Annoying Safari bookmarks sidebar changes in ipad os26

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Annoying Safari bookmarks sidebar changes in ipad os26

Is there any way to turn off the following in the Safari bookmarks sidebar in ipad os26? I prefer a stripped-down, text-only interface for my bookmarks. Here are the things I'd like to have the ability to turn off or remove:

The large icon for a recently added bookmark. I've already added the bookmark to the preferred folder -- I don't need a reminder.
I'm not a fan of favicons/icon groups in front of the bookmarks -- they are distracting from the bookmark names to the point where I find it an accessibility issue.
I really don't need to search my bookmarks in every single folder. Could this function be moved to the toolbar?

I've been looking for a way to change the settings for these issues, but no luck so far.

Thanks for any assistance.

iPad, iPadOS 26

Posted on Nov 9, 2025 2:03 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 12, 2025 4:18 PM in response to Emdeeh2

It feels like every other MacOS Safari update comes with drastic changes to the Bookmarks/Favorites sidebar. The moment I get used to an update, Apple changes it again two versions later!

Please, Apple. Stop over-complicating this. I need simple. I only need small drop-downs, with icons that look like a plain folder, followed by basic text. Inside (under) the drop-downs, I need small, basic website icons and basic text. No descriptions. No huge icons making me have to endlessly scroll to find site I'm looking for. No overly-fancyfied "homepage image capture" icons that look messy. I need something plain like this:

🗂️ Funny Cat Videos ⬇

♠︎ Cat Meow Vid

♥︎ Cat Purr Vid

🗂️ Funny Dog Videos ⬇

♣︎ Dog Woof Vid

♦︎ Dog Rollover Vid

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