8 Ways to Manage Tabs in the Safari Web Browser

Safari is the default web browser app on all Apple devices. When you select links in other apps and open them in Safari, new tabs will open. After a while, it can become difficult to navigate and manage your tabs. Learn to close all safari tabs, bookmark tabs, open incognito tabs, and navigate the Safari web browser seamlessly.

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1. How to View Safari Tabs

  1. Open the Safari app.
  2. Select the Tabs icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen. If you don't see the Tabs icon, swipe down slightly and it will appear.

    Open the Safari appTap the Tabs icon in the bottom-right corner
     
  3. Scroll through the list of open tabs.
  4. Select the one you want to open.

    View your list of tabs

2. How to Search Tabs in Safari

  1. Open the Safari app.
  2. Select the Tabs icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen. If you don't see the Tabs icon, swipe down slightly and it will appear.

    Open the Safari appTap the Tabs icon in the bottom-right corner
     
  3. Swipe down to access the Search Tabs bar, and tap on it.
  4. Enter the search term for the tab you are looking for.

    Swipe down slightly to access the search barTap into the search bar and enter your search term
     
  5. Tap on the tab that matches your search, and that tab will open.

    Select the webpage you want from the search results

3. How to Rearrange Tabs in Safari

It's not obvious how to do it, but once you know how to rearrange tabs in the Safari web browser on your device, your new knowledge will make finding the tab you're looking for a much faster process.

4. How to Bookmark All Tabs in Safari

Bookmarking is another quick way to save your browsing history so that you don't have to go back and find what you're looking for from scratch. Bookmarks are easy to access, and you can even bookmark all of the tabs you have open, all at the same time!

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Related: How to Make Bookmark Folders in Safari on the iPhone or iPad

5. How to Open a New Tab in Safari

  1. Open the Safari app.
  2. Select the Tabs icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen. If you don't see the Tabs icon, swipe down slightly and it will appear.

    Open the Safari appTap the Tabs icon in the bottom-right corner
     
  3. Tap on the + icon at the bottom middle of the screen to open a new standard (non-private) tab.
  4. A new tab will open.
  5. To open a private tab instead, tap on Private at the bottom of the screen, then select the + icon to open a private browser window.

    Tap the plus icon to open a new standard webpage tabTap Private to open a new private Safari web browser tab

One point of clarification is that in the Safari web browser, private browsing is not called "incognito," it's labeled "Private." You won't find a anything that says "Open Incognito Tab," but private tabs function similarly to those you'd find in other browsers.

6. How to View & Reopen Recently Closed Tabs in Safari

  1. Open the Safari app.
  2. Select the Tabs icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen. If you don't see the Tabs icon, swipe down slightly and it will appear.

    Open the Safari appTap the Tabs icon in the bottom-right corner
     
  3. Long-press the + icon at the bottom middle of the screen.
  4. You will see a list of your recently opened tabs.
  5. Scroll through to find the webpage you wish to reopen.
  6. Tap on the desired page in the list to reopen it in a new tab.

    Tap the tabs icon at the bottom-right corner of the screenSelect the webpage you want to open from the list

7. How to Manually Close All Safari Tabs At Once

You can close all your tabs at once, or program your iPhone to automatically close all tabs at a certain time every day.

  1. Open the Safari app.
  2. Long-press the Tabs icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen. If you don't see the Tabs icon, swipe down slightly and it will appear.
  3. Select Close All [#] Tabs.

    Long-press the tabs iconSelect Close All [#] Tabs
     
  4. A popup will ask if you are sure you want to close all open tabs.
  5. Select Close All [#] Tabs to confirm.

    Confirm Close All [#] Tabs

8. How to Automatically Close All Safari Tabs At a Certain Time

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Scroll down to Safari and tap on it.

    Open the settings appScroll down and select Safari
     
  3. Scroll down to Tabs.
  4. Select Close Tabs.
  5. Choose between Manually, After One Day, After One Week, and After One Month.

    Tap on Close TabsSelect an option for when to schedule the auto-close for Safari tabs
     
  6. Tap on the desired option so that a blue check mark appears.
  7. Leave settings or go back; your selection will be saved automatically.

Now you know how to close all tabs in Safari, open a new tab, and bookmark tabs for easy access. You can also check out how to mute a tab in Safari. Navigating the Safari web browser is simple once you get the hang of it. Learning how to use Safari extensions can also be a great way to block ads and look for discounts. Happy browsing! 

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Author Details

Olena Kagui's picture

Author Details

Olena Kagui

Olena Kagui is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life. In the last 10 years, she has been published in dozens of publications internationally and won an excellence award. Since joining iPhone Life in 2020, she has written how-to articles as well as complex guides about Apple products, software, and apps. Olena grew up using Macs and exploring all the latest tech. Her Maui home is the epitome of an Apple ecosystem, full of compatible smart gear to boot. Olena’s favorite device is the Apple Watch Ultra because it can survive all her adventures and travels, and even her furbabies.