Safari blocks most pop-ups by default, and you can turn that off in Settings

Safari's pop-up blocker is on by default. To turn it off, open Safari, click Safari in the menu bar at the top of your screen, then select Settings (or Preferences on older Macs). Click the Websites tab, then click Pop-ups in the left sidebar. Change the dropdown from Block to Allow. This disables blocking for all websites.

If you want to block pop-ups on most sites but allow them on specific ones, keep the global setting on Block and add individual sites to the Allow list instead. Click the Add button (the plus sign) and type the website address, then click Add.

Key Takeaways

  • Safari's pop-up blocker lives in Settings under the Websites tab, in the Pop-ups section.
  • You can turn off blocking entirely by changing the dropdown to Allow, or allow specific sites while blocking others.
  • The setting applies to all new tabs and windows you open after you change it.
  • If a site says pop-ups are blocked, you can also click the pop-up blocker icon (looks like a hand with a circle) in the address bar and choose to allow that site temporarily or permanently.

Why Safari blocks pop-ups in the first place

Most pop-ups are ads or tracking windows that slow down your browsing and collect data about your activity. Safari's blocker stops these automatically. Some legitimate websites use pop-ups for things like login windows, file downloads, or chat support, and those get blocked too — which is why you sometimes need to turn the blocker off for a specific site.

The blocker does not catch every pop-up. Some sites use newer techniques that look like regular page content, and those slip through. If you see unexpected windows opening, that is usually a sign the site itself is trying to show you ads, not a failure of the blocker.

Allowing pop-ups for one website without changing your global setting

If you only need pop-ups on one or two sites, do not turn off blocking everywhere. Instead, visit the site, and when Safari blocks a pop-up, you will see a small icon in the address bar that looks like a hand with a circle. Click it and select Allow Pop-ups for This Website. Safari remembers this choice the next time you visit.

To see which sites you have allowed, go back to Settings, click Websites, click Pop-ups, and look at the Allow list. You can remove any site from this list by clicking it and then clicking the Remove button (the minus sign).

Differences between Mac, iPhone, and iPad

On Mac, you use the Settings menu as described above. On iPhone and iPad, the process is slightly different. Open the Settings app (not Safari's settings), scroll down and tap Safari, then scroll to the General section and toggle Block Pop-ups off. This turns off blocking for all websites on that device.

iPhone and iPad do not have a way to allow pop-ups on specific sites only — the toggle is all or nothing. If you need pop-ups on just one site, you have to turn off blocking entirely, visit that site, then turn blocking back on.

What to do if a site says pop-ups are blocked but you do not see them

Some websites display a message saying "Pop-ups are blocked" even when Safari's blocker is off. This usually means the site itself is preventing pop-ups through its own code, not Safari. You cannot override this from Safari's settings — the website owner has to allow pop-ups on their end.

If the site is one you trust and you need the pop-up to work, contact the site's support team and ask them to check their pop-up settings. If it is a site you do not recognize, the blocked pop-up is probably an ad, and you are better off leaving it blocked.

Turning the blocker back on

To re-enable pop-up blocking on Mac, go back to Settings, click Websites, click Pop-ups, and change the dropdown back to Block. On iPhone and iPad, open Settings, tap Safari, scroll to General, and toggle Block Pop-ups back on. Any sites you added to the Allow list will stay there, but they will be blocked again once the global setting is back to Block.

If you turn blocking back on and then change your mind about a specific site, you can always use the pop-up blocker icon in the address bar to allow that site again without going back into Settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off pop-up blocking slow down Safari?

Not noticeably. Pop-ups themselves can slow you down because they load ads and tracking code, but Safari's blocker does not make the browser faster — it just stops those pop-ups from loading in the first place. If you turn off blocking, you may see slower performance on ad-heavy sites.

Can I block pop-ups on most sites but allow them on one specific site?

Yes. Keep the global setting on Block, then click the pop-up blocker icon in the address bar when you visit the site you trust, and select Allow Pop-ups for This Website. Safari will remember that choice.

Why does Safari still show pop-ups even though blocking is on?

Some pop-ups are not actually pop-ups — they are ads or content built into the page itself, so Safari's blocker cannot stop them. Others use newer code that the blocker does not recognize yet. If a site is showing you a lot of unwanted windows, it is probably a site with aggressive advertising.

Does turning off pop-up blocking affect my privacy?

Pop-ups often contain tracking code, so turning off blocking means more trackers can load on the sites you visit. If privacy matters to you, keep blocking on and only allow pop-ups for sites you trust. You can also use Safari's built-in privacy features like Intelligent Tracking Prevention, which works independently of pop-up blocking.