The fastest way to close all tabs in Safari
To close all tabs at once in Safari, hold down the Shift key, then click the X button on any open tab. This closes every tab in that window instantly. On Mac, you can also use the keyboard shortcut Command + Option + W to close all tabs without touching the mouse.
If you have multiple Safari windows open, this method closes tabs only in the window you are currently using. Each window keeps its own set of tabs, so you will need to repeat the process for each one if you want to clear them all.
The Shift+click method works the same way on both Mac and iPad. On iPhone, the process is slightly different because of how the interface is designed — see the iPhone section below for those steps.
Key Takeaways
- Hold Shift and click the X on any tab to close all tabs in that Safari window at once.
- On Mac, Command + Option + W closes all tabs using only the keyboard.
- If you have multiple Safari windows open, you must close tabs in each window separately.
- iPhone and iPad have different interfaces, so the steps vary slightly between devices.
- Closing all tabs does not delete your browsing history — it only closes the open pages.
Closing all tabs on Mac
On a Mac running Safari, you have two main options. The keyboard shortcut Command + Option + W is the fastest if your hands are already on the keyboard. Press all three keys at the same time, and every tab in the current window closes immediately.
If you prefer using the mouse, hold Shift and click the X button in the top-right corner of any tab. The X appears when you hover over a tab. All tabs in that window will close at once. This method is useful if you want to see which tab you are closing before you act, since you can hover over different tabs to confirm.
After closing all tabs, Safari shows a blank window. You can open a new tab by pressing Command + T, or Safari will open your homepage or start page the next time you launch the browser, depending on your settings.
Closing all tabs on iPad
On iPad, the tab interface looks different from Mac, but the Shift+click method still works. Tap and hold on the X button of any open tab while holding down Shift on an external keyboard. All tabs in that window close at once.
If you do not have an external keyboard connected, you can close tabs one at a time by swiping left on each tab in the tab bar, or you can use the tab manager. Tap the tab manager icon (it looks like two overlapping squares) in the bottom-right corner of Safari, then tap "Edit" and select all tabs you want to close. There is no single-tap method to close all tabs at once on iPad without a keyboard.
Closing all tabs on iPhone
iPhone does not have a built-in button to close all tabs at once. Instead, open the tab manager by tapping the tab icon in the bottom-right corner of Safari (it shows a number representing how many tabs you have open). Then tap "Edit" in the bottom-left corner.
Once you are in edit mode, tap "Close All [X] Tabs" at the bottom of the screen, where X is the number of open tabs. This closes every tab on your iPhone immediately. If you do not see this button, make sure you tapped "Edit" first — it only appears in edit mode.
What happens when you close all tabs
Closing all tabs removes them from your view, but it does not erase your browsing history. Safari keeps a record of every page you visited in the History menu, which you can access by pressing Command + Y on Mac or tapping the clock icon on iPhone and iPad. You can still go back to any page you closed by searching your history.
If you want to actually delete your browsing history along with closing tabs, you need to clear your history separately. On Mac, go to History menu and select "Clear History," then choose how far back you want to go. On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. This is a different action from closing tabs.
Closing tabs in a specific Safari window only
If you have multiple Safari windows open at the same time, the Shift+click and keyboard methods close tabs only in the window that is currently active (the one you are looking at). The other windows keep their tabs open.
To close all tabs in a different window, click on that window first to make it active, then use the same method. If you want to close Safari entirely and have it remember your open tabs for next time, go to Safari menu > Settings > General, and set "Safari opens with" to "All windows from last session." This way, when you reopen Safari, all your tabs come back.
Why you might want to close all tabs
Closing all tabs at once is useful when Safari feels slow or when you have accumulated dozens of pages over several days. Each open tab uses a small amount of your device's memory, so closing them can free up space and make Safari run faster. This is especially noticeable on older devices or when you have many other apps running.
Some people close all tabs as a way to reset their browsing session or to start fresh. Others do it before switching to a different task or before handing their device to someone else. Unlike closing your browser entirely, closing tabs keeps Safari open and ready to use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does closing all tabs delete my bookmarks?
No. Closing tabs only closes the pages you have open right now. Your bookmarks stay in the Bookmarks menu and are not affected. If you bookmarked a page before closing it, the bookmark remains.
Can I undo closing all tabs?
Safari does not have an undo button for closing tabs. However, you can reopen recently closed tabs by pressing Command + Shift + T on Mac, or by going to History and selecting a page you just closed. On iPhone and iPad, swipe left on the tab manager screen to see recently closed tabs.
Will closing all tabs speed up my Safari?
Yes, usually. Each open tab uses memory and processing power. Closing tabs frees up those resources, which can make Safari feel faster, especially on older devices or when you have many tabs open. The effect is most noticeable if you had 20 or more tabs open.
What is the difference between closing tabs and quitting Safari?
Closing all tabs keeps Safari open but removes the pages you were viewing. Quitting Safari closes the entire app. If you set Safari to reopen with your last session, quitting and reopening brings your tabs back. Closing tabs does not.
Can I close all tabs except one?
Safari does not have a built-in option for this. You would need to close all tabs, then reopen the one you want to keep. Alternatively, you can close tabs one at a time by clicking the X on each tab, skipping the one you want to keep.