What "favourite" means and where it saves
A favourite (or bookmark) is a saved link to a website or app that you can return to quickly without typing the address again. When you mark something as a favourite, your device stores a shortcut to it — usually in a folder or menu you can access from your browser or home screen.
Where your favourite appears depends on what you're using. In a web browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari, it shows up in a bookmarks menu or toolbar. On a phone or tablet, favourites for apps appear on your home screen or in a folder. The exact location varies slightly between devices and browsers, but the idea is the same: you're creating a quick way back to something you use often.
Favourites are stored locally on your device, though many browsers can sync them across your devices if you sign into your account. This means a favourite you save on your laptop might appear on your phone too — but only if you've turned on syncing in your browser settings.
Key Takeaways
- In a web browser, you save a favourite by clicking a star icon or using a keyboard shortcut like Ctrl+D (Windows) or Cmd+D (Mac).
- On a phone or tablet, you can add app shortcuts to your home screen by long-pressing the app icon and selecting "Add to Home Screen" or similar.
- Browser favourites appear in a bookmarks menu, toolbar, or sidebar depending on your browser and settings.
- You can organize favourites into folders to keep them tidy, especially if you save many websites.
Adding a favourite in your web browser
The fastest way to save a favourite in most browsers is to click the star icon in the address bar — the area at the top where the website address appears. The star is usually hollow (empty) until you click it, then it fills in to show the site is saved. This works the same way in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
If you don't see a star icon, you can use a keyboard shortcut instead. Press Ctrl+D on Windows or Cmd+D on Mac, and a small window will pop up asking where you want to save the favourite. You can type a name for it (the browser usually fills in the website's title automatically) and choose which folder to put it in.
After you save, a small confirmation message appears briefly. Your favourite is now stored and ready to use. To find it later, look for a bookmarks menu or icon — usually near the top left or right of your browser window — and click it to see your saved sites.
Organizing favourites into folders
If you save many websites, keeping them in one long list becomes hard to navigate. Most browsers let you create folders to sort your favourites by topic — for example, "Shopping", "News", "Work", or "Recipes".
To create a folder, open your bookmarks menu and look for an option like "Manage bookmarks" or "Bookmark manager". In Chrome, this is usually under the three-line menu (hamburger icon) at the top right. Click it, then look for a button to create a new folder. Name it something clear, then when you save a new favourite, choose that folder from the dropdown menu instead of leaving it in the default location.
You can also move existing favourites into folders. Open your bookmark manager, find the favourite you want to move, and drag it into the folder. Some browsers also let you right-click a favourite and select "Move to folder" from the menu.
Adding app shortcuts on your phone or tablet
On an iPhone, iPad, or Android phone, you don't bookmark apps the same way you bookmark websites. Instead, you add shortcuts to your home screen. For an app you use often, long-press (press and hold) the app icon until a menu appears with options like "Add to Home Screen" or "Add to Favorites".
On Android, the exact wording and location of this menu varies by phone model and Android version, but the idea is the same: hold down the app icon until options appear, then select the option to add it to your home screen. On iPhone, after you select "Add to Home Screen", you may see a preview of how it will look — you can change the name or icon if you want, then tap "Add".
The shortcut now appears on your home screen as a quick way to open that app. You can move it around by long-pressing and dragging, or delete it by long-pressing and selecting "Remove from Home Screen" — this removes only the shortcut, not the app itself.
Saving websites as shortcuts on mobile
You can also save a website as a shortcut on your phone's home screen, which works like a favourite but launches the website directly. Open the website in your browser, then tap the share icon (usually three dots or lines, or an arrow pointing out of a box) at the bottom or top of the screen.
Look for an option like "Add to Home Screen", "Add Shortcut", or "Install App". Tap it, give the shortcut a name if you want, and confirm. The website now appears as an icon on your home screen, and tapping it opens the site in your browser.
This is different from adding an actual app — it's just a quick link to the website. But it works just like a favourite and saves you from having to type the address or search for the site every time.
Accessing and managing your saved favourites
Once you've saved favourites, you need to know where to find them. In most browsers, click the bookmarks icon (usually looks like a ribbon or folder) in the toolbar at the top. A dropdown menu or sidebar appears showing your saved sites. If you organized them into folders, you'll see the folder names — click a folder to see the sites inside.
If you can't find the bookmarks icon, look for a menu button (three horizontal lines or dots) and click it. Then look for "Bookmarks", "Favorites", or "History" in the menu that appears. Different browsers name and arrange this slightly differently, but it's always there.
To remove a favourite you no longer need, right-click it in your bookmarks menu and select "Delete" or "Remove". You can also open your bookmark manager (usually under the menu or settings) and delete from there. Removing a favourite doesn't affect the website itself — it just removes your shortcut to it.
Syncing favourites across devices
If you use the same browser on multiple devices — like Chrome on your laptop and phone — you can turn on syncing so your favourites appear everywhere. Sign into your browser account on each device, then look for sync settings in your browser's preferences or settings menu.
In Chrome, click the three-dot menu, go to "Settings", then "Sync and Google services". Make sure "Bookmarks" is toggled on. In Firefox, go to "Settings", then "Sync", and sign in with your Firefox account. Safari syncs through your Apple ID if you turn on iCloud Sync in Settings.
Once syncing is on, any favourite you save on one device appears on the others within a few minutes. This is useful if you start researching something on your phone and want to continue on your laptop, or if you want your most-used sites available everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a favourite and history?
History is an automatic record of every site you visit, and it disappears after a set time (usually 30 days or when you clear your browser). A favourite is something you deliberately save and keep until you delete it. History is for "I remember visiting this site", while a favourite is for "I want to come back here often".
Can I see my favourites on a different browser?
Not automatically. Favourites saved in Chrome don't appear in Firefox unless you export them. However, you can export your favourites from one browser and import them into another. Look for "Export bookmarks" or "Import bookmarks" in your browser's bookmark manager menu.
Will my favourites disappear if I clear my browser data?
It depends on your settings. When you clear browser data, you usually have the option to keep bookmarks while deleting other things like history and cookies. Make sure "Bookmarks" is unchecked when you clear data if you want to keep them. If you accidentally delete them, check your browser's trash or undo option immediately.
How do I organize favourites if I have hundreds of them?
Create main folders for broad categories (Work, Personal, Shopping, News), then subfolders inside those for more specific topics. Most browsers let you nest folders several levels deep. You can also use your browser's search function in the bookmark manager to find a specific favourite quickly without scrolling through everything.
Can I share my favourites with someone else?
You can export your bookmarks as a file and send it to someone, who can then import it into their browser. In your bookmark manager, look for "Export bookmarks" or "Export as HTML". This creates a file you can email or share. The other person opens their bookmark manager and selects "Import bookmarks", then chooses your file.