The quickest way to save a site you visit often

To add a favorite in Safari, tap or click the share button, then select "Add Bookmark" and choose "Favorites" as the folder. On iPhone and iPad, the share button is the square with an arrow at the bottom of the screen. On Mac, it's the upward arrow near the top right. The site then appears in your Favorites bar — the row of icons that shows when you open a new tab or window.

Favorites and bookmarks are not the same thing in Safari. A favorite is a bookmark you've chosen to display in a specific, easy-to-reach spot. Any site you bookmark goes into your bookmarks folder, but only the ones you mark as favorites show up in that quick-access bar.

Key Takeaways

  • Tap or click the share button, then "Add Bookmark," and select "Favorites" to save a site where you can reach it in one tap.
  • Your Favorites bar appears at the top of every new tab, making it faster than digging through a bookmarks folder.
  • You can rearrange favorites by long-pressing (on iPhone and iPad) or dragging (on Mac) to put the ones you use most at the left.
  • Favorites sync across all your Apple devices if you have iCloud turned on in Safari settings.

Adding a favorite on iPhone and iPad

Open Safari and navigate to the page you want to save. Tap the share button — it looks like a square with an arrow pointing up — at the bottom center of the screen. A menu will slide up from the bottom showing several options.

Scroll down in that menu until you see "Add Bookmark." Tap it. A dialog box will appear with the site's name at the top. Below that, you'll see a dropdown that says "Favorites" — that's already selected, which is what you want. If it says something else, tap it and choose "Favorites" from the list. Then tap "Save" in the top right corner of the dialog.

The site is now in your Favorites. The next time you open a new tab, you'll see it in the row of icons at the top.

Adding a favorite on Mac

Open Safari and go to the page you want to save. Click the share button — the upward arrow — near the top right of the window. A menu will drop down with several options.

Click "Add Bookmark." A small window will pop up with the site's name in a text field. Below that is a dropdown menu showing where the bookmark will be saved. Click that dropdown and select "Favorites." Then click "Add" to save it.

The site now appears in your Favorites bar at the top of the Safari window, just below the address bar. If you don't see a Favorites bar, go to Safari menu > Preferences > Tabs, and check the box next to "Show Favorites."

Organizing your Favorites so you find them faster

Your Favorites bar has limited space, so it's worth arranging them by how often you use each one. On iPhone and iPad, long-press any favorite in your Favorites bar to grab it, then drag it left or right to reorder. On Mac, click and drag a favorite to move it.

If you add more favorites than fit in the bar, the extras hide behind a menu. On iPhone and iPad, swipe left in the Favorites bar to see more. On Mac, click the arrow at the right end of the Favorites bar. You can keep adding favorites — they won't disappear, but ones you use less often will be hidden behind that menu.

You can also rename a favorite to make it shorter or clearer. On iPhone and iPad, long-press the favorite and tap "Edit Bookmark," then change the name. On Mac, right-click the favorite, select "Edit Bookmark," and change the name in the window that appears.

Making sure your Favorites stay in sync across devices

If you use Safari on more than one Apple device, your Favorites can sync automatically. This means a favorite you add on your iPhone will show up on your Mac and iPad without you having to add it again.

To turn on syncing, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud on iPhone or iPad, or System Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud on Mac. Make sure the toggle next to Safari is turned on. Syncing happens in the background whenever your devices are connected to the internet and signed into the same Apple ID.

If a favorite isn't syncing, check that you're signed into the same Apple ID on all your devices and that iCloud is on for Safari on each one. Sometimes it takes a few minutes for changes to appear across devices.

The difference between Favorites and Bookmarks

Every favorite is a bookmark, but not every bookmark is a favorite. When you add a bookmark in Safari, you choose which folder it goes into — Favorites, Reading List, or a custom folder you create. A favorite is simply a bookmark you've placed in the Favorites folder, which gives it that special spot in your Favorites bar.

If you want to save a site but don't need quick access to it, you can bookmark it to a different folder instead. Go through the same steps — tap or click share, then "Add Bookmark" — but choose a different folder from the dropdown. That bookmark will be in your bookmarks menu, but won't clutter your Favorites bar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete a favorite without deleting the bookmark?

No. Removing a favorite removes the bookmark entirely from Safari. If you want to keep the site but just remove it from your Favorites bar, you'll need to move the bookmark to a different folder instead. Long-press or right-click the favorite, select "Edit Bookmark," and change the folder to something other than Favorites.

What if my Favorites bar is full?

Safari automatically hides extras behind a menu. On iPhone and iPad, swipe left in the Favorites bar to see hidden ones. On Mac, click the arrow at the right end. You can keep adding favorites — they won't be lost, just hidden. Rearrange them so your most-used sites are visible and less-used ones are in the menu.

Do I need iCloud to sync Favorites across devices?

Yes. If you don't have iCloud turned on for Safari, Favorites you add on one device won't appear on others. You can still use Favorites on each device separately — they just won't stay in sync. Turn on iCloud in Settings or System Settings if you want them to match across your devices.

Can I add a favorite to a specific folder instead of the Favorites bar?

Yes, but it won't show in your Favorites bar. When you tap or click "Add Bookmark," change the dropdown from "Favorites" to any other folder you've created. The site will be saved as a bookmark in that folder, accessible through your bookmarks menu, but won't appear in the quick-access bar.