If you want your Safari browser to land on a specific homepage, then you can change it by taking a handful of appropriate steps based on the device you’re using.

You can choose any page on the Internet to serve as your homepage. Safari also gives you the option to have it shown in a new tab or window.

5 Steps to Change Your Homepage on a Mac

If you own an iMac, MacBook Pro, or a MacBook Air, then you will want to follow these steps to change your homepage in Safari.

  • Open the Safari browser by clicking on the icon that looks like a compass on your computer.
  • Once the browser is open, click on the word “Safari” that is at the top left of your screen. It will be next to the Apple logo. Then scroll down the menu to the Preferences choice. Click on it, and then choose the “General” category at the top of the pop-up window on the far left.
  • Go to the homepage field. It is usually the fourth option from the top, sitting under the commands where “Safari opens with,” “new windows open with,” and “new tabs open with.” If you want to set it to the current page, then click the button underneath the homepage URL box.
  • If you’re going to input a specific URL to serve as your homepage, then you can type the address or copy and paste it from the Safari browser.
  • Once you make changes to the homepage, they automatically save on your Mac. You can now close the box and return to your browsing.

At the bottom of the General category is a box that allows you to open “safe” files after downloading. Apple considers any file that includes pictures, movies, sounds, text documents, archives, and PDFs to be safe. You may wish to uncheck this box based on your Internet browsing activities.

8 Steps to Change Your Homepage on an iPhone

You will find that the steps to follow when changing your homepage on Safari on your iPhone are very different from what you’ll experience on Mac.

There is no option available to you for controlling the homepage through the mobile browser.

You will also notice that Safari opens to the last web page you visited during your previous browsing session.

If you want to change that experience, then you’ll need to create a workaround on your iPhone or iPad.

  • Open Safari by clicking on the compass icon at the bottom of your screen. If it is not there because you have removed it from the dock, then you’ll find it by swiping left or right as you scroll through all of your app icons on your home screen.
  • Once Safari is open, you will want to go the web page that you want to turn into your homepage for your iPhone.
  • At the bottom of the browser, you will see a small box with an arrow that points upward. You will want to tap this icon.
  • This command brings up a new window on your device. There are three rows of options available to you. The first is the AirDrop option, which is followed by the second string of commands that allow you to share the page through a message, email, and other choices. The third row starts with the command to “Add to Reading List.”
  • You will need to scroll with a left swipe on the third row to reach “Add to Home Screen.” Tap on this command.
  • You will now be presented with a page that shows the new icon for the homepage, which is usually the favicon for the site. You can rename it if you wish by clicking on the name, and then typing a new one in its place.
  • Once you have changed the name of the homepage icon, you can tap the “Add” command at the top right of your screen. If you changed your mind, then choose the “Cancel” command at the top left.
  • Now close your Safari browser. You will see the new shortcut appear on the home screen of your mobile device. Tap on this icon every time you want to visit the new homepage.

NOTE: When you tap on this icon, it will open a new page in most iPhone Safari browsers. You will want to close the extra tabs that you create with each session when using this shortcut to keep your mobile device operating at the correct browsing speed.

4 Steps to Change Your Homepage on an iPad

The iPad is very similar in its command mechanics when compared to the iPhone. The primary difference in these steps is the location where of share icon that creates a shortcut.

  • Open Safari by clicking the compass icon in your dock or on your home screen.
  • Enter the URL of the website that you want to make your webpage, and then allow it to load.
  • At the upper right of your browser, you will see the box with an arrow pointing upward. This item is your share icon. Tap on it.
  • Then choose to add it to your home screen following the same instructions for the iPhone to complete the process.

What If My Safari Homepage Won’t Change?

If you discover that Safari seems to be stuck on a homepage that you don’t want even after following these steps, then you may have software or malware from a phishing site interfering with the browser.

This issue primarily applies to Mac users. If you think there might be adware on your device, then update to the latest macOS version.

You can restart your computer if you’re already using the latest version of macOS. The operating system has a built-in tool that removes malware during the restart process.

If this procedure does not work, then you will need to check for any suspicious apps that are on your device.

Following these steps in their entirety will ensure that you can change your Safari homepage on Mac, iPhone, or iPad.

Why can’t I change Safari homepage?

Others users unable to change or set a homepage in Safari have found first restarting in Safe Mode (restart and then hold down the Shift key at startup), and then restarting normally restored their ability to choose a homepage.

How do I make Google my homepage in Safari?

Make Google your homepage
  1. Step 1: Open Settings. Click on Safari in the top Apple menu bar, then select Preferences.
  2. Step 2: Change your homepage to Google. Next to New windows open with, select Homepage from the drop down menu.
  3. Step 3: Change your default search engine to Google.

How do I change my Safari homepage on iPad?

How to Set Your Safari Homepage on iPad
  1. Step 1: Open Safari Browser And Type in Your Homepage. On your iPad, open up Safari.
  2. Step 2: Click on the Square Icon with the Arrow.
  3. Step 3: Select Add to Home Screen.
  4. Step 4: Your Homepage Is Now On Your Home Screen.

How do I customize my safari background?

To get started, open the Safari browser on your Mac. From the start page, click the Menu button from the bottom-right corner of the screen. Now, check the box next to the “Background Image” option. Here, you can scroll horizontally to see bundled background images.

Can I change the color of Safari browser?

Choose colours and fonts used on web pages

To change the type, size and colour of your font and the background colour: Select the Safari menu, the select Preferences. Select Appearance, which is the second option on the right. Choose your desired font type, size and colour.

Can you change the background of Safari on iPhone?

For iPhone, tap Settings > Safari > Open Links, then select In Background. For iPad, tap Settings > Safari, then enable the Open New Tabs in Background setting. Now, when you tap and hold a link in Safari, the pop-up menu will include an Open in Background options.

Is there a dark mode for Safari on iPhone?

Safari On Mobile

Safari also uses the default system theme on mobile, so you can set dark mode on iPhone and iPad to darken your browser’s color. Navigate to Settings > Display & Brightness > Dark and toggle that option to on.

Is Safari better than Chrome?

If you’re coming from an iPhone, you’re probably used to Safari, while Android users are probably more comfortable in Chrome. One of the biggest drawbacks to Safari is that you can’t tinker with settings in the app. You’ll have to head over to Apple’s dedicated settings app any time you want to change something.

Is Safari safer than Google?

The bad. Like Chrome and Edge, Safari is not open-source, so outsiders can’t scrutinize any of its code. Researchers from Google’s Information Security Engineering team recently found several security issues in the above-mentioned ITP anti-tracking system, claiming ITP actually leaks Safari users’ web-browsing habits.

Should I use Safari or Chrome on Iphone?

Safari is limited to Apple devices, so it is the best choice for those who use multiple Apple devices for a superior cross-device experience. But, if you have one Apple device and another Windows or Android device, then Chrome might be the better chance because it works across all platforms.

Does Safari use Google?

Operating System Compatibility: Safari can be used natively only on Mac and iOS devices (and Android with some not-recommended emulating). Nativeness: Safari is native on iOS and OS X devices, while Google Chrome is native on Android and Chrome OS devices.

How do I get rid of Google on Safari?

More videos on YouTube
  1. 1) Tap on Settings – Safari:
  2. 2) Drag down and choose Advanced:
  3. 3) Choose Website Data:
  4. 4) You’ll see a list of websites. Find google.com:
  5. 5) Swipe left to delete. Done!
  6. 1) Tap on Settings – Accounts:
  7. 2) Choose Google:
  8. 3) Tap on the account you want to delete. Each phone is a little different.

Is Safari search engine safe?

If you choose to use Safari, you’re in safe hands as long as you’re using an Apple device. But Safari only works on Apple devices, whereas Firefox works on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Linux. So no matter what operating system you choose, Firefox has you covered with our security and privacy protections.

Is Safari owned by Apple?

Safari is a graphical web browser developed by Apple, mostly based on open source software such as WebKit.

Is Apple owned by Google?

Apple and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, worth more than $3 trillion combined, do compete on plenty of fronts, like smartphones, digital maps and laptops. But they also know how to make nice when it suits their interests.

Is DuckDuckGo owned by Google?

But does Google own DuckDuckGo? Nope. It’s not affiliated with Google and started in 2008 with a desire to give people another option. One of its first advertisements was urging people to look at Google with the slogan, “Google tracks you.

What’s the catch with DuckDuckGo?

DuckDuckGo describes itself as “the search engine that doesn’t track you”. It promises not to use cookies to follow users and says it doesn’t collect any personal information on those who use it. Even your IP address is hidden. “We protect your search history, even from us,” founder Gabriel Weinberg told WIRED.