Delete a favorite by right-clicking it in Safari

The fastest way to remove a favorite from Safari is to right-click (or control-click) the bookmark in your Favorites Bar and select Delete from the menu that appears. The favorite disappears immediately. If you don't see your Favorites Bar, go to View in the menu, then Show Favorites Bar.

You can also delete a favorite by clicking and holding on it, then selecting Delete when the menu pops up. This works the same way on both Mac and iPhone, though on iPhone you'll use a long press instead of right-clicking.

Remove favorites from the Bookmarks menu instead

If your favorite isn't in the Favorites Bar, it's stored in your Bookmarks menu. Click Bookmarks in the top menu, then find the folder where you saved it — often Favorites or a custom folder you created. Right-click the bookmark and select Delete.

You can also open the Bookmarks sidebar by pressing Command + Option + B on Mac or tapping the Bookmarks icon (the open book) on iPhone. Find the favorite in the list, swipe left on it (iPhone) or right-click it (Mac), and select Delete.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click any favorite in your Favorites Bar and select Delete to remove it immediately.
  • Favorites stored in folders appear in the Bookmarks menu, where you can right-click and delete them the same way.
  • On iPhone, long-press a favorite and select Delete from the menu that appears.
  • Deleting a favorite only removes it from Safari — it does not affect the website itself or your browsing history.
  • You can undo a deletion by pressing Command + Z immediately after deleting on Mac.

Edit or reorganize favorites without deleting them

If you want to keep a favorite but move it to a different folder, right-click it and select Edit Bookmark. A window opens where you can change the name, the web address, or the folder it's stored in. Click the folder dropdown to move it to a different location.

You can also drag favorites between folders in the Bookmarks sidebar. Open the sidebar with Command + Option + B, then drag a favorite from one folder to another. This is useful if you have many favorites and want to organize them by topic or use.

Delete multiple favorites at once

To remove several favorites in one action, open the Bookmarks sidebar and select the first one you want to delete. Hold Command and click each additional favorite you want to remove. Once they're all selected, press Delete or right-click and choose Delete.

On iPhone, you can only delete one favorite at a time. Long-press each one and select Delete individually. If you have many favorites to remove, doing this on a Mac or iPad is faster.

Clear favorites if you want to start fresh

If you want to remove all your favorites at once, you can reset Safari's bookmarks. On Mac, go to Safari in the menu, then Settings, then the General tab. Look for an option to reset Safari or clear all bookmarks — the exact wording varies by Safari version. On iPhone, go to Settings, then Safari, then scroll down and tap Clear History and Website Data.

Be careful with this option: clearing all bookmarks removes everything at once, and you cannot undo it. If you only want to remove some favorites, delete them one by one or in groups instead.

Recover a deleted favorite if you change your mind

On Mac, you can undo a deletion immediately by pressing Command + Z right after you delete. This works only if you haven't closed Safari or performed other actions in between. If more time has passed, the deletion is permanent.

On iPhone, there is no undo function for deleted favorites. If you deleted a favorite by mistake and cannot remember the exact web address, you can search for the website in Safari and add it back as a favorite. Long-press the address bar, select Add Bookmark, and choose the folder where you want to save it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does deleting a favorite from Safari delete my browsing history?

No. Deleting a favorite only removes the bookmark from Safari. Your browsing history, saved passwords, and any visits to that website remain in Safari's records. If you want to remove a website from your history, go to History in the menu and select Clear History.

Can I delete a favorite without opening the Bookmarks menu?

Yes. If the favorite is in your Favorites Bar, right-click it directly and select Delete. You don't need to open any menus. This is the quickest way to remove a favorite you see often.

What's the difference between a favorite and a bookmark in Safari?

A favorite is a bookmark you've pinned to your Favorites Bar for quick access. All favorites are bookmarks, but not all bookmarks are favorites. You can have bookmarks stored in folders that don't appear in the bar. Deleting either one removes it from Safari the same way.

If I delete a favorite on my Mac, does it disappear from my iPhone too?

Yes, if you use iCloud to sync Safari across your devices. When you delete a favorite on one device, it syncs to all your other Apple devices signed into the same iCloud account. If you don't use iCloud sync, deletions only affect the device where you made them.