To change your homepage in Safari on a Mac, open Safari, click Safari in the menu bar, choose Settings (or Preferences on older versions of macOS), click General, and type a web address into the Homepage field. Then set New windows open with to Homepage so Safari actually shows that page.
That second part is the one people miss. Safari stores a homepage address, but it only displays it when one of the pop-up menus above the field tells it to. The steps below cover both, for Safari 11.0.3 on macOS High Sierra and for current versions of macOS.
Quick Steps: Change the Safari Homepage on a Mac
- Open Safari.
- Click Safari in the menu bar, then choose Settings or Preferences.
- Click General.
- Type the new address in the Homepage field, or click Set to Current Page.
- Click New windows open with and choose Homepage.
Which Versions These Steps Apply To
The homepage setting has been in the same place for many years. Apple’s Safari User Guide lists the same General pane and the same Homepage field for macOS High Sierra, which is the version that Safari 11.0.3 runs on, and for the current macOS release. The only label that changed is the name of the menu item that opens the window.
| macOS version | Menu item to choose |
|---|---|
| macOS Ventura 13 and later | Safari > Settings |
| macOS Monterey 12 and earlier, including High Sierra with Safari 11 | Safari > Preferences |
Apple’s instructions list no special requirements for this change. You only need the address of the page you want to use. If you plan to use the Set to Current Page button, open that page in Safari first.
How to Set a New Homepage in Safari (Detailed Steps)
These steps follow Apple’s current instructions for how to change your homepage in Safari on Mac. On Safari 11.0.3, the only difference is that you click Preferences in step 2.
Step 1: Open Safari
Click the Safari icon in the Dock. The menu bar at the top of the screen should now show Safari next to the Apple menu. If it shows the name of another app, click anywhere in the Safari window first.
Step 2: Open Safari Settings
Click Safari in the menu bar, then choose Settings. On macOS Monterey and earlier, the same item is called Preferences. A separate window opens with a row of buttons across the top.
Step 3: Click General
Click General at the left end of that row. This pane holds the Homepage field along with the menus that control what new windows and new tabs show.
Step 4: Enter the Homepage Address
Click inside the Homepage field, delete the address that is there, and type the address of the page you want, such as the sign-in page for your email or your favorite search engine. Typing the full address, including the https:// at the start, avoids any doubt about which page opens.
If the page you want is already open in the Safari window behind the settings, click Set to Current Page instead. Safari copies that page’s address into the field for you. Some versions of Safari may ask you to confirm the change; if you see that prompt, confirm it.
Step 5: Choose When the Homepage Appears
Click the New windows open with pop-up menu and choose Homepage. If you also want every new tab to load the same page, click New tabs open with and choose Homepage there too. Many people leave new tabs set to the start page, because loading a full website in every new tab can feel slow.
There is no Save button. Close the settings window with the red button in its top-left corner and the change is kept.
If you also use Edge on your Mac, here is how to make Google your homepage in Microsoft Edge.
Firefox on a Mac has a separate setting, so if you use both browsers, change your home page on Firefox too.
Older Versions of Safari
The screenshots below show Safari 11.0.3 on macOS High Sierra. In that version you choose Safari > Preferences.
The Homepage field and the Set to Current Page button are on the General tab, just as they are today.
Newer versions of Safari have more buttons across the top of the window and a few extra options in the pop-up menus, so your window will not match these pictures exactly. The field names are the same.
Homepage vs. Start Page: What Is the Difference?
Safari uses two similar terms. The homepage is one web address that you pick. The start page is a built-in Safari page that can show your Favorites, Reading List, a Privacy Report summary and other sections. It is not a website, so you cannot type its address into the Homepage field.
Apple’s list of General settings in Safari on Mac describes every choice in the two pop-up menus. In the current version, new windows can open with Start Page, Homepage, Empty Page, Same Page, Tabs for Favorites or a tabs folder that you choose. New tabs offer the first four of those. Older versions such as Safari 11 use slightly different names for some of these choices.
If you like the start page and only want to change what is on it, you do not need a homepage at all. You can customize the start page in Safari on Mac and delete favorites in Safari on a Mac to clear out sites you no longer visit.
How to Check That It Worked, and How to Undo It
To test the address, click History in the menu bar and choose Home. Safari loads your homepage in the current tab. Then open a new window by choosing File > New Window. If you set New windows open with to Homepage, the new window should load the same page.
To undo the change, go back to Safari > Settings > General and set New windows open with and New tabs open with back to Start Page, or to the nearest equivalent in your version. You can leave the address in the Homepage field. It does nothing unless one of the menus points to it or you choose History > Home.
Troubleshooting Safari Homepage Problems
Safari still opens to the start page or to old tabs
Check two menus at the top of the General pane. New windows open with must be set to Homepage. Above it, Safari opens with controls how each session starts. If that is set to reopen all the windows from your last session, Safari restores those pages instead of opening a fresh window with your homepage. Set it to A new window if you want the homepage first every time.
You see Preferences but not Settings, or the other way around
That is a version difference, not a problem. Both items open the same window. Use whichever one appears in the Safari menu.
The homepage keeps changing on its own
If the address changes without you touching it, something else on the Mac may be doing it. Apple’s article about pop-up ads and unwanted software in Safari recommends three checks: update macOS and restart the Mac, look in the Applications folder for apps you do not expect, and open the Extensions tab in Safari settings to turn off or uninstall extensions you do not need. After that, set the homepage again.
The field is dimmed or the setting will not stick
On a Mac that is managed by an employer or a school, an administrator may control Safari settings. Apple’s user guide does not describe how that looks on screen, so if the field cannot be edited on a work or school Mac, ask the person who manages the computer.
You use Safari profiles
Recent versions of Safari include a Profiles pane, where Apple says you can choose what appears when you open a new window or tab in a profile. If a profile ignores your homepage choice, check that pane as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I set Google as my Safari homepage?
Yes. Any web address works in the Homepage field. The walkthrough on how to make Google your homepage in Safari on a Mac covers that exact case. Keep in mind that you can already search from the address bar at the top of the Safari window without visiting a search site first.
Can I have more than one homepage?
The Homepage field holds one address. To open several pages at once, set New windows open with to Tabs for Favorites or to a tabs folder that you choose. Safari then opens each bookmark in that folder as its own tab.
Is there a quick way to get back to my homepage?
Choose History > Home from the menu bar. Safari also has a Home button that can be placed in the toolbar. To look for it, choose View > Customize Toolbar and drag the button into the toolbar, then click Done.
Can I set a homepage in Safari on an iPhone?
Apple’s iPhone guide does not list a homepage setting for Safari. What it does document is adding a website icon to the Home Screen: open the site, tap Share, then tap Add to Home Screen. Tapping that icon opens the site directly. The steps are in Apple’s guide to bookmarking a website in Safari on iPhone. To change the search provider on your phone instead, switch the iPhone’s Safari search engine to Google.
Does changing the homepage change my search engine or default browser?
No. The homepage is only the page that loads in a new window or tab. The search engine is chosen in the Search pane of Safari settings, and the default browser is a macOS setting outside Safari.
Next Steps
While the Safari settings window is open, you can review a couple of nearby options. The AutoFill pane controls saved contact details and passwords. Here’s how to disable AutoFill in Safari on a Mac. At the bottom of the General pane is the option that opens downloaded files automatically. If an installer needs its original ZIP package, you can stop Safari from automatically unzipping downloads there.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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