Safari on iPad OS 13.4. Where’s Open in New Tab?

Let’s be clear, Apple don’t make changes just for change sake. Apple do sometimes introduce new functions and functionality - and these are always documented in the iPad User Guide for iPadOS. If you only want a “simple” browser, there are many alternatives.

Here are links to both the downloadable version of the User Guide - and the online version:

https://help.apple.com/epub/ipad/en/

https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/welcome/ipados

I believe that much of your frustration is just borne of lacking in some knowledge of the features and operation of the iPad - all of which can be addressed.

So, back to Safari...

The “open in new tab’ option hasn’t gone anywhere - it’s still there, just as it always has been.

The action menu’s are dynamic - the options change to reflect the task and your iPad settings. You are seeing the option to “open in background” because of your current settings.

First, lets try to understand what the two ways to open tabs are - and what they actually do:

• ”Open in Background” opens a new tab as a background task - your current tab remains active as the foreground task.
• ”Open in New Tab” opens a new tab as a foreground task - and immediately shifts your focus to the new tab.

The setting that changes this behaviour is here:

Settings > Safari > Open New Tabs in Background - is currently set to ON

... which is why you currently see the “Open in Background” option.

Switch this option to OFF and you will see the “Open in New Tab” option.

LotusPilot wrote:

So, back to Safari...

The “open in new tab’ option hasn’t gone anywhere - it’s still there, just as it always has been.

The action menu’s are dynamic - the options change to reflect the task and your iPad settings. You are seeing the option to “open in background” because of your current settings.

First, lets try to understand what the two ways to open tabs are - and what they actually do:

”Open in Background”• opens a new tab as a background task - your current tab remains active as the foreground task.

”Open in New Tab”• opens a new tab as a foreground task - and immediately shifts your focus to the new tab.

The setting that changes this behaviour is here:

Settings > Safari > Open New Tabs in Background - is currently set to ON

... which is why you currently see the “Open in Background” option.

Switch this option to OFF and you will see the “Open in New Tab” option.

That’s the most helpful explanation, thanks for posting this and it works perfectly!

I stumbled upon this same problem. I have iOS 13.4.1 By playing around with it I discovered a technique that works and it does NOT involve copying the URL and then hitting the + symbol to open an additional tab. See if the following steps work for you. 1) Long press the link on the current web page that you want to open in a new tab until the options pop up... and ALSO.... a small window pops up as a representation of the web page you want to open. 2. Rather than selecting one of the text options, press down & hold on the window that opened up of the web page and drag it to the area where the tabs are located, near the address bar (but NOT to the address bar itself). 3. You'll then see it open as an additional tab. It's kind of cool to see it happen and maybe the cool factor was why Apple added this way of opening it in a new tab, but it demands a little more precision of finger movement than I like. If you drag it too far, rather than opening it in a new tab, it will open yet another instance of Safari and open the link there. Depending on exactly how you drag it, that 2nd instance of Safari might be hidden or might open as a dual screen, with two separate Safari browsers open side by side. In any case, unless you need to see the content of the 2 tabs opened at the same time, this is NOT as convenient as simply having multiple tabs. My guess is that all of this is for 1 of 2 reasons. Either Apple thought this was a cooler looking way of opening it in a new tab and so it replaces the original way of selecting "Open in New Tab" from the list of options, or Apple meant to give us both options but slipped up and forgot to include it in the drop-down list of options. In any case, with a little finger dexterity, you still have the "open in new tab" option, just done differently.

Same problem here. I just installed iOS 13.4.1 last night, and my ability to put links in new Safari tabs is gone -- or was, until I stumbled across this thread & found the explanation.

Apple, PLEASE stop changing stuff just to change it. Changing terminology on us with NO explanation is user-hostile. Every other browser uses "open on new tab"; everyone on the Net has used "open in new tab" for years now. It's extremely frustrating & annoying & aggravating when something that was working just fine an hour earlier starts NOT working because you decided to change the wording & functionality of the menu without any explanation.

that two-finger tap is extremely awkward, especially when the link is at the bottom of the page -- at the bottom edge of the screen -- and can't scroll any farther. My wrists don't bend that way. The link has to be hit exactly right, or it opens in the window I'm currently reading. Ditto with dragging that tiny preview window that pops up -- another annoying "feature" that can go DIAF -- because that little window is extremely resistant to being dragged, especially when it's right over the text I was reading.

For other users who are running into this bit of frustration, y_p_w's solution works: the option "open in background" on the submenu is our old "open in new tab" function.

open in new tab is removed and new tab is easy now, just hold the link and drag to bar it will open new tab

Really helpful! I just tried it and you actually only have to tap once with two fingers.

I tried “Open in Background” after a lonG press and also got the link in a new tab. Renaming things I use every day is just.......irritating. Grrrrr. What is the logic behind that? Let’s play with their heads and watch them complain? And why “background”? Background isn’t a new tab or a new window, it’s something hidden. After two years on my iPad, this is the first thing I’d bash. As if losing my sight isn’t enough, you have to fiddle with renaming things and not telling us, and using a word whose meaning is all wrong. Shame on whoever made that decision!

Hey there! I noticed this too with the last update and it’s super annoying. A workaround is to take two fingers and double tap the link, it will open in a new tab.

Are you suggesting that the “+” icon at top-right of your browser page is missing from your browser:

Just “tap” the icon to open a new Safari tab.

I wholeheartedly agree!! I doubt there would be any enjoyment if we changed company names,phone numbers, street names, part names, etc. it creates confusion. I’ve been using the same process (long hold and open in new tab) then all of a sudden it’s gone. Come to find out it’s not truly gone but renamed. This change was really dumb. The text previously used was clear to the average person. Background denotes a different idea. Besides what do all other browsers and applications call this feature? Oh that’s right a New Tab.

I recall that my guidance stated “tap” - not, stress not, a “long touch” of the icon...

You might benefit from revisiting the iPad User guide for iPadOS - and review the revised UI Gestures.

Idiotic. Thanks for the explanation of how to correct the unwanted and unneeded “upgrade”. This is a basic operation available everywhere else but Safari,without having to dig into the details after Apple apparently decided that they know better than their users. OK, you say they do things only for a reason. Riddle me this Batman, what is the reason?

I’m delighted that you found it to be helpful.

Thank you. Exactly what I needed to know!