Adding favorites on iPad means saving websites, apps, and content you visit often so you can reach them faster

On iPad, "favorites" usually means bookmarks in Safari, your web browser. When you bookmark a website, Safari stores the address and lets you return to it with one tap instead of typing the web address again. You can also add app icons to your home screen as shortcuts, and save articles or videos within specific apps. The method depends on what you are saving and where you want to access it.

The fastest way to bookmark a website in Safari is to tap the share button while viewing the page, then select "Add Bookmark". The page address saves when ready, and you can choose whether to store it in your Favorites folder (which appears at the top of Safari) or in another folder you create.

Key Takeaways

  • Bookmarking a website in Safari takes three taps: the share button, "Add Bookmark", and confirm the location where you want to save it.
  • Your Favorites folder appears as a row of icons at the top of Safari, making bookmarked sites visible without opening a menu.
  • You can organize bookmarks into custom folders by creating new folders during the bookmark process or editing them later.
  • Adding app icons to your home screen creates quick shortcuts to apps you use often, separate from bookmarks.
  • Different apps have different save options — some let you save articles, others let you save videos or posts to a reading list.

Bookmarking websites in Safari

Open Safari and navigate to the website you want to save. Once the page loads completely, look at the bottom right of your screen for the share button — it looks like a square with an arrow pointing upward and outward. Tap it once.

A menu will slide up from the bottom showing several options. Scroll left if you do not see "Add Bookmark" when ready, or look for it in the visible row. Tap "Add Bookmark". A small window will appear showing the website name and the web address. You can edit the name to something shorter or more memorable if you want — for example, changing "The New York Times - Home Page" to just "NYT".

Below the name field, you will see a folder selection that says "Favorites" by default. This is the best choice if you visit this site often, because Favorites appear as a row of icons at the very top of Safari every time you open a new tab. If you want to organize the bookmark into a different folder instead, tap the folder name and choose or create a new one. Then tap "Save" to complete the bookmark.

Finding and using your bookmarks

Bookmarks saved to your Favorites folder appear automatically at the top of Safari whenever you open a new tab. You will see small icons representing each bookmarked site. Tap any icon to jump directly to that website.

If you bookmarked a site to a different folder, open Safari and tap the bookmark icon at the bottom of the screen — it looks like an open book. A panel will slide in from the left showing all your folders. Tap the folder where you saved the bookmark, then tap the bookmark name to visit that site. You can also search for a bookmark by typing its name in the search box at the top of the bookmark panel.

To delete a bookmark you no longer need, open the bookmark panel, find the bookmark, swipe left on it, and tap the trash icon that appears. To rename a bookmark, tap "Edit" at the bottom of the bookmark panel, tap the bookmark you want to change, and update the name in the window that appears.

Creating custom bookmark folders

If you have many bookmarks, organizing them into folders makes them easier to find. You can create a new folder while adding a bookmark, or create folders separately and move bookmarks into them later.

To create a folder while bookmarking, follow the steps above to tap "Add Bookmark". When the bookmark window appears, tap the folder name at the bottom. A list of existing folders will appear. At the very top, you will see "New Folder" — tap it. Type a name for your folder (for example, "News Sites" or "Shopping"), then tap "Save". The new folder will be selected automatically, and your bookmark will be saved there.

To organize existing bookmarks, open the bookmark panel, tap "Edit" at the bottom, then tap and hold a bookmark and drag it into a folder. You can also tap the folder name itself to open it and see what bookmarks are inside, then move bookmarks between folders by dragging them.

Adding app icons to your home screen

Saving app shortcuts to your home screen is different from bookmarking websites, but serves the same purpose — quick access to things you use often. Find the app you want to add on your iPad, press and hold its icon for about one second, then tap "Add to Home Screen" from the menu that appears. The app icon will appear on your home screen, and you can move it by dragging it to a new position.

You can also create a folder on your home screen to organize related apps. Press and hold an empty area of your home screen, tap the plus button in the top left corner, select an app, and tap "Add" to place it. Then drag app icons on top of each other to create a folder automatically. Name the folder something descriptive, and all the apps inside will be grouped together.

Saving content within apps

Many apps beyond Safari let you save content for later. In the News app, you can tap the bookmark icon on an article to save it to your Reading List. In Photos, you can mark images as Favorites by tapping the heart icon. In Mail, you can flag messages or move them to a specific folder.

The save method varies by app, so look for icons like a bookmark, heart, flag, or a menu button (three dots or lines) when you want to save something. Tap that icon and look for options like "Save", "Add to Reading List", "Mark as Favorite", or "Add to Folder". Once saved, you can usually find the content in a dedicated section of the app — often labeled "Saved", "Favorites", "Reading List", or "Flagged".

Syncing favorites across your devices

If you use multiple Apple devices — an iPhone, Mac, or another iPad — you can sync your Safari bookmarks so they appear on all of them. This requires an iCloud account and the iCloud Keychain feature to be turned on.

On your iPad, open Settings, tap your name at the top, then tap iCloud. Scroll down and make sure the toggle next to "Safari" is turned on (it will be green). Do the same on your other Apple devices. Within a few minutes, any bookmarks you add on one device will appear on all the others. If a bookmark does not sync right away, try closing Safari completely and opening it again, or restart your iPad.

If you use a Windows computer or Android device alongside your iPad, you can still access your Safari bookmarks by signing into iCloud.com in a web browser, but they will not sync automatically to those devices the way they do between Apple products.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I organize my Favorites into subfolders?

Yes. Open the bookmark panel, tap "Edit", then tap the folder icon next to a folder name to open it and see what is inside. You can create new folders within existing folders by tapping "New Folder" while inside a parent folder. This lets you build a hierarchy — for example, a "News" folder containing subfolders for "Tech", "Sports", and "World".

What is the difference between Favorites and Bookmarks?

Favorites are bookmarks you have chosen to display at the top of Safari as a row of icons. All Favorites are bookmarks, but not all bookmarks are Favorites. You can have hundreds of bookmarks organized in folders, but only the ones you move to your Favorites folder will appear in that top row.

If I delete a bookmark, can I get it back?

Once you delete a bookmark in Safari, it is gone permanently — there is no trash or undo option. If you synced your bookmarks to iCloud, deleting on one device will delete it on all devices. If you want to keep a list of sites you might want to revisit, consider creating a folder called "Archive" and moving bookmarks there instead of deleting them.

Can I export my bookmarks to share with someone else?

Safari on iPad does not have a built-in export feature. However, you can share individual bookmarks by opening the bookmark panel, tapping and holding a bookmark, and selecting "Share". You can then send the link via email, Messages, or another app. To share your entire bookmark collection, you would need to use a Mac or PC with Safari or another browser that supports bookmark export.

Why are my bookmarks not showing up on my other devices?

Check that iCloud is turned on for Safari on all your devices — go to Settings, tap your name, tap iCloud, and make sure Safari is toggled on. Also verify that you are signed into the same iCloud account on each device. If bookmarks still do not sync after 15 minutes, try signing out of iCloud and signing back in, or restart your iPad.