14 Surfing the Web
In this chapter, you explore the amazing web browsing functionality your iPhone has to offer. Topics include the following:
➔ Working with multiple websites at the same time
The Web has become an integral part for much of our lives. It is often the first step to search for information, make plans (such as travel arrangements), conduct financial transactions, shop, and so much more. Safari on the iPhone puts the entire Web in the palm of your hand.
Getting Started
The World Wide Web, more commonly called the Web, is a great resource for finding information, planning travel, keeping up with the news, and just about anything else you want to do. Following are some of the more common terms you encounter as you use the Web:
Web page—This is a collection of information (text and graphics) that is available on the Web. A web page is what you look at when you use the Web.
Website—This is a collection of web pages that go together. For example, most companies and organizations have websites that contain information they use to help their customers or members, provide services, market and sell their products and services, and so on. A website organizes the web pages it contains and provides the structure you use to move among them.
Web browser—This is the software you use to view web pages. There are many different web browsers available. Examples include Safari—which comes preinstalled on your iPhone—as well as Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox. They all allow you to view and interact with web pages, and each has its own set of features. Some are available on just about every device there is, such as Google Chrome, while some are limited to certain devices, such as Internet Explorer that only runs on Windows computers.
Safari—This is the default web browser on your iPhone; it is also the default web browser on Apple Mac computers.
URL—A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is a web page’s or website’s “address” on the Web. URLs allow you to direct your web browser to specific locations on the Web. Most URLs you deal with consist of text, such as www.apple.com or www.aarp.org. Some URLs are more complicated because they take you to specific web pages instead of a website. An example of this is www.aarp.org/health, which takes you to the Health web page on the AARP website. You seldom have to type URLs because you usually access web pages by tapping links or using a bookmark, but it’s good to know what they are and how to use them.
Link—A link is a photo or other graphic, text, or object that has a URL attached to it. When you tap a link, you move to the URL and open the web page associated with it. Most text links are formatted with a color so you can distinguish them from regular text. Links can also be attached to images, such as photos or other kinds of graphics.
Bookmark—This is a saved location on the Web. When you visit a web page or website, you can save its URL as a bookmark so you can return to it with just a few taps instead of typing its URL. Safari allows you to save and organize your bookmarks on your iPhone.
Search engine or search page—The Web contains information on every topic under the sun. You can use a search engine/page to search for information in which you are interested. There are a number of search engines available, with Google being the most popular. You access a search engine through a web browser. Safari uses Google by default, but you can choose Bing, DuckDuckGo, or Yahoo! as your default search engine if you prefer one of those instead.
Visiting Websites
If you’ve used a web browser on a computer before, using Safari on an iPhone is a familiar experience. If you’ve not used a web browser before, don’t worry; using Safari on an iPhone is simple and intuitive.
Syncing Bookmarks
Using iCloud, you can synchronize your Internet Explorer favorites on a Windows PC or Safari bookmarks on a Mac to your iPhone so you have the same set of bookmarks available on your phone that you do on your computer and other devices, and vice versa (refer to Chapter 4, “Setting Up and Using an Apple ID, iCloud, and Other Online Accounts”). You should enable this functionality before you start browsing on your iPhone, so you avoid typing URLs or re-creating bookmarks. To do so, open the Settings app, tap your information at the top of the screen, tap iCloud, and ensure that the Safari switch is on (green).
Using Bookmarks to Move to Websites
Using bookmarks you’ve synced via iCloud or created on your iPhone (you learn how later in this chapter) makes it easy to get to websites.
On the Home screen, tap Safari.
Tap Bookmarks.
Tap the Bookmarks tab (the open book) if it isn’t selected already. (If you don’t see this tab, tap Back [<], which is labeled with the name of the folder from which you moved to the current screen, in the upper-left corner of the screen until you see Bookmarks at the top of the screen.)
Swipe up or down the list of bookmarks to browse the bookmarks and folders containing bookmarks available to you.
To move to a bookmark, skip to step 10; to open a folder of bookmarks, tap it.
Swipe up or down the folder’s screen to browse the folder and bookmarks it contains.
Tap a folder to see the bookmarks it contains.
Change Your Mind?
If you decide not to visit a bookmark, tap Done. You return to the website you were previously viewing.
To return to a previous screen, tap Back (<) in the upper-left corner of the screen, which is labeled with the name of the folder you previously visited (the parent folder); this disappears when you are at the top-level Bookmarks screen.
Repeat steps 5–8 until you see a bookmark you want to visit.
Tap the bookmark you want to visit. Safari moves to that website.
Use the information in the section “Viewing Websites” later in this chapter to get information on viewing the web page.
Using Your Favorites to Move to Websites
Using the Safari settings described in the Go Further sidebar “Safari Settings” at the end of this chapter, you can designate a folder of bookmarks as your Favorites. You can get to the folders and bookmarks in your Favorites folder more quickly and easily than navigating to it as described in the previous section. Here’s how to use your Favorites:
On the Home screen, tap Safari. (If you are in Safari and have the Bookmarks screen open, tap Done to close it.)
Tap in the Address/Search bar (if you don’t see the Address/Search bar, tap at the top of the screen to show it). After you tap in the Address/Search bar, you see your Favorites (bookmarks and folders of bookmarks) immediately under the Address/Search bar. The keyboard opens at the bottom of the screen.
Show More/Show Less
You might see only a subset of your favorites. Tap Show More to see all of your favorites or Show Less to display fewer of them.
Frequently Visited
Safari tracks sites you visit frequently and lists them in the Frequently Visited section at the bottom of the Favorites screen. Tap a site to visit it.
Swipe up and down on your Favorites. The keyboard closes to give you more room to browse.
To move to a bookmark, tap it and skip to step 8.
Tap a folder to move into it.
Continue browsing your Favorites until you find the bookmark you want to use. Like using the Bookmarks screen, you can tap a folder to move into it, tap a bookmark to move to its website, or tap Back (<) to move to a previous screen.
Tap the bookmark for the site you want to visit.
Use the information in the section “Viewing Websites” later in this chapter to view the web page.
Typing URLs to Move to Websites
A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is the Internet address of a web page. URLs can be relatively simple, such as www.apple.com, or they can be quite long and convoluted. The good news is that by using bookmarks, you can save a URL in Safari so you can get back to it using its bookmark (as you learned in the previous two tasks) and thus avoid typing URLs more than once. To use a URL to move to a website, do the following:
On the Home screen, tap Safari. (If you are in Safari and have the Bookmarks screen open, tap Done to close it.)
Tap in the Address/Search bar (if you don’t see the Address/Search bar, tap at the top of the screen). The URL of the current page becomes highlighted, or if you haven’t visited a page, the Address/Search bar is empty. Just below the Address/Search bar, your Favorites are displayed. The keyboard appears at the bottom of the screen.
If an address appears in the Address/Search bar, tap Clear (x) to remove it.
Type the URL you want to visit. If it starts with www (which almost all URLs do), you don’t have to type “www.” As you type, Safari attempts to match what you are typing to a site you have visited previously and completes the URL for you if it can. Just below the Address/Search bar, Safari presents a list of sites that might be what you’re looking for, organized into groups, such as Top Hits.
If one of the sites shown is the one you want to visit, tap it. You move to that web page; skip to step 8.
If Safari doesn’t find a match, continue typing until you enter the entire URL (not shown).
Tap go. You move to the web page.
Use the information in the section “Viewing Websites” to view the web page.
Shortcut for Typing URLs
URLs include a top-level domain code that represents the type of site (theoretically anyway) that URL leads to. Common examples are .com (commercial sites) and .edu (educational sites). To quickly enter a URL’s code, tap and hold the period key to see a menu from which you can select other options, such as .net or .edu. Select the code you want on the keyboard, and it’s entered in the Address/Search bar.
Using Your Browsing History to Move to Websites
As you move about the Web, Safari tracks the sites you visit and builds a history list (you can enable the Do Not Track option so this doesn’t happen as explained in the Go Further sidebar “Safari Settings” at the end of this chapter). You can use your browsing history list to return to sites you’ve visited.
Tap Bookmarks.
Tap History.
Swipe up and down the page to browse all the sites you’ve visited. The more recent sites appear at the top of the screen; the further you move down the screen, the further back in time you go. Earlier sites are collected in folders for various times, such as This Morning, or Monday Afternoon.
Tap the site you want to visit. The site opens and you can use the information in the section “Viewing Websites” to view the web page.
Erasing the Past
To clear your browsing history, tap Clear at the bottom of the History screen. At the prompt, tap the timeframe that you want to clear; the options are The last hour, Today, Today and yesterday, or All time. Your browsing history for the period of time you selected is erased. (Don’t you wish it were this easy to erase the past in real life?)
Viewing Websites
Even though your iPhone is a small device, you’ll be amazed at how well it displays web pages, even if they are designed for larger screens.
Use Safari to move to a web page as described in the previous tasks.
To browse around a web page, swipe your finger right or left, or up or down.
Zoom in by unpinching your fingers.
Where Did the URL Go?
When you first move to a URL, you see that URL in the Address/Search bar. After you work with a site, the Address/Search bar and the toolbar are hidden and the URL is replaced with the high-level domain name for the site (such as sitename.com, sitename.edu, and so on). To see the Address/Search bar and toolbar again, tap the top of the screen. To see the full URL again, tap in the Address/Search bar.
Zoom out by pinching your fingers.
Tap a link to move to the location to which it points. Links can come in many forms, including text (most text that is a link is in color and underlined) or graphics. The web page to which the link points opens and replaces the page currently being displayed.
To view the web page in landscape orientation, rotate the iPhone so that it is horizontal.
Scroll, zoom in, and zoom out on the page to read it, as described in steps 2–4.
Tap Refresh to refresh a page, which causes its content to be updated. (Note: While a page is loading, this is Stop [x]; tap it to stop the rest of the page from loading.)
To move to a previous page you’ve visited, tap Back (<). (If the arrow is grayed out, it means you’re at the beginning of the set of pages you’ve visited.)
To move to a subsequent page, tap Forward (>). (If the arrow is grayed out, it means you’re at the end of the set of pages you’ve visited.)
Disappearing Address/Search Bar
As you move around, the Address/Search bar at the top of the page and the toolbar at the bottom of the page are hidden automatically; to show them again, tap the top of the screen.
Working with Multiple Websites at the Same Time
When you move to a web page by using a bookmark, typing a URL, or tapping a link on the current web page, the new web page replaces the current one. However, you can also open and work with multiple web pages at the same time so that a new web page doesn’t replace the current one.
When you work with multiple web pages, each open page appears in its own tab. You can use the tab view to easily move to and manage your open web pages. You also can close open tabs or open new, empty tabs and then move to websites.
There are two ways to open a new web page in a new tab. One is to touch and hold on a link on the current web page; you can use the resulting Open command to open the new page. By default, Safari is set to open a new page using the Open in New Tab option. This causes the new page to open and move to the front so you see it instantly as the current page and its tab to move to the background.
The other option is Open in Background. When you open a link using this option, the new page opens and moves to the background; you don’t see the new page until you use the Tab Manager to move to the new tab.
Open in Background
Because it’s the default option, this section focuses on the Open in New Tab method. If you want to try the Open in Background option, refer to the Go Further sidebar “Safari Settings” at the end of this chapter to learn how to change this setting. After you do, when you touch and hold on a link, you see the Open in Background option instead of Open in New Tab.
Tapping Without Holding
When you tap, but don’t hold down, a link on a web page, the web page to which the link points opens and replaces the current web page—no new tab is created. To create a new tab, you need to hold on the link so you can use the Open in New Tab command.
Opening New Pages in a New Tab
Using the Open in New Tab option, you can open new pages by doing the following:
Touch and hold on the link you want to open in the background. The Quick Action menu appears.
Tap Open in New Tab. The tab view appears briefly, and a new tab opens and displays the page to which the link points. The web page from which you started moves into the background.
Continue opening pages; see “Using Tab View to Manage Open Web Pages” to learn how to use the tab view to manage your open pages.
Using Tab View to Manage Open Web Pages
Safari’s Tab view enables you to view and work with your open pages/tabs. Here’s how:
Tap Tab View. Each open page appears on its own tab.
Swipe up or down on the open tabs to browse them.
Tap a tab/page to move into it. The page opens and fills the Safari window.
Work with the web page.
Tap Tab View.
Tabs Are Independent
Each tab is independent. So, when you’re working with a tab and use Back/Forward to move among its pages, you are just moving among the pages open under that tab. Pages open in other tabs are not affected.
Tap Close (x) to close a tab; alternatively swipe to the left on the tab you want to close.
To open a new tab, tap Add (+) to create a new tab that shows your Favorites screen; navigate to a new page in that tab using the methods described in other tasks (tapping bookmarks or typing a URL).
Tap Done to close the tab view. The tab view closes, and the page you were most recently viewing is shown.
Keep Private Things Private
If you aren’t browsing in Private mode and tap Private at the bottom of the tab view, Safari moves into Private mode and stops tracking the sites you visit. In Private mode, your activity on the Web isn’t tracked so no history of sites or pages you’ve visited is created. Tap Private again to return to the previous state. If you are browsing in Private mode, tapping Private shows or hides the tabs in the tab view.
Searching the Web
Searching the Web might just be the most useful thing you can do with your iPhone because you can quickly find information on just about everything.
Tap in the Address/Search bar (if you don’t see this bar, tap at the top of the screen). The keyboard appears along with your Favorites.
If there is any text in the Address/Search bar, tap Clear (x).
Type your search word(s). As you type, Safari attempts to find a search that matches what you typed. The list of suggestions is organized in sections, which depend on what you are searching for and the search options you configured through Safari settings. One section, labeled with the search engine you’re using (such as Google Search), contains the search results from that source. Other sections can include Siri Knowledge, Bookmarks and History, or Apps (from the App Store). At the bottom of the list is the On This Page section, which shows the terms that match your search on the page you are browsing.
To perform the search using one of the suggestions provided, tap the suggestion you want to use. The search is performed and you can skip to step 6.
If none of the suggestions are what you want, keep typing until you have entered the entire search term, and then tap go. The search engine you use performs the search and displays the results on the search results page.
Use the search results page to view the results of your search. These pages work just like other web pages. You can zoom, scroll, and tap links to explore results.
These Tabs Are Made for Searchin’
Using the Open in New Tab command is particularly useful when you’re searching. When you find something of interest, open it in a new tab. This leaves your search results open in the current tab so you can easily come back to them to explore something else.
Searching on a Web Page
To search for words or phrases on a web page you’re viewing, perform these steps, except in step 4, tap the word or phrase for which you want to search in the On This Page section (you probably have to swipe up the screen to see this section). You return to the page you’re browsing, and each occurrence of your search term on the page is highlighted.
Saving and Organizing Bookmarks
In addition to moving bookmarks from a computer or iCloud onto your iPhone, you can save new bookmarks directly on your iPhone from where they’re synced onto other devices, too. You can also organize bookmarks on your iPhone to make them easier and faster to access.
Creating Bookmarks
When you want to make it easy to return to a website, create a bookmark with the following steps:
Move to a web page for which you want to save a bookmark.
Tap Share. The Share sheet appears
Tap Add Bookmark. The Add Bookmark screen appears, showing the title of the web page you’re viewing, which is also the name of the bookmark initially; its URL; and the Location field, which shows where the bookmark will be stored when you create it.
Straight to Favorites
If you want to create a bookmark in your Favorites area, tap Add to Favorites and skip the rest of these steps. You can access your new bookmark by opening the Favorites screen.
Edit the bookmark’s name as needed, or tap Clear (x) to erase the current name, and then type the new name of the bookmark. The titles of some web pages can be quite long, so it’s a good idea to shorten them so the bookmark’s name is easier to read on the iPhone’s screen.
Tap the current folder shown under LOCATION. The LOCATION section expands and you see all the folders of bookmarks on your phone. The folder that is currently selected is marked with a check mark.
Swipe up and down the screen to find the folder in which you want to place the new bookmark. You can choose any folder on the screen; folders are indented when they are contained within other folders.
Tap the folder in which to store the new bookmark. You return to the Add Bookmark screen, which shows the location you selected.
Tap Save. The bookmark is created and saved in the location you specified. You can use the bookmark to return to the website at any time.
New Home for a New Bookmark
If you want to create a new folder for a bookmark, swipe up the screen and tap New Folder. Name the folder and use the LOCATION field to choose a new place for the folder. Tap Save to create the folder and store the new bookmark within it.
Creating Folders for Bookmarks
As you accumulate bookmarks, it’s a good idea to use folders to keep them organized and to make them easier to use. To create a new bookmark folder, perform the following steps:
Move to the Bookmarks screen showing the location where you want to create the new folder. For example, creating folders on your Favorites page makes them very easy to access.
Tap Edit.
Tap New Folder.
Type the name of the new folder.
Tap done. The folder is created at the top of the list you selected in step 1.
Tap Done.
Moving Bookmarks to Different Folders
To change the location where a bookmark is stored, do the following:
Move to the screen showing the bookmark you want to move.
Tap Edit.
Tap the bookmark you want to move. You see the Edit Bookmark screen.
Tap the LOCATION field.
Swipe up or down the screen to find the bookmark’s new location.
Tap the folder into which you want to place the bookmark.
Tap the Back (<) icon (which is named with your prior location).
Tap Done.
Changing Bookmarks
When a bookmark is shown on the Edit Bookmark screen, you can also change its name, which you do in the same manner as you create a new bookmark.
Changing the Order of Bookmarks and Folders
Bookmarks and folders are easier to get to when they are toward the top of the screen because they are immediately visible without scrolling. Fortunately, it’s easy to reorder bookmarks and folders to make the ones you use most easiest to get to. Or, you might want to organize them for other reasons, such as to put them in alphabetical order. You can change the order of bookmarks and folders as follows:
Move to the Bookmarks screen that you want to reorder.
Tap Edit.
Touch and hold on the List Order button for the bookmark that you want to move and drag it up or down the screen.
When the bookmark or folder is in the location in which you want to place it, lift your finger from the screen.
Repeat these steps to change the order of other bookmarks or folders.
Tap Done.
Deleting Bookmarks or Folders of Bookmarks
You can get rid of bookmarks or folders of bookmarks you don’t want any more by deleting them:
Move to the screen containing the folder or bookmark you want to delete.
Swipe to the left on the folder or bookmark you want to delete.
Tap Delete. The folder or bookmark is deleted. Note that when you delete a folder, all the bookmarks it contains are deleted, too.
Delete with a Swipe
You can combine steps 2 and 3 by swiping all the way to the left on the screen. The folder or bookmark is deleted immediately.
Signing In to Websites Automatically
Frequently, you’ll need to enter your username and password to log into your account on websites you visit with your iPhone. Having to type this information every time is no fun. Fortunately, you can enable Safari to store and enter this information for you automatically. Your information is secure because you still need a passcode (usually entered via Face ID or Touch ID) to unlock your iPhone. So, having Safari store your usernames and passwords is both relatively secure and very convenient.
Setting Safari to Remember Passwords
Your iPhone has to be configured to be able to save your passwords. To do so, perform the following steps:
Open the Settings app and tap Passwords & Accounts.
Tap AutoFill Passwords.
Set the AutoFill Passwords switch to on (green).
Saving Your User Account for a Website
When Safari encounters a site for which it recognizes and can save login information, you are prompted to allow Safari to save that information. (This doesn’t work with all sites; if you aren’t prompted to allow Safari to save login information, you can’t use this feature with the site you’re visiting.) When saved, this information can be entered for you automatically or with a single tap.
Move to a web page that requires you to log in to an account.
Enter your account’s username and password.
Tap the icon to log in to your account, such as Continue, Sign In, Submit, Login, and such. You are prompted to save the login information.
Tap Save Password to save the information. The next time you move to the login page, your username and password are entered for you automatically. Tap Never for This Website if you don’t want the information to be saved and you don’t want to be prompted again. Tap Not Now if you don’t want the information saved but do want to be prompted again later to save it.
Using Saved User Accounts for a Website
The next time you need to sign into your account, tap your account information at the prompt. (You might need to confirm this action with Face ID or Touch ID.) Your user information is entered for you.
Complete the sign-in process.
