Navigating the web can be a frustrating experience with constant pop-ups and distractions. Apple has addressed this issue with a new added feature in Safari which is called ‘Distraction Control’. The new feature aimed at improving the user experience by minimizing static pop-ups, and this feature is available for iOS 18 beta users. The feature is expected to roll out for the wider audience soon.
Here is everything you need to know about the new innovative addition to Safari browser.
Hide annoying pop-ups with ease
The Distraction Control feature for Safari has been designed to help users to hide distracting elements on web pages. This will include sign-in windows, newsletter signup banners, cookie preference pop-ups and autoplay videos.
However, it is important to note that the new Distraction Control is not like an ad blocker but it comes with the ability to hide ads temporarily, which will reappear upon refreshing the page. The feature is specifically tailored to conceal static elements which do not frequently change.
Access for Beta users
At present, the new ‘Distraction Control’ feature is available for developers in the fifth beta release of iPadOS 18, iOS 18, and macOS Sequoia. Apple further plans on expanding access to public beta testers shortly, enabling more users to experience the benefits of this feature before its official release.
Using ‘Distraction Control’ on Safari
To activate Distraction Control-
- Navigate to the Page Menu
- Select ‘Hide Distracting Items’- this will enable the users to choose specific areas or static content which they would like to conceal, helping them to focus on what matters the most.
Benefits of the new feature
- This new feature is useful when someone is reading articles, shopping online, or performing other tasks, which are often interrupted by pop-ups.
- The settings are stored on-device, which means that the users will need to configure their preferences on each Apple device they use.
- To view all hidden elements on a webpage, users could go to the Safari search field and select the ‘Show Hidden Items’ option.
New features coming to Safari in iOS 18
- Distraction Control is just one of several new features which have been introduced by Apple in Safari.
- Other updates further include ‘Highlights’, a redesigned Reader interface and a new video viewer.
The Highlights feature further enables the users to quickly access key information on a website, while the redesigned Reader interface presents content with tables and summaries.
Alike Distraction Control, the video viewer will help remove distractions when watching videos on web pages.
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