Along with some fantastic new features, macOS Big Sur has enhanced Safari to be a faster, privacy-first browser. Moreover, you can customize the Safari start page on your Mac for a more personal experience. This includes things like setting a custom wallpaper, seeing Siri suggestions for webpages that may interest you, a privacy report about the sites you’re visiting, your favorites, Reading List, and more. Let’s check out the details.
- How To Get New Version Of Safari On Mac
- How To Get Safari Updates For Mac
- How To Install New Safari On Mac
Apple reserves the right to refuse or limit the quantity of any device for any reason. In the Apple Store: Offer only available on presentation of a valid, government-issued photo ID (local law may require saving this information). Value of your current device may be applied toward purchase of a new Apple device. MacOS Big Sur elevates the most advanced desktop operating system in the world to a new level of power and beauty. Experience Mac to the fullest with a refined new design. Enjoy the biggest Safari update ever. Discover new features for Maps and Messages. And get even more transparency around your privacy. How to Update Safari on Mac. This wikiHow teaches you how to update Safari and get rid of the 'This version of Safari is no longer supported' messages. If you're using a Mac with OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or older, you must first purchase a copy. The security of Mac users has been foremost in the redesign of Safari for macOS Mojave, and Apple has been working behind the scenes to improve Safari’s security. Intelligent Tracking Protection – While this is a feature that’s been baked into Safari since last year (preventing third party cookies), this year’s Safari does even more to.
- How to Delete Safari Start Page Items in macOS Big Sur
If you can’t see the start page when you launch Safari, here’s what to do. Click on Safari from the top menu → Preferences → General → here set ‘New Windows open with:’ to Start Page.
Safari Start Page Features in macOS Big Sur
The page compiles some old and some new items, to make your browsing experience more smooth. Let’s check them all in detail –
- Favorites – The section where all your favorite bookmarks are stored. Just tap on the website to open it
- Frequently Visited – As the name suggests, a host of websites that you have regularly visited while browsing
- Privacy Report – A new feature, wherein Safari brings transparency to your browsing activity. It lists in detail, which website has attempted to track you
- Siri Suggestions – Siri studies your browsing behavior and accordingly lines up webpages that you might be looking for at that moment
- Reading List – The webpages you have added that you want to read or refer to later
- iCloud Tabs – This feature will only show up if your Safari is synced with iCloud across devices. You can enable the feature by clicking on the Apple logo in the menu bar → System Preferences → Apple ID → Check the box next to Safari
- Background Image – It doesn’t affect your browsing experience. But with a custom wallpaper on the Safari start page, you can set the welcome page per your taste
As you can see, macOS Big Sur has gone all out on the personalization theme. And the best part, you can tinker around with them to match your work profile and preferences.
How to Hide or Unhide Safari Start Page Items in macOS Big Sur
Indeed a lot is going on in the Safari start page this time around. It can go chaotic for a lot of users.
Thankfully, you can quite easily manage the number of items showing up on the start page.
- Open Safari on your Mac
- Click on the menu button (three-toggle icon) from the bottom right of the page.
- Here check or uncheck the items you want to show or hide from the start page.
An alternate method is to right-click any empty space on the start page. From the contextual menu, select or deselect the items.
There’s more, you can also micro-manage these items. Choose which website to keep or remove and more such options.
How to Delete Safari Start Page Items in macOS Big Sur
All these features have been added to make your Safari experience smoother and faster. While Apple has done its part, it’s up to you now to keep each section organized and perfectly tailored for your needs.
Remove a Specific Favorited Bookmark
Right-click on a favorited website, then select Delete to remove it from the list.
Do note that you can also Rename or Edit Address from this setting.
Remove a Frequently Visited Website
To remove a frequently visited webpage from Safari’s home page, right-click on the website, and select Delete.
Stop Siri Suggestion from Showing up
Go to the suggested website & Right-click or two-finger tap. Select Don’t Suggest This Website from the pop-up menu.
How To Get New Version Of Safari On Mac
You can also use the method to shift a website from Siri Suggestion to Reading List.
Remove a Particular Reading List
The method to delete a website from Safari Reading List is relatively similar, right-click and select Remove-Item.
Signing off
We love the overall feel and features added to the macOS 11 Big Sur. It even sports iOS-like Control Center and widgets. Amazingly customization is at the core of all of them, ensuring a user-centric experience for all Mac users.
You may also like to read:
A self-professed Geek who loves to explore all things Apple. I thoroughly enjoy discovering new hacks, troubleshooting issues, and finding and reviewing the best products and apps currently available. My expertise also includes curating opinionated and honest editorials. If not this, you might find me surfing the web or listening to audiobooks.
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/arshmeet/Why Hasn't Apple Adopted USB-C for iPhone? Brewing An Alternative...
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/arshmeet/A Decade of Apple: Happy, Sad, Great or Worst Moments of Tech Giant
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/arshmeet/Is Fining Apple for Secretly Slowing iPhones Justified or Not?
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/arshmeet/Why Is Samsung's Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite a Brilliant Idea?
Private tab in Safari is useful for temporarily logging in to a different social account, preventing yourself from web trackers profiling you, or browsing the web privately. However, if you hand over your Mac to someone else, especially kids, at times, it becomes important to know what they do on the web. And even prevent them from accessing websites they wish you not find out. For such situations disabling Safari private browsing is a great solution. It makes sure that the sites they visit are shown in the browsing history. So, if you are looking to turn off private browsing in Safari on Mac, here are three ways to do it.
Use Screen Time to Turn Off Safari Private Browsing on Mac
- Click on the Apple logo from the top left
- Click on System Preferences.
- Now, Click on Screen Time.
- If Screen Time is not enabled, click on Options from bottom left.
- And then click Turn On.
- Next, click on Content & Privacy from the left sidebar
- Click on Turn On.
- Enable Limit Adult Websites.
Now you may close the System Preferences window. Next, launch Safari on your Mac and click on ‘File’ from the top menu bar. You will see that the option to open ‘New Private Window’ is grayed out. The keyboard shortcut for this also won’t work.
Secondly, when you click on ‘History’ from the top menu bar, you will see that ‘Clear History’ is also grayed and out of bounds.
To enable Safari Private Browsing back on Mac, follow the same steps and choose ‘Unrestricted Access,’ which is just above Limit Adult Websites.
How to Stop Sharing Safari Private Browsing Restrictions on Other Apple Devices
Safari Private Browsing Restrictions are synced to all your Apple devices that have the same Apple ID. So, if you enable Limit Adult Websites on your Mac, it is turned ON for your iPhone and iPad too.
If you do not want this, then in Screen Time, click on ‘Options’ from the bottom left and uncheck the box for ‘Share across devices.’ Now, Safari Private Browsing is disabled only for this Mac and not your other iOS, iPadOS, or macOS devices.
On this same screen, you may also check ‘Use Screen Time Passcode’ and prevent somebody else from changing or overriding the Screen Time settings. However, if you have ‘Share Across Devices’ checked, then you might also enable Screen Time on your iPhone or iPad, and Screen Time password will automatically reflect here on the Mac too.
Disable Private Browsing in Safari on Mac using Guest User
Guest User is another secure and easy way to disable Safari private browsing. If you do not already have a guest mode set up, you may follow this step by guide to enable a guest user account on your Mac. When enabling this, make sure you check the box for Limit Adult Websites.
- After that, restart your Mac and log in as a guest user, if you are handing the Mac to someone else for short temporary use
- You may also click on the Apple logo from the top left, click on ‘Log Out your name‘ from the bottom of the list, and then log in as a guest user.
- Or, you may click on your name from the top right of the menu bar and then click on Guest User.
How to Disable Safari Private Browsing for Family Members on Mac
Thanks to remote Screen Time management, you (the organizer) can also manage a Mac that one of the members of your family uses. For this, you must have Family Sharing set up beforehand.
Once Family Sharing is set up, open System Preferences → Screen Time → Content & Privacy. Now, click on the dropdown menu from the top of the left sidebar and select a family member. After that, check the box for Limit Adult Websites.
Safari Private Browsing will be disabled for the Mac and all other devices belonging to the selected family member.
Does Private Browsing Restriction on Mac Work Outside Safari?
The above guide was all about disabling private browsing on Safari. You must know that this will not though, prevent the concerned person from using incognito mode or private browsing in any other browser like Chrome, Firefox, etc. that is installed on the Mac.
Further, on iOS, you can put a complete barricade on installing new browser apps (or any app) by going to Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → iTunes & App Store Purchase → Installing Apps → Don’t Allow.
On Mac, you can do this in Screen Time → Content & Privacy → Stores → Apps → Don’t Allow Apps. But this will only prevent the installation of apps from the Mac App Store. This does not prevent the installation of apps from elsewhere like the Safari browser itself, or a .dmg file from pen drive.
That’s all, mate!
You may also like to take a peek at:
If you have a follow-up question or suggestion, make sure to put that in the comments down below.
How To Get Safari Updates For Mac
Nikhil runs iGB’s official YouTube channel. He is the official lensman of iGB and GB’s small studio is Nikhil’s playground, where he does all wonders with his remarkable signature. When Nikhil is not in his studio, you may spot him in a gourmet restaurant, chomping his way through some delicious food. He is a great traveler, who can go for long drives in search of good food.
How To Install New Safari On Mac
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/nikhil/How to Manage Website Settings in iOS 13 Safari on iPhone and iPad
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/nikhil/
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/nikhil/How to Fix 'iMessage Needs to Be Enabled to Send This Message' Issue
- https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/nikhil/