Delete an extension from Safari on your Mac in three steps
To remove an extension from Safari on a Mac, open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar at the top left. Select Settings (or Preferences on older versions), then click the Extensions tab. Find the extension you want to remove, click it once to select it, then click the Uninstall button. The extension is now gone from Safari.
If you do not see the Extensions tab, your version of Safari may be older. On Safari 14 and earlier, go to Safari > Preferences > Extensions instead. The process is the same once you are there.
After you uninstall an extension, it stops running immediately. Any toolbar buttons or menu items it added will disappear. If you change your mind later, you can reinstall it from the App Store or wherever you originally found it.
Key Takeaways
- Open Safari Settings, click the Extensions tab, select the extension, and click Uninstall to remove it from your Mac.
- Deleted extensions stop working right away and their toolbar buttons disappear from Safari.
- On iPhone and iPad, you remove extensions through the Settings app under Safari, not through Safari itself.
- Uninstalling an extension does not delete it from your computer — you can reinstall it later if you need it again.
Remove an extension from Safari on iPhone or iPad
On iPhone and iPad, Safari extensions are managed through the Settings app, not through Safari itself. Open Settings, scroll down and tap Safari, then tap Extensions. You will see a list of all extensions you have installed.
Tap the extension you want to remove. A menu will appear with options including Allow, Ask, and Don't Allow. To fully remove the extension, tap Don't Allow. This turns off the extension and removes it from Safari on that device.
If you want to completely uninstall the extension from your iPhone or iPad rather than just turning it off, you need to delete the app that provides the extension. Go to your home screen, find the app, press and hold it, then tap Remove App and confirm. This removes both the app and its extension.
What happens when you delete an extension
When you uninstall an extension, Safari stops loading it immediately. Any buttons, menu items, or features the extension added to Safari disappear. Websites you visit will no longer see that extension running in your browser.
Uninstalling does not erase the extension from your computer or device permanently. The extension remains available in the App Store or wherever you originally found it. If you decide you want it back, you can reinstall it at any time without losing any settings or data you had before.
Some extensions store data on your computer even after you uninstall them. If you want to remove all traces of an extension, you may need to manually delete its files. This is rarely necessary for most users, but if an extension was causing problems, a complete removal can help.
Disable an extension instead of deleting it
If you are not sure whether you want to keep an extension, you can turn it off without removing it. On Mac, open Safari Settings, click Extensions, select the extension, and uncheck the box next to its name. The extension stays installed but stops running.
On iPhone and iPad, open Settings, tap Safari, tap Extensions, select the extension, and tap Ask or Don't Allow. This turns off the extension without uninstalling it. You can turn it back on later by tapping Allow.
Disabling is useful when you want to test whether an extension is causing a problem, or when you use an extension only sometimes. You keep the extension ready to use without it running all the time.
Troubleshooting: extension will not uninstall
If you cannot find an extension in Safari Settings to uninstall it, the extension may have been installed as part of an app. Some Mac apps include Safari extensions that you cannot remove directly from Safari. Instead, you must uninstall the app itself.
To uninstall an app on Mac, open Finder, click Applications in the sidebar, find the app, and drag it to the Trash. Then empty the Trash. This removes both the app and any extensions it provided to Safari.
If an extension appears in Safari Settings but the Uninstall button is grayed out or missing, restart Safari and try again. Close Safari completely, wait a few seconds, then open it again. If the button still does not work, restart your Mac.
Why you might want to remove an extension
Extensions can slow down Safari, especially if you have many installed. Removing ones you no longer use can make Safari faster and more responsive. Extensions also use battery power on iPhone and iPad, so deleting unused ones can improve battery life.
Some extensions request access to the websites you visit. If you no longer trust an extension or it is no longer maintained by its developer, removing it reduces the risk that it could track your activity or cause security problems.
Extensions can also cause Safari to crash or behave unexpectedly. If Safari is acting up, try disabling your extensions one at a time to see if one of them is the cause. Once you find the problem extension, you can uninstall it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does uninstalling an extension delete my browsing data?
No. Uninstalling an extension does not affect your Safari history, bookmarks, passwords, or any other data. It only removes the extension itself and stops it from running in Safari.
Can I remove Safari's built-in extensions?
Safari comes with some built-in features that look like extensions in Settings, such as Reader and Translation. These cannot be uninstalled, but you can turn them off by unchecking them in the Extensions tab. They will stop appearing in Safari until you turn them back on.
What if I delete an extension by accident?
You can reinstall it anytime. If it came from the App Store, search for it in the App Store and tap Get. If it came from a developer's website, go back to that website and download it again. Your Safari settings and history remain unchanged.
Will removing an extension speed up Safari?
It may, depending on what the extension does. Extensions that run scripts on every website or track your activity use more processing power and battery. Removing heavy extensions can make Safari noticeably faster, especially on older Macs or iPhones.
Can I remove extensions on Safari for Windows?
Safari is not available for Windows. If you use Safari on a Mac and want to use Safari on Windows, you would need to use a different browser. Chrome, Firefox, and Edge all run on Windows and support extensions.