You may want to think twice before allowing someone to use your iPhone after the next iOS update launches in April. As soon as you tap the search bar, the entire screen is filled with a list of search terms you’ve recently Googled. Needless to say, that could lead to some awkward moments when a friend or family member inevitably asks to borrow your iPhone.
Of course, you could hit the “clear all” searches button at the top of the screen, but that will just look suspicious. The alternative is to use private browsing (Safari’s version of Google’s Incognito mode) when searching for things you don’t want others to see.
But, there’s a high chance you will wind up forgetting to switch from the regular tab to a secret one. Better start practising now if you’re worried you might get caught out. Conversely, some users may actually find it helpful to see their recent searches more frequently. After all, it saves you having to take the additional steps of looking them up manually.
There is still a chance that Apple reverses course on the update, however. This is a beta after all, which is essentially a test version of the software, with features that don’t always appear in the final release. Alternatively, it could add a way to disable it, which you can’t currently do.
To be clear, this could just be a case of Apple copying Google. Both the Chrome and Google apps on iOS also display your recent searches – the latter actually shows your extended history, including screenshots for videos. Nevertheless, it may be an unpleasant surprise for iPhone users who have yet to stray from Safari, Apple’s default web browser.
If you want to see the change for yourself, check out our guide on how to download the iOS 18.4 beta. That way, you can also preview the other features, including the new food and recipes section in Apple News+ and try out a couple of new Apple Intelligence AI perks, too.
