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For those of you who have not yet played with Safari 4, Apple has released a beta version of the new web browser for Mac OS X. I was going to tell you that I like the browser so much that I have switched to it full-time from Firefox, but I’m not quite there: I tried to write this post via WordPress’s built-in editor, and I could not add the above link to the Safari download from Safari. It seems not all of the floating <div> issues have been resolved (it is a beta, after all).
Regardless, I think the new Safari 4 beta is fantastic, and I highly recommend everyone download the browser. Several readers have already written in to ask me about the new placement for tabs in the browser. As you know, Safari 3’s tabs are placed under your URL and bookmark bars. Safari 4’s tabs are placed above the window, like so:

Personally, I like the new set up very much, but I can understand why others prefer the old way of having tabs appear within the Safari window. If you’d like to put Safari’s tabs back in the browser window below the bookmarks bar, here’s how:
Typing One Line in Terminal
First, open up Terminal. You can find Terminal in /Applications/Utilities. Once you have Terminal open, copy and paste the following line, then hit enter:
defaults write com.apple.Safari DebugSafari4TabBarIsOnTop -bool FALSE
Now, if you have Safari open, quit it. When you restart Safari, your tabs should be on the bottom, like this:

If you decide you want to put Safari’s tabs back on the top of the window, all you have to do is type this line in Terminal:
defaults write com.apple.Safari DebugSafari4TabBarIsOnTop -bool TRUE
Same rule applies (quit Safari and reopen it). That’s it.
Did this hint work for you? What do you think of Safari 4’s new tabs? How about the browser itself? Let others know in the comments.


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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I have downloaded the new Safari and also like it (despite the bugs). I am tempted to migrate back to Safari once it is more stable and the bugs are fixed but what is stopping me is the fact that my passwords, usernames and history etc are stored in Firefox. When I do come to migrate is there an easy way to export my FF items into the keychain? I know that one can import bookmarks easily but it’s the passwords and usernames that I will really want to import.
i couldn’t stand the new tabs! apple should definitely make this an option on the preferences to save us the terminal troubles.
Yeah, the new tabs are WEAK! Thanks for the terminal tip!
Excellent tip MATT.
I have been wondering why Apple decided to turn the tabs upside down. I found it very distracting to the point where I had to look up and search for the tabs when I needed them. My view is, less movement by your fingers is faster.
Now the next logical question: How do we move the x from the left side to the right side of the Tabs?
Thanks for the great tip.
I just installed the release version of Safari 4, and my freakin tabs are back inside my window, instead of on top where they should be! I’m so mad i could spit. I use an addon called Windowshade X and I can , excuse me, COULD, as in , not able to anymore, windowshade my window, and stack all my window shades so i could see the title of each tab.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b347/JonTaylor/TABS.png
There is though another problem for the up-tabs fans. Now with the new version of Safari (version 4 not the beta one) tabs have gone down which is very annoying. Is there something to be done to put them back as they were in Safari 4 Beta?
Thanks!