iOS 5 Features: Enhanced Safari

Among the 200+ new features in iOS 5, the latest version of Apple’s mobile OS set to launch this fall, there is a new version of Safari, the company’s standard web browser across both Mac OS and iOS.

Dubbed Safari ‘Mobile’ on iOS, the new implementation set to arrive this fall brings a bunch of new features ported over from the desktop installment.

One of them is Reader, a new function that removes the clutter from a given web page (ads, for example), and allows you to read through the featured article, complete with imagery.

“iOS 5 brings even more web-browsing features to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Safari Reader displays web articles sans ads or clutter so you can read without distractions,” Apple explains on the iOS 5 marketing page.

Another key addition is Reading List. This function lets you save content to view it later.

Say you’re on a painful cellular plan and you’d prefer to use Safari only when there’s a WiFi hotspot around.

You do your browsing and you stumble upon a couple of web pages filled with articles and photos that you may want to view in greater detail.

Just tap the book symbol and select ‘add to Reading List.’

“Reading List lets you save interesting articles to peruse later, while iCloud keeps your list updated across all your devices,” says Apple.




An iPad-specific feature of the new Safari is tabbed browsing. There’s more screen so, why not use it, right?

“On iPad, tabbed browsing helps you keep track of multiple web pages and switch between them with ease,” says the Cupertino-based technology company.

Finally, on both iPhone and iPad, iOS 5 improves Safari performance through a number of improvements to the way it handles page downloading and rendering.

Also worth noting is that Safari on iOS 5 will integrate with iCloud, the upcoming suite of web services from Apple.

Content saved for later viewing in Safari will go to the Reading List which, thanks to iCloud, will automatically appear on all of a user’s devices that run Safari.

For more iOS 5 coverage, see the related links below.