How to add, remove, and reorganize your Safari favorites
Safari stores your favorite websites in two places: the Favorites bar (the row of icons below the address bar) and the Favorites folder (accessible from the sidebar or the Bookmarks menu). You can add any webpage to either location, delete ones you no longer use, rename them, and move them around to match how you actually browse.
The fastest way to add a favorite is to click the share button (the square with an arrow) while viewing a webpage, then tap "Add Bookmark". Choose whether to save it to the Favorites bar or the Favorites folder, and edit the name if you want something shorter or clearer than the page title.
To remove a favorite from the bar itself, right-click it and select "Delete". To remove one from the Favorites folder, open the sidebar (press Command-Option-B on Mac or the sidebar icon on iPad), find the favorite, right-click it, and choose "Delete".
Key Takeaways
- The Favorites bar holds up to about a dozen icons below the address bar; the Favorites folder holds unlimited bookmarks in an organized list.
- Add a favorite by clicking the share button on any webpage, selecting "Add Bookmark", and choosing where to save it.
- Rename a favorite by right-clicking it, selecting "Edit", and typing a new name.
- Drag favorites within the sidebar to reorder them, or drag them between the bar and the folder to move them between locations.
- On iPhone, favorites appear as a row of icons at the top of the search page and cannot be reordered, but you can still add and remove them.
Adding a favorite from any webpage
When you find a page you want to save, click the share button in the toolbar (it looks like a square with an arrow pointing out of it). A menu appears with several options; select "Add Bookmark" near the top.
A dialog box opens asking where to save the bookmark. The dropdown menu at the top shows your current choice — usually "Favorites" or a specific folder. Click the dropdown to see all your options: Favorites bar, Favorites folder, or any custom folder you have created. Select the location you want, edit the name in the text field if needed (the default is the page title, which is often long), and click "Add".
On iPad and iPhone, tap the share button at the bottom of the screen, scroll to find "Add Bookmark", and follow the same process. On iPhone, your favorites will appear as a row of icons at the top of the search page, but you cannot reorder them there — you can only add and remove them.
Renaming a favorite to something shorter
Website titles are often long or unclear. You can change any favorite's name to something you will actually recognize when scanning your list.
On Mac, right-click the favorite (whether it is on the bar or in the sidebar) and select "Edit". Change the text in the Name field to whatever you prefer — "Email" instead of "Gmail - Google's free email service", for example — and press Enter. On iPad, tap and hold the favorite, select "Edit", and change the name the same way.
On iPhone, open the sidebar (tap the book icon at the bottom), find the favorite, tap and hold it, select "Edit", and change the name. The change takes effect immediately.
Moving favorites between the bar and the folder
The Favorites bar is visible all the time but holds only about a dozen icons before it becomes crowded. The Favorites folder is hidden in the sidebar but can hold as many bookmarks as you want. You can move favorites between them as your browsing habits change.
On Mac, open the sidebar by pressing Command-Option-B. Drag a favorite from the bar directly into the Favorites folder in the sidebar, or drag one from the folder up to the bar. You can also right-click a favorite on the bar, select "Edit", and change its location using the dropdown menu at the top of the dialog.
On iPad, open the sidebar, then drag and drop favorites between the bar and the folder. On iPhone, tap and hold a favorite in the sidebar, select "Edit", and use the location dropdown to move it.
Organizing favorites into custom folders
If you have many bookmarks, creating folders by topic keeps them organized. You might have separate folders for news sites, work tools, shopping, or reference pages.
On Mac, open the sidebar and right-click in the Favorites folder. Select "New Folder", type a name, and press Enter. Then drag your favorites into the new folder. You can create folders within folders to go several levels deep if needed.
On iPad, tap and hold in the Favorites folder area, select "New Folder", name it, and drag favorites into it. On iPhone, the process is similar: open the sidebar, tap and hold to create a new folder, and move bookmarks into it by editing each one and changing its location.
Deleting favorites you no longer need
Removing old favorites keeps your bar and folders clean and makes it easier to find the ones you actually use.
On Mac, right-click any favorite (on the bar or in the sidebar) and select "Delete". The favorite is removed immediately. You can also select a favorite and press the Delete key. On iPad and iPhone, tap and hold the favorite, select "Delete", and confirm.
Deleting a favorite from the bar does not delete it from the Favorites folder if it is saved in both places — you are only removing it from the bar. If you want to delete it completely, remove it from the folder as well.
Syncing favorites across your devices
If you use Safari on multiple devices and have iCloud enabled, your favorites sync automatically. A favorite you add on your Mac appears on your iPad and iPhone within a few minutes, and vice versa.
To check that syncing is on, open Safari settings (Safari menu on Mac, Settings app on iPhone and iPad), go to the Passwords and Websites tab, and look for "iCloud Sync" or "Sync Bookmarks". Make sure it is turned on. If you have multiple Apple accounts, syncing only works within the same iCloud account, so all your devices must be signed in to the same account.
If a favorite is not syncing, check your internet connection and make sure iCloud is enabled on all devices. You can also manually export and import bookmarks using the File menu on Mac (File > Export Bookmarks) if you need to move them between accounts or devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see all my favorites in one place?
Yes. Open the sidebar by pressing Command-Option-B on Mac or tapping the book icon on iPhone and iPad. The sidebar shows your Favorites folder and any custom folders you have created. You can also view all bookmarks by going to Bookmarks menu > Show All Bookmarks, which opens a larger window with a search function.
What is the difference between the Favorites bar and the Favorites folder?
The Favorites bar is the row of icons directly below the address bar — always visible and quick to click. The Favorites folder is a list in the sidebar that holds many more bookmarks but requires an extra click to open. Most people keep their most-used sites on the bar and everything else in the folder.
Why did my favorite disappear from the bar but still shows in the sidebar?
You likely removed it from the bar but not from the Favorites folder. A favorite can exist in both places at once, or in just one. Right-click it in the sidebar and select "Edit" to see which location it is saved to, or add it back to the bar by dragging it from the sidebar to the bar.
Can I import favorites from another browser into Safari?
Yes. On Mac, go to File > Import From, then select the browser you want to import from (Chrome, Firefox, or Edge). Safari will copy all bookmarks from that browser into your Favorites folder. On iPhone and iPad, you can only import from another browser by exporting its bookmarks as an HTML file and emailing it to yourself, then opening it in Safari.
Do my favorites sync if I use Safari on a Windows computer?
iCloud sync works on Windows if you install iCloud for Windows and sign in with your Apple ID. Your Safari bookmarks will sync to the iCloud Bookmarks folder in your browser. However, full two-way syncing between Windows Safari and Mac Safari requires iCloud for Windows to be installed and running.