Can You Move The Search Bar To The Top In iOS 26?

Apple introduced iOS 26 on September 15, 2025, at WWDC, bringing a major visual redesign under the name Liquid Glass. The version number jumping straight to 26 (skipping what would have been 19 to 25) shows Apple's shift to a year-based naming scheme instead of a version number system. This new naming methodology also applies to all its other operating systems (iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, etc.), and thankfully makes it much easier to track.

Among all the new features that come with iOS 26, the new aesthetic of Liquid Glass gives iOS a more translucent, layered aesthetic. App icons, widgets, toolbars, notifications, and even lock-screen elements now reflect and refract light; backgrounds are more visible behind UI surfaces; edges are softer. Control elements are smoother, with more emphasis on depth, motion, and the feeling that UI surfaces float above content. Also, many built-in apps have been updated so that common searches (in Messages, Mail, Notes, Music, etc.) are more easily reachable.

So, can you move the search bar to the top in iOS 26? By default, no. Apple has repositioned many search bars to the bottom of the screen in apps like Messages, Mail, Notes, Music, and even the default home search bar, to make one-handed use easier and improve accessibility. As far as the current iOS 26 goes, there is no system setting to restore search to the top universally. Specific apps (mostly third-party) and under certain app settings, the placement may vary, but Apple hasn't offered an official toggle.

Despite how abrupt iOS 26's change to the bottom-placed search bar might be, the shift has actually been unfolding for years. The most obvious example came with iOS 15's Safari redesign, when Apple dropped the address and search bar to the bottom by default so that it's easier to reach it on bigger screens. After user backlash, Apple added a Safari setting that lets you move the address bar back up (which is still an option even in iOS 26).

Google also took a similar path with Chrome for iOS, which lets you move the address bar to the bottom with a long-press or via settings, while Chrome for Android began officially rolling out the option in 2024 and expanded it in 2025. Even the standalone Google app has tested lower search placements, so the search bar is easier to access.

Apple has also been trying to nudge developers in the same direction, so that third-party apps also use the same design language. For example, the Human Interface Guidelines notes suggest that search fields can be placed in a bottom toolbar for better usability. Apple's SwiftUI "searchable" APIs also give developers explicit options for bottom-toolbar placement. However, with the general lack of toggleability in Apple's own bottom-placed search bars, it looks like it's here to stay.