How to use the Smart Search bar in Safari on iPhone and iPad

Search your Safari browsing history, bookmarks, search engines, and more with the Smart Search bar!

The Smart Search bar is a hybrid of the old address and search bars melded into one universal place to type and go. You can access your default search provider, your browsing history, saved bookmarks, and even specific words on web pages all through the unified Smart Search bar at the top of your Safari browsing window.

How to search the web using the Smart Search bar on iPhone and iPad

  1. Launch Safari from the Home screen.

  2. Tap in the Smart Search bar at the top of your browser.

    Launch Safari and tap in the Smart Search bar.

  3. Type in some keywords or a phrase you would like to search for.

  4. Tap on the Go button at the bottom right of your screen.

    Type in a keyword and tap on the Go button.

That's it! Safari will now use your default search engine to scour the internet for you.

How to search bookmarks and web history using the Smart Search bar on iPhone and iPad

  1. Launch Safari from your Home screen.

  2. Tap in the Smart Search bar at the top of your browser.

    Launch Safari and tap in the Smart Search bar.

  3. Type in some keywords you would like to search the internet for (I searched for "apple").

  4. Tap on the site or bookmark you would like to navigate to under the Bookmarks and History heading.

    Type in your keywords and tap on a site or bookmark.

How to search the text on a specific web page using the Smart Search bar on iPhone and iPad

Need to find a specific word or phrase on a web page? Your Smart Search bar can help do that, too!

  1. Launch Safari from your Home screen.
  2. Navigate to a web page you would like to search for a certain term on.

  3. Tap in the Smart Search bar.

    Launch Safari, navigate to a web page, and tap in the Smart Search bar.

  4. Type in the word or phrase you would like to search that page for.

  5. Tap the bottom navigation buttons to tab through if there is more than one occurrence of this word.

  6. Tap on Done when you're finished.

    Type in your keywords, use the bottom navigation buttons, and tap on done.

How to change your default search engine in Safari on iPhone and iPad

Everyone has their favorite search engine. Make sure yours is programmed as the default one when you use the Smart Search bar in Safari.

  1. Tap on Settings from your Home screen.

  2. Tap on Safari (you may have to scroll down to find it).

    Tap on Settings and tap on Safari.

  3. Tap on Search Engine.

  4. Tap on your preferred search engine from the list.

    Tap on Search Engine and tap on a search engine from the list.

Next time you open up Safari and type something into the Smart Search bar it will use your newly-set search engine.

iOS