the company often tweaks features based on user feedback during the beta testing phase. For now, beta testers should be aware that their search history is much more visible than before.