iOS18 Safari: Distraction Control Feature for a Personalized Reading Experience

iOS18 Safari: Distraction Control Feature for a Personalized Reading ExperienceApple's highly anticipated iOS18 was unveiled at WWDC in June, featuring a plethora of exciting upgrades. Among them, a new feature called "Distraction Control" quietly made its debut

iOS18 Safari: Distraction Control Feature for a Personalized Reading Experience

Apple's highly anticipated iOS18 was unveiled at WWDC in June, featuring a plethora of exciting upgrades. Among them, a new feature called "Distraction Control" quietly made its debut. Although it might have flown under the radar for many users, it holds the potential to significantly impact their browsing experience.

Distraction Control: More Than Just an Ad Blocker

Distraction Control is designed to help users minimize distractions while browsing the web by hiding unwanted elements, resulting in a cleaner and more streamlined reading experience.

While many may assume it's simply an ad blocker, Distraction Control goes beyond that, enabling users to hide any page element, including ads, pop-ups, search bars, and even article titles and content.

After opening a page in Safari, you can access Distraction Control by tapping the menu button and selecting "Hide Distractions." To hide specific elements, simply tap on them, and they'll be marked with a blue border. Tapping the hide button within the selected element will make it disappear with an animated effect.

Do Hidden Elements Disappear Forever?

Hidden content isn't gone forever. For elements that auto-update, like banner ads, they'll reappear on your next visit. However, for content that's part of the website, such as article titles, content, and pop-up elements, the corresponding areas will be blank on subsequent visits.

It's worth noting that if hidden content undergoes changes, it will be unhidden on your next visit. You can retrieve all hidden content by tapping the menu button and selecting "Show Hidden Items."

Personalized Reading Experience

Distraction Control allows users to customize pages according to their preferences. Adjustments made to regular pages are remembered by Safari, automatically blocking the same elements on future visits to that website, leading to a browsing experience that aligns with your habits.

For example, users can hide ads and recommended articles on news website homepages, focusing solely on their desired news content. They can also hide pop-ups and promotional messages on shopping websites, allowing them to view product details and prices for streamlined purchase decisions.

Other Safari Upgrades in iOS18

Apart from Distraction Control, iOS18's Safari also boasts other feature upgrades, such as Highlights and a redesigned reader experience.

Safari utilizes machine learning to present key information from webpages, enabling users to quickly grasp the content. The revamped reader generates a table of contents for long articles and offers various reading modes, including night mode and dark mode, for a more comfortable reading experience.

Conclusion

iOS18's Safari introduces numerous feature enhancements, with Distraction Control offering a personalized reading experience. By concealing unwanted page elements, users can focus on reading or browsing, leading to improved efficiency and comfort. This feature is set to become a staple among iOS18 users, providing a cleaner and more convenient browsing experience.