The fastest way to delete a favorite

Open the app where your favorite lives — Safari for bookmarks, Phone for contact favorites, Maps for saved locations, or Music for liked songs. Find the favorite you want to remove, then press and hold it until a menu appears. Tap Remove from Favorites or the trash icon, depending on the app. The favorite disappears immediately.

The exact wording and location of the delete option changes slightly between apps, but the press-and-hold method works across nearly all of them. If you don't see a remove option after holding, try swiping left across the favorite instead — this reveals a delete button in most Apple apps.

Some favorites, like Siri Shortcuts or Home app scenes, may require you to tap an edit button first before you can delete them. The principle stays the same: find the favorite, trigger the delete option, and confirm.

Key Takeaways

  • Press and hold any favorite in its app, then tap the remove or delete option that appears.
  • If press-and-hold doesn't work, try swiping left across the favorite to reveal a delete button.
  • Some apps like Home and Shortcuts require you to enter edit mode before deletion becomes available.
  • Deleting a favorite does not delete the underlying contact, song, website, or location — only your saved preference for it.

Removing Safari bookmarks from your favorites

In Safari, your favorites appear on the start page and in the bookmarks menu. To remove one, open Safari and tap the Bookmarks icon (the open book at the bottom). Tap Favorites at the top, then press and hold the bookmark you want to remove. Select Delete from the menu.

Alternatively, tap Edit in the top right corner of the Favorites section. Red minus circles appear next to each favorite. Tap the minus circle next to the one you want to delete, then tap Delete to confirm. When you're finished, tap Done.

If you have synced your Safari bookmarks across devices using iCloud, removing a favorite from one device removes it from all of them. Check your other Apple devices to confirm the change took effect.

Removing contact favorites from the Phone app

Contact favorites appear at the top of your Phone app's Favorites tab. To remove one, open the Phone app and go to the Favorites tab at the bottom. Find the contact you want to remove, press and hold their name or number, then tap Remove from Favorites.

You can also swipe left across the contact's name and tap the trash icon. The contact stays in your phone's address book — only the favorite status is removed. The next time you need to call or message them, you can find them in your Contacts list as usual.

If you have multiple phone numbers or email addresses saved for the same contact, you can remove just one favorite while keeping others. Press and hold the specific number or email address you want to remove.

Removing locations from Maps favorites

Maps stores your favorite locations for quick access. To delete one, open Maps and tap the Favorites icon (the heart) at the bottom. Swipe left across the location you want to remove, then tap the trash icon. The location disappears from your favorites list.

You can also press and hold the location name and select Remove from Favorites. If you want to remove multiple favorites at once, tap Edit in the top right corner, then tap the red minus circles next to each location you want to delete.

Removing a location from favorites does not delete your search history or any directions you've saved to that place. It only removes it from your quick-access favorites list.

Removing songs and artists from Music favorites

In the Music app, you can favorite individual songs, albums, artists, and playlists. To remove a song from favorites, find it in any view, press and hold it, then tap Remove from Library or Remove from Favorites depending on your iOS version. The song is no longer marked as a favorite.

For artists and albums, open their page, tap the heart icon (which appears filled in red if favorited), and tap it again to unfavorite. The heart outline returns to show it's no longer a favorite.

If you remove a song from your library entirely, it also removes it from favorites. If you only want to unfavorite it while keeping it in your library, look for the unfavorite option in the press-and-hold menu instead.

Removing Siri Shortcuts from favorites

Shortcuts you've marked as favorites appear on your home screen or lock screen. To remove one, press and hold the shortcut icon until a menu appears. Tap Remove from Favorites or Remove from Home Screen depending on where it's pinned.

You can also open the Shortcuts app, find the shortcut in your library, swipe left across it, and tap the trash icon. This removes the shortcut entirely rather than just unfavoriting it. If you only want to unpin it from your home screen, use the press-and-hold method instead.

Removing a shortcut from favorites does not delete it — it stays in your Shortcuts library and you can re-favorite it anytime by pressing and holding it again and selecting Add to Favorites.

Removing Home app scenes and accessories from favorites

In the Home app, you can favorite scenes (groups of actions) and individual accessories. To remove a favorite, open the Home app and find the scene or accessory. Press and hold it, then tap Remove from Favorites. It moves out of your main Home view but stays in the app.

If the press-and-hold menu doesn't appear, tap Edit in the top right corner of the Home view. Red minus circles appear next to each favorite. Tap the minus circle next to the item you want to remove, then tap Delete.

Removing something from favorites in Home does not delete the scene or accessory itself — it only removes it from your quick-access view. You can re-add it to favorites later by finding it in your full Home library and selecting Add to Favorites.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does deleting a favorite delete the actual contact, song, or website?

No. Deleting a favorite only removes it from your quick-access list. The contact stays in your address book, the song stays in your music library, the website stays in your browser history, and the location stays in your Maps history. You can still find and use them normally.

Can I remove multiple favorites at once?

Yes, in most Apple apps. Look for an Edit button in the top corner of the favorites view. Tap it to reveal red minus circles or checkboxes next to each favorite. Select the ones you want to remove, then tap Delete or Done to confirm.

Will removing a favorite from one device remove it from all my Apple devices?

Only if you use iCloud to sync that data. Safari bookmarks, Maps favorites, and Home scenes sync across devices if iCloud is turned on in Settings. Contact favorites and Music favorites typically do not sync. Check your iCloud settings in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud to see what's being synced.

What if the press-and-hold menu doesn't appear?

Try swiping left across the favorite instead — this reveals a delete button in most apps. If that doesn't work, look for an Edit button in the top corner of the screen. Tap it to enter edit mode, where delete options usually become visible.

Can I undo a deleted favorite?

Not directly. Once deleted, you have to re-favorite the item manually. For Safari bookmarks, you can restore them from iCloud if you have a recent backup, but for most other apps, you'll need to find the item again and mark it as a favorite.