Adding a website to your Safari favorites

To add a website to your Safari favorites, open the page you want to save, then tap or click the Share button (the square with an arrow pointing out of it). From the menu that appears, select Add to Favorites. A small window will pop up asking where you want to save it — you can keep the default "Favorites" folder or choose a different one. Tap or click Save, and the page is now stored.

On iPhone and iPad, the Share button is at the bottom right of the screen. On Mac, it's in the top right corner of the Safari window. The process takes about five seconds once you're on the page you want to save.

If you want to organize your favorites into folders as you save them, you can create a new folder right from that save window instead of picking an existing one. This keeps related sites grouped together — for example, you might have a folder for recipes, another for work sites, and another for shopping.

Key Takeaways

  • The Share button (square with arrow) opens the menu where you'll find the Add to Favorites option on all Apple devices.
  • You can save favorites into the main Favorites folder or organize them into custom folders you create yourself.
  • Your favorites sync across all your Apple devices if you have iCloud enabled in Safari settings.
  • The Favorites bar at the top of Safari on Mac gives you one-click access to your most-used saved sites.

Finding and using your saved favorites

Once you've saved a favorite, you can reach it from the Favorites menu. On iPhone and iPad, tap the Bookmarks button (the open book icon) at the bottom of the screen, then tap Favorites to see your list. On Mac, click the Bookmarks menu at the top and select Favorites.

If you use the Favorites bar on Mac — the row of site icons that appears just below the address bar — you can drag any favorite directly onto that bar for instant access. This is useful for sites you visit every day. To show or hide the Favorites bar on Mac, go to View in the menu, then toggle Show Favorites Bar.

Organizing favorites into folders

As your list of saved sites grows, folders help you find what you need. When you save a new favorite, the window asks you to choose a location — select New Folder to create one on the spot, or pick an existing folder from the list below.

To rename or delete a folder later, open the Bookmarks menu (Mac) or Bookmarks button (iPhone/iPad), find the folder, and press and hold it (or right-click on Mac). You'll see options to edit or remove it. Moving favorites between folders works the same way — press and hold the favorite, then select Move and choose a new folder.

Syncing favorites across your devices

If you sign in to iCloud on your Apple devices and have Safari enabled in iCloud settings, your favorites automatically sync. This means a site you save on your iPhone appears in Safari on your Mac within a few minutes, and vice versa.

To check that syncing is turned on, go to Settings (iPhone/iPad) or System Settings (Mac), tap or click your name at the top, select iCloud, and make sure Safari is toggled on. If it's already on and your favorites aren't showing up on another device, sign out of iCloud and sign back in — this usually fixes sync problems.

The difference between favorites and bookmarks

In Safari, favorites and bookmarks are stored in the same place, but favorites are the ones you mark as important. When you add a site to favorites, it appears at the top of your bookmarks list and can show up on the Favorites bar or in the Favorites folder. Bookmarks are any other saved sites.

The distinction matters mainly for organization. If you have dozens of saved sites, marking your most-visited ones as favorites keeps them easy to find. You can change a bookmark to a favorite (or vice versa) by editing it — right-click or press and hold, then select Edit, and toggle the Favorite option.

Troubleshooting favorites that won't save

If the Add to Favorites option doesn't appear or the save doesn't stick, first check that you're using the current version of Safari. Go to App Store (iPhone/iPad) or System Settings (Mac) and look for updates. Outdated versions sometimes have bugs that prevent saving.

If updating doesn't help, try signing out of iCloud and signing back in — this resets the sync connection and often solves saving problems. On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings > your name > Sign Out. On Mac, go to System Settings > your name > Sign Out. Then sign back in with your Apple ID. Wait a few minutes for Safari to reconnect before trying to save a favorite again.

If a favorite saves but then disappears, check whether iCloud syncing is on. A favorite saved on one device won't appear on another if Safari syncing is turned off on that second device. Turning it on will pull in your saved sites within a few minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see my Safari favorites on my Windows computer?

No — Safari favorites only sync between Apple devices. If you use Windows, you can manually export your Safari favorites from Mac as an HTML file and import them into another browser, but they won't sync automatically. Contact Apple Support if you need help exporting.

What happens to my favorites if I delete Safari?

Your favorites are stored separately from the Safari app, so deleting and reinstalling Safari won't erase them. However, if you delete your iCloud account or turn off Safari syncing before reinstalling, you may lose favorites on other devices. Always back up or sync before removing the app.

How do I remove a favorite I no longer need?

Open the Bookmarks menu or Bookmarks button, find the favorite, and press and hold it (or right-click on Mac). Select Delete. It will be removed from all your synced devices within a few minutes.

Can I sort my favorites in a specific order?

On Mac, you can drag favorites around in the Bookmarks menu to reorder them. On iPhone and iPad, you can't manually reorder favorites in the app itself, but you can organize them into folders to keep them grouped logically.

Why do some websites not save as favorites?

Rarely, a website's settings prevent it from being bookmarked. If you can't save a particular site, try refreshing the page and trying again. If it still doesn't work, the site itself may have restrictions. Most sites save without any problem.