How to delete a favorite in Safari

To delete a favorite in Safari, open the app and tap or click the Bookmarks icon (it looks like an open book), then find the favorite you want to remove. Long-press it (on iPhone or iPad) or right-click it (on Mac), and select "Delete" from the menu that appears. The favorite disappears immediately.

The process is the same whether you're using Safari on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac — the only difference is how you trigger the menu. On a touchscreen, you hold your finger on the item. On a Mac with a trackpad or mouse, you right-click.

Favorites are different from your browsing history. Deleting a favorite doesn't erase the website from your history or prevent you from visiting it again. It only removes the shortcut you saved.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Bookmarks menu in Safari, find the favorite, and long-press (iPhone/iPad) or right-click (Mac) to see the delete option.
  • Deleting a favorite removes only the saved shortcut, not your history of visiting that website.
  • If you delete a favorite by mistake, you can undo the action immediately by pressing Ctrl+Z (Mac) or shaking your device (iPhone/iPad).
  • Favorites synced across your devices through iCloud will be removed from all of them once you delete from one device.

Deleting favorites on iPhone and iPad

On an iPhone or iPad, tap the Bookmarks icon at the bottom of the Safari window (or top, depending on your screen orientation). This opens a menu showing your saved favorites, reading list, and history.

Find the favorite you want to delete. Long-press it — hold your finger on it for about a second until a menu pops up. Tap "Delete" from the options shown. The favorite is removed immediately.

If you have many favorites and can't find the one you want, you can also tap "Edit" in the Bookmarks menu, then tap the red minus sign next to any favorite to delete it. This method works well if you want to remove several at once.

Deleting favorites on Mac

On a Mac, click the Bookmarks menu at the top of the Safari window, or click the Bookmarks icon in the toolbar (the open book). A dropdown menu or sidebar appears showing your saved favorites.

Right-click the favorite you want to delete. A context menu appears with several options, including "Delete." Click "Delete" and the favorite is removed.

Alternatively, you can click "Edit Bookmarks" from the Bookmarks menu to open the full bookmarks editor. Find the favorite in the list, select it, and press Delete on your keyboard.

What happens to favorites synced across devices

If you use iCloud to sync your Safari bookmarks across an iPhone, iPad, and Mac, deleting a favorite on one device removes it from all of them. The deletion syncs automatically once your devices connect to the internet.

This is useful if you want to clean up your favorites everywhere at once — delete from one device and the change appears on the others within minutes. But it also means you can't keep a favorite on one device and delete it from another.

To check if your bookmarks are synced, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud on iPhone or iPad, or System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud on Mac, and look for the Safari toggle. If it's on, your favorites sync across devices.

Undoing a deleted favorite

If you delete a favorite by mistake, you can undo the action immediately. On an iPhone or iPad, shake your device and a menu appears asking if you want to undo. On a Mac, press Ctrl+Z right after deleting.

This undo option only works for a few seconds after you delete, so act quickly. If you wait too long or close Safari, the favorite is gone and you'll need to manually re-save the website.

To re-save a website as a favorite, visit it in Safari, tap or click the Share icon, and select "Add Bookmark" (or "Add to Favorites" on some versions). Choose where to save it and confirm.

Organizing favorites instead of deleting them

If you're not sure whether to delete a favorite, you can move it to a folder instead. This keeps it out of your main favorites list but doesn't erase it completely.

On iPhone or iPad, long-press the favorite and select "Edit." A menu appears where you can choose a different folder to move it to. On Mac, right-click the favorite and select "Edit," then choose a folder from the dropdown.

You can also create new folders to organize your favorites by topic — for example, "Work," "Shopping," or "News." This way, your main favorites bar stays clean while you keep bookmarks you might use later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will deleting a favorite erase my browsing history?

No. Deleting a favorite only removes the saved shortcut. Your history of visiting that website remains in Safari's history, which you can view separately. You can delete history independently if you want to remove the record of visiting a site.

Can I delete multiple favorites at once?

Yes. On iPhone or iPad, tap the Bookmarks icon, then tap "Edit" to enter edit mode. You can then tap the red minus sign next to multiple favorites before tapping "Done." On Mac, open the bookmarks editor and select multiple favorites using Shift+click or Cmd+click, then press Delete.

What if I delete a favorite by mistake on a synced device?

Shake your device (iPhone/iPad) or press Ctrl+Z (Mac) immediately to undo. If you wait too long, the deletion syncs to your other devices. You'll need to re-save the website as a favorite on one device, and it will sync back across all of them.

How do I delete a favorite from a specific folder?

Open the Bookmarks menu and navigate to the folder where the favorite is stored. Long-press or right-click the favorite inside that folder and select "Delete." The favorite is removed from that folder only.

Does Safari keep a backup of deleted favorites?

Safari does not keep a separate backup of deleted favorites. Your only recovery option is the immediate undo function. If you think you might want a favorite later, move it to a folder instead of deleting it.