Move iPhone search bar to top after iOS 26 update

Tell Apple.

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

I too would like the search bar (almost) always back up the top in Apple’s Apps etc.

The reason: many (most) 3rd party Apps still have it at the top so my “muscle memory” is always expecting and looking for it up the top in ALL Apps. I waste much time now in Apple Apps trying to raise or find the search bar (even though it is on the screen down the bottom).

Having the bar back up the top would be consistent!

Agree with Zachyy that searching from anywhere is nice BUT the search bar could still be at the top - just always displayed or a simple guesture to raise the bar.

DocRn wrote:

As a disabled person will visibly issues, I need it back at the top. I have extreme difficulty and my 23 year old daughter won’t be her much longer to assist. I need it back at the top

Could you explain how it is harder for you to move a finger to the bottom of the screen than to the top?

or feedback to Accessibility Support - Official Apple Support

Good for you. But many of us like it better at the top all the time. Our eyes are used to looking there, so it takes longer and feels unintuitive to find it at the bottom, especially with the barely-there low contrast of Liquid Glass. It’s an arbitrary change that users should have control over

vdogg78 wrote:

Good for you. But many of us like it better at the top all the time. Our eyes are used to looking there, so it takes longer and feels unintuitive to find it at the bottom, especially with the barely-there low contrast of Liquid Glass. It’s an arbitrary change that users should have control over

I like it on the bottom where it is closer to the keyboard when typing. That makes much more sense to me instead of looking at the top of the screen. Apparently we differ in our opinions, so certainly send feedback to Apple and let them know how you feel.

Mac Jim ID wrote:

vdogg78 wrote:

Good for you. But many of us like it better at the top all the time. Our eyes are used to looking there, so it takes longer and feels unintuitive to find it at the bottom, especially with the barely-there low contrast of Liquid Glass. It’s an arbitrary change that users should have control over

I like it on the bottom where it is closer to the keyboard when typing. That makes much more sense to me instead of looking at the top of the screen. Apparently we differ in our opinions, so certainly send feedback to Apple and let them know how you feel.

Me too! It's one of the better changes Apple has made as far as I'm concerned.

Not quite true. While it is for windows and android, it’s not for all OS’s. Linux allows you to customise and control every aspect, if you want. It lets YOU have control, because it wants YOU use YOUR device the way YOU want.

Elliot_Bojko wrote:

Not quite true. While it is for windows and android, it’s not for all OS’s. Linux allows you to customise and control every aspect, if you want. It lets YOU have control, because it wants YOU use YOUR device the way YOU want.

Then you have an opportunity here. Design a cell phone operating system based on Linux and build a cell phone around it. Otherwise, comparing ONE OS to every other OS isn't much of a valid comparison. Of the choices you have on Cell Phones, Apple (iOS), Google (Android), Tizen, Harmony OS, and others DON'T give the user total control over the UI.

vdogg78 wrote:

Good for you. But many of us like it better at the top all the time. Our eyes are used to looking there, so it takes longer and feels unintuitive to find it at the bottom, especially with the barely-there low contrast of Liquid Glass. It’s an arbitrary change that users should have control over

But, just as you learned to look to the top, you'll learn to look to the bottom. It may be uncomfortable for a little while but you'll get there.

Elliot_Bojko wrote:

Not quite true. While it is for windows and android, it’s not for all OS’s. Linux allows you to customise and control every aspect, if you want. It lets YOU have control, because it wants YOU use YOUR device the way YOU want.

Linux "lets you have control" like driving a waggon with 8 horses through a shopping mall herding cats. You spend all your time making the machine work and get no actual work done.

Went there for several years, gave up and got a Mac.

lobsterghost1 wrote:

Can you imagine the disaster this forum would become if users could change everything on an iPhone? It would be flooded with people who made changes, but had no clue how they made changes and expect us to figure out what they did. I shudder at the thought.

Do you remember ResEdit? You could do all sorts of modifications to your Mac. Lots of fun until you did something you didn't quite understand and then.... hopefully, you had a good back up.

IdrisSeabright wrote:

lobsterghost1 wrote:

Can you imagine the disaster this forum would become if users could change everything on an iPhone? It would be flooded with people who made changes, but had no clue how they made changes and expect us to figure out what they did. I shudder at the thought.

Do you remember ResEdit? You could do all sorts of modifications to your Mac. Lots of fun until you did something you didn't quite understand and then.... hopefully, you had a good back up.

My Mac days didn't start until the MacBook Pro M1 was launched, so I don't remember ResEdit, but it sounds evil! Just as evil as an iPhone 100% Linux based, would be.

so was searching on how to move the search bar back up to top, and if you hold the phone in the typical position and try to type with both hands holding the phone, you will find the bar is almost always directly JUST above your finger which is very awkward to read.

This is ODD and NOT comfortable to use.

When you type & read, Your line of sight will typically JUST be inline with the TOP of the phone which where the older search bar was.

I seriously starting to doubt Apple has actually properly tested how ergonomically feasible of their newer product design is now.

search bar for one of the major one, and the "extra multi-function button" is can now accidently goes from silence to ring due to how your hand is holding it...this is another gripe for another thread.

they can just keep the search bar ACTIVE regardless how far down of the page you are in.

This search bar disappeared in Apple is just like those websites where the top task bar disappeared when you scrolled down where it should had been active at all time on the top!

imagine you are using excel and all your ribbon disappeared because you scrolled down? NIGHTMARE!

It is not a matter at all if top or bottom is better as everyone has a different, but nevertheless valid, opinion. It is very much a matter that its location at the top was the location from the beginning and I do not recollect seeing anyone ever complain about this. In other words, it wasn't broken but was certainly fixed. The issue is for many, certainly including me, after all these years with it at the top, it has now become very awkward and annoying to use and I am not at all getting used to it (as if there was some overwhelming reason to change it and need to get used to it). I believe the smart thing for Apple to have done, assuming they saw a compelling reason to change it, was to provide an option so the all important customer/user can put it where it is best for each. I have similar thoughts about the so called Liquid Glass. It just completely eludes any logic I am able to conjure up (except possibly a marketing driven change for the sake of change thing) why the crisp easy and comfortable to read text, lines, etc. now are now wiggly and see through. Why continually strive for display technology with greater resolution when you intentionally blur the text and graphics? I am seriously hoping Apple provides an option in a very near future update to return the text to it what it was previously. These two changes have negatively impacted my experience using our phones/iPads well beyond anything I would have previously guessed and that is not at all getting better with time, especially the blurry see through text.