Website Tinting: What It Is, How It Works, & The Steps To Disable It

To provide a seamless and richer browsing experience, Apple implemented several visual modifications to Safari on its iOS 15, including a tab color-theme feature and website tinting option. For beginners, what is website tinting? 

What is Website Tinting?

Website tinting enables Safari—iPhone’s web browser app renowned for its translucent background—to have a shade of color on its top part depending on the color of the website being viewed by a user.

Review42 explains that Safari’s top or notch area normally is translucent regardless of a user’s setting having a Dark or Light Mode.

The website tinting feature replicates or mimics the tone or color of the website being viewed for the upper portion of the screen. The web tinting feature also modifies the color of the tabs, bookmarks, and navigation buttons of Safari based on the color of the website being viewed. While the color or tone of Safari’s bottom address bar retains its translucent feature.

Why use Website Tinting?

Businesses and various organizations invest in providing an enriching experience to their clients online through their website design. According to Elementor, web designers use color tints to ensure visitors have a comfortable and immersive encounter with the website.

Tints enable designers to use a simplified yet appealing design that allows users to find the information they want on a website easily. The color palette is also helpful in creating a polished and unified look for the website since it comes from a similar color base.

Using the website tinting then makes browsing pleasant to the eyes, giving a solid look at the top portion. It also makes it easier to read the website’s content this way.

Does Website Tinting work on all browsers?

Website tinting does not work on all browsers. Apple specifically designed it for Safari and only worked on iPhones with iOS 15 and iPadOS.

How does Website Tinting work in Safari?

A better way to appreciate the website tinting feature is by citing an example of a website with a top area with a dark color like black. Enabled by default, website tinting allows Safari 15 to have a black notch area if the website’s top or tab is black.

Thus, the topmost portion of the phone, which normally displays the time, connectivity status, and battery status, would also appear with a black background. The border between the edge of the Safari 15 app and the phone’s notch area disappears, and it looks seamless or unified, giving it a solid look.

Is Website Tinting the same as the show color in the tab bar feature?

Yes, the “Show Color In Tab Bar” feature of Safari is the same as website tinting. The “Show Color In Tab Bar” was the original name for website tinting. It was available to users for a considerable time before it became a highlighted feature of Safari 15 last year.

Can I control Website Tinting on my iphone?

Definitely. Being an option, users can disable the website tinting feature of Safari if they do not like it. The feature can also be turned on in the future if users change their minds about using website tinting.

How can I allow Website Tinting in Safari?

Since website tinting is enabled by default, a user does not need to set it up. To disable the feature, one needs simply go to the iPhone’s or iPad’s “Settings” and look for “Safari.” Click “Tabs” under Safari and scroll to “Allow Website Tinting.” Simply toggle off the option to disable the website tinting and toggle it on to enable the function again.

Website tinting is one of the many updates incorporated into iOS 15-supporting devices through the Safari app. Though a notable minor feature, website tinting gives Apple users the flexibility to improve their online surfing experience.