How to Fix Change Your Safari Homepage on Mac, iPhone

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Setting your Safari homepage to your favorite website can significantly enhance your browsing experience, allowing you to quickly access the sites you visit most. Here’s how you can change your Safari homepage on Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

Changing Your Safari Homepage on Mac

To change your Safari homepage on a Mac, follow these steps:

  1. Open Safari Preferences:

    • Click on Safari in the top menu bar.
    • Select Preferences from the dropdown menu.

  2. Navigate to the General Tab:

    • In the Preferences window, click on the General tab.

  3. Set Your Homepage:

  • In the box next to Homepage, enter the URL of the website you want to set as your homepage. If you are currently on that site, you can click the Set to Current Page button to automatically fill in the URL.

  1. Customize New Windows and Tabs:

    • Above the Homepage field, you will see options for New windows open with and New tabs open with. You can select Homepage from the dropdown menus for both options to ensure that new windows and tabs open with your chosen homepage.

  2. Quick Access to Your Homepage:

    • To quickly open your homepage, you can choose History > Home from the menu bar or add a Home button to your toolbar. To add the Home button, right-click on the toolbar, select Customize Toolbar, and drag the Home button (a little house icon) to your toolbar.

Customizing Your Safari Homepage Further on Mac

Setting an Image as Your Homepage

If you prefer a more personalized touch, you can set an image as your Safari homepage on Mac. Here’s how:

  1. Open Safari Preferences and go to the General tab.
  2. Select a Background Image:
    • Below the Homepage settings, you will find an option to set a background image. Click on the plus button to add one of your own photos or use one provided by Apple.

Changing Your Safari Homepage on iPhone and iPad

Unlike on Mac, there is no direct setting to change the Safari homepage on iPhone and iPad. However, you can create a shortcut to your favorite website on your Home Screen, which serves as a workaround.

  1. Open Safari and navigate to the website you want to use as your "homepage."
  2. Add to Home Screen:
    • Tap the Share button at the bottom of the screen.
    • Select Add to Home Screen from the menu.
    • Name your shortcut and tap Add.

Using the Desktop Version of a Website

If the website you want to add opens in a reader or mobile mode, you may not see your normal Safari options. To avoid this:

  1. Request the Desktop Site:
    • Before adding the site to your Home Screen, tap the Share button and select Request Desktop Site.
  2. Add to Home Screen:
    • Follow the steps above to add the desktop version of the site to your Home Screen.

Customizing the Safari Start Screen on iPhone and iPad

While you cannot set a custom homepage, you can customize the Safari start screen:

  1. Open Safari and go to the start screen.
  2. Edit the Start Screen:
    • Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap Edit.
    • Here, you can decide what you want to see on the start screen, reorder your iCloud tabs, and choose a different background image.

By following these steps, you can effectively customize your Safari browsing experience on both Mac and iOS devices, ensuring quick access to your favorite websites.

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