Thanks for your suggestion John, but unfortunately your above instructions do not resolve the problem (removing the puzzle icon). More concerningly, under Safari App settings, it tells me that I don’t have any extensions installed.
Could it be that the iPad device is infected with malware?
Or alternatively, perhaps I have a modified version of iPad OS 26 that keeps installing a hidden extension somewhere?
I can’t understand how this puzzle icon is permanently active in my browser search bar, especially when the system tells me that I do NOT have any extensions installed?
My iPhone iOS 26 doesn’t have this issue.
Sadly I am left doubting whether my device is running tampered software, as nobody has confirmed the Puzzle icons in the Safari search bar is expected behaviour on iPad OS 26 & 26.1 when no sections are installed?
iOS 26 & 26.1 do not have this problem 🤔
All I can assume is some extension keeps installing itself on my iPad, as I have already performed 2 factory resets on the device, yet nothing changes with the iPad’s Safari’s behaviour when rebooted from a fresh install?
I am confident there are no visible extensions running from my system - so that makes me question whether there is a hidden extension somewhere. I know that I have not installed any extensions - and my system tells me that too - so I am stumped & unable to understand why the puzzle icon remains. 🤔
Sadly, my Apple devices have been compromised previously over the years - so this puzzle icon problem is extremely frustrating - when a user is unable to be sure that privacy compromising malware is NOT running in the background, like I a concealed extension somewhere 😱
