To delete a favorite in Safari on a Mac, Control-click (or right-click) the website in the Favorites bar or on the Favorites page and choose Delete. You can also drag the favorite out of the Favorites bar and up into the toolbar, then let go.
This guide covers both methods, removing favorites and whole folders from the Bookmarks sidebar, hiding Favorites instead of deleting them, and other ways to tidy the list. The steps follow Apple’s guides to organizing Favorites and deleting bookmarks in Safari on Mac.
How to Delete Favorites in Safari on Mac
- Open Safari on your Mac.
- Find the favorite in the Favorites bar or on the Favorites section of the start page.
- Control-click it, or right-click with a mouse or trackpad.
- Choose Delete from the shortcut menu.
Result: The website is removed from Favorites. If Safari syncs through iCloud, Apple notes your Favorites stay the same on all your devices, so it disappears from your iPhone and iPad too. To keep a copy before you clean up, you can export your Safari bookmarks on an iPad first.
Drag a favorite away
Apple also describes a drag method: drag the website from the Favorites bar or the Favorites area into the toolbar, then let it go. This is quick when you’re clearing several favorites in a row.
How to Delete Favorites From the Bookmarks Sidebar
Favorites are stored in a Favorites folder inside your bookmarks, so you can also manage them from the sidebar. This is the way to delete a folder of favorites.
- Click the Sidebar button in the toolbar if the sidebar isn’t showing.
- Click Bookmarks in the sidebar. If you don’t see it, Apple suggests clicking the sidebar’s options button and choosing Show Folders on Top.
- Open the Favorites folder.
- Control-click a bookmark or folder and choose Delete.
Result: The bookmark or folder is removed. Deleting a folder removes everything inside it, so check its contents first.
Hide Favorites Instead of Deleting Them
If the Favorites bar just takes up space, you can hide it and keep your saved sites. Choose View › Hide Favorites Bar. Choose View › Show Favorites Bar to bring it back.
To show a different set of sites on the start page, Apple says to choose Safari › Settings, click General, and pick a folder from the Start Page Favorites pop-up menu. If you would rather have new windows load one website, see how to change the Safari homepage on a Mac.
Other Ways to Tidy Up Favorites
- Rearrange: drag favorites to new spots.
- Rename: Control-click a favorite on the Favorites page or in the Favorites bar and choose Rename. You can also click and hold the name until it’s highlighted, then type.
- Show icons only for one site: Control-click its title and deselect Show Title.
- Show icons only for all sites: Control-click between sites in the Favorites bar and choose Show Icons Only.
Troubleshooting
- A deleted favorite comes back: another device may still be syncing an older copy. Make sure Safari is turned on in iCloud settings on each device and give it a few minutes.
- Deleted the wrong favorite: choose Edit › Undo right away (Command-Z).
- No Delete option: make sure you Control-click the favorite itself, not the empty space next to it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is deleting a favorite the same as deleting a bookmark?
Yes. A favorite is a bookmark saved in the Favorites folder, so deleting it removes that bookmark.
Will deleting a favorite clear my history for that site?
No. Your browsing history is separate. Clear it from the History menu if you want that gone too.
More Safari Guides
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.