To switch between webpages, open Safari’s tab controls and tap the tab you want. To switch between apps, swipe up from the bottom edge, pause in the center, then tap an app or window. These are separate actions: an app switcher does not select an individual Safari tab.
How do I switch tabs on my iPad?
First decide what you mean by “tabs.” A Safari tab is a webpage open inside Safari; switching to it uses Safari’s tab controls. An app is a separate program, such as Safari or Mail; switching apps uses iPad multitasking controls.
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Switch between webpages in Safari
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Open Safari.
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Open Safari’s tab view using the tab control. Its appearance and position can vary with Safari’s layout, including when Compact Tab Bar is enabled.
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Tap the thumbnail or listing for the webpage you want to view.
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From the tab view, you can also close a tab. To reopen a recently closed tab, touch and hold the New Tab button. Safari also supports tab groups for organizing related tabs. Apple documents these controls in its Safari tab guide.
Switch between open apps
On iPadOS 26, Apple’s standard touch method is to swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen, pause in the center, and lift your finger. The open-app and window view appears; tap the app or window to bring it forward. Apple describes this method in its iPad multitasking guidance, published May 1, 2026.
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- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
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Use the Dock: Tap an app in the Dock to open it. This is useful when the app you need is already there.
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Use Exposé: This view shows open apps and windows so you can choose one.
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- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
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Use an external keyboard: Press Command-Tab to move to the next most recently used open app. Apple describes the shortcut as switching “to the next most recently used app among your open apps” in its iPad keyboard-shortcuts guide.
Command-Tab switches apps, not individual Safari webpages. You can select a compatible external keyboard if you want to use this method, but the touch controls and Safari tab controls do not require an accessory.
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Switch apps with Stage Manager
If you use Stage Manager, its recent-app list can bring another app or app group forward; the Dock is also available. Apple also describes swiping up and pausing, swiping along the bottom edge, and four- or five-finger swipes as ways to switch. These are alternatives for working with apps and windows, not ways to select a Safari tab. See Apple’s Stage Manager guide.
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Choose the right control
| What you want to switch | Method | Input |
|---|---|---|
| A webpage within Safari | Safari tab controls; tap the webpage tab | Touch |
| An open app or window | Swipe up, pause in the center, then tap the app or window | Touch |
| The next most recently used open app | Command-Tab | Connected external keyboard |
| An app or app group in Stage Manager | Choose it from the recent-app list, or use the Dock | Touch |
If the controls look different
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If Safari’s tab button is not where you expect, look for the tab view control in Safari rather than opening the iPad app switcher. Compact Tab Bar can change the layout.
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If you see app previews or windows instead of webpage thumbnails, you opened the app switcher. Select Safari there, then use Safari’s own tab controls.
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If you use Stage Manager, choose the app or group from its recent-app list or Dock. Stage Manager is optional for ordinary app switching.
Apple’s multitasking support page describes iPadOS 26, while the cited User Guide pages displayed iPadOS 27 content when accessed on October 7, 2026. Labels and layouts can vary by software version and configuration.
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