Safari blocks most pop-ups by default, and you can turn that off in Settings
Safari's pop-up blocker stops most new windows from opening automatically when you visit a website. Sometimes you need a pop-up to work — a login window, a document viewer, or a tool the site requires. To let pop-ups through on Safari, you go to Settings, find the Websites tab, and turn off the pop-up blocker for that specific site or for all sites at once.
The steps differ slightly between Safari on Mac and Safari on iPhone or iPad, but both take less than a minute. You do not need to restart Safari after you make the change.
Key Takeaways
- Safari's pop-up blocker is found in Settings under the Websites tab, not in the main menu.
- You can turn off the blocker for one website only, so other sites stay protected.
- On Mac, the setting is in Safari Preferences; on iPhone and iPad, it is in the main Settings app.
- After you change the setting, reload the webpage to see if the pop-up now appears.
Disable the pop-up blocker on Mac
Open Safari and go to the website where you need pop-ups to work. Then open Safari's menu and click Preferences (or press Command + comma). Click the Websites tab at the top.
On the left side, scroll down and click Pop-ups. You will see three columns: the website list on the left, the current setting in the middle, and a dropdown menu on the right. Find the website you are visiting in the left column. If it is not there, Safari has not recorded it yet — go back to the website, try to trigger the pop-up, and return to this screen.
Click the dropdown menu next to that website and change it from Block to Allow. Close Preferences. Go back to the website and reload the page (press Command + R). The pop-up should now appear.
If you want to allow pop-ups on all websites instead of just one, change the setting in the When visiting other websites row at the bottom of the list. This is the global default, so it will apply to any site not listed above it.
Disable the pop-up blocker on iPhone and iPad
Open the Settings app on your device — not Safari itself. Scroll down and tap Safari. Scroll down again until you see Block Pop-ups. Tap the toggle to turn it off (it will turn white or gray instead of green).
This setting turns off the pop-up blocker for all websites on your device. Safari on iPhone and iPad does not let you block pop-ups for some sites and allow them for others the way Mac does. If you want to protect yourself from pop-ups on most sites, turn the blocker back on after you finish with the site that needs them.
Go back to Safari, reload the webpage, and the pop-up should now appear.
What to do if the pop-up still does not appear
Reloading the page is the most important step — Safari does not retroactively allow pop-ups that were already blocked. Press Command + R on Mac or pull down to refresh on iPhone and iPad. If the pop-up still does not show, the website itself may have stopped sending it, or it may require a specific action (like clicking a button) to trigger it.
Some websites use pop-ups that look different from traditional windows — they might be embedded boxes or overlays that do not count as pop-ups in the technical sense. These are not blocked by Safari's pop-up blocker, so changing the setting will not help. Check whether the site has a button or link that opens what you need instead.
Turn the pop-up blocker back on for a single site
If you turned off the blocker for one website and want to re-enable it later, follow the same steps you used to disable it. On Mac, go back to Safari Preferences, click Websites, click Pop-ups, find the site in the list, and change the dropdown from Allow back to Block. On iPhone and iPad, you will need to turn the global blocker back on in Settings, since there is no per-site control.
You can also remove a site from the list entirely on Mac by clicking it and then clicking the minus button at the bottom of the window. This returns it to the default behavior (blocked).
Why Safari blocks pop-ups in the first place
Pop-ups were originally used by advertisers and scammers to flood your screen with unwanted windows. Safari's blocker stops most of these automatically. Legitimate websites occasionally use pop-ups for things like login screens or document downloads, which is why Safari lets you turn the blocker off rather than removing it entirely.
If you find yourself disabling the blocker for many sites, be cautious about which ones you trust. Turning off the global blocker on iPhone and iPad is riskier than allowing pop-ups for one specific site on Mac, because it affects every website you visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does disabling the pop-up blocker slow down Safari?
No. The blocker runs in the background whether it is on or off, and turning it off does not change Safari's speed. The only difference is that pop-ups will now open when websites try to send them.
Will I have to disable the blocker every time I visit that website?
No. On Mac, Safari remembers your choice for that specific site. On iPhone and iPad, the setting applies to all websites until you turn the blocker back on in Settings.
Can I block pop-ups on some sites but allow them on others using iPhone?
Not with Safari's built-in controls. iPhone and iPad only offer a global on-or-off switch. If you need per-site control, you would need to use a different browser like Chrome or Firefox, which have more granular settings.
What if a website says my pop-up blocker is on even after I disabled it?
Some websites check for pop-up blockers using their own method, separate from Safari's. Disabling Safari's blocker will not override the website's own check. Try reloading the page, clearing Safari's cache (Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data on iPhone, or Safari > Clear History on Mac), or contacting the website's support team.
Is it safe to disable the pop-up blocker globally?
It is less safe than keeping it on. You will see more ads and unwanted windows. If you must disable it globally, turn it back on as soon as you finish with the site that needs it.