The fastest way to remove a bookmark

Open Safari and click the Bookmarks menu at the top of your screen. Find the bookmark you want to delete, right-click on it, and select Delete from the menu that appears. The bookmark is gone when ready — Safari does not ask you to confirm, so it vanishes as soon as you click.

If you are on a Mac and do not see the Bookmarks menu, check that the menu bar is visible. Press Control+Command+F to toggle full-screen mode off, which usually brings the menu bar back into view. On an iPad or iPhone, the process is slightly different and covered in the section below.

You can also delete a bookmark while you are viewing it. Click the Share button (the square with an arrow pointing out of it), scroll down to Remove Bookmark, and tap it. This removes the bookmark without opening the Bookmarks menu.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click a bookmark in the Bookmarks menu and select Delete to remove it when ready on Mac.
  • On iPad or iPhone, tap the Share button while viewing a bookmarked page and select Remove Bookmark.
  • You can also delete bookmarks from the Bookmarks sidebar by right-clicking and choosing Delete.
  • Deleted bookmarks cannot be recovered, so make sure you no longer need the bookmark before removing it.

Deleting bookmarks on iPad and iPhone

On an iPad or iPhone, open Safari and navigate to the page you have bookmarked. Tap the Share button at the bottom of the screen (it looks like a square with an arrow). Scroll down through the menu until you see Remove Bookmark, then tap it. The bookmark is deleted when ready.

If you want to delete a bookmark without visiting the page first, tap the Bookmarks button at the bottom of the screen (it looks like an open book). Find the bookmark in the list, swipe left across it with your finger, and tap the red Delete button that appears on the right side.

Using the Bookmarks sidebar on Mac

If you use the Bookmarks sidebar frequently, you can delete bookmarks directly from there without opening the Bookmarks menu. Click View at the top of your screen, then select Show Bookmarks Sidebar. A panel appears on the left side of Safari showing all your bookmarks organized into folders.

Right-click any bookmark in this sidebar and select Delete. You can also delete entire folders this way — right-click the folder name and choose Delete to remove the folder and all bookmarks inside it. Be careful with this option, as it removes everything in that folder at once.

Organizing bookmarks before you delete

Before you delete a bookmark, you might want to check whether you actually need it gone. If you have bookmarks you do not use often but might need later, consider moving them to a separate folder instead of deleting them. Right-click the bookmark, select Edit Bookmark, and change the folder it is saved in.

You can also rename a bookmark to make it easier to find later. Right-click it, select Edit Bookmark, and change the name in the box that appears. This is useful if you have bookmarks with unclear names that you are not sure about deleting.

Recovering a deleted bookmark

Safari does not have an undo button for deleted bookmarks, and they do not go to a trash folder where you can recover them. Once you delete a bookmark, it is gone. If you realize you deleted something by mistake, you will need to bookmark the page again by visiting it and using the Share button or Bookmarks menu.

If you use iCloud to sync your bookmarks across devices, a deleted bookmark may still exist on your other devices for a short time. Open Safari on another Mac, iPad, or iPhone and check your bookmarks there. However, once iCloud syncs the deletion across all devices, the bookmark is removed everywhere.

Deleting multiple bookmarks at once

If you want to delete several bookmarks, you do not have to delete them one at a time. Open the Bookmarks sidebar by clicking View and selecting Show Bookmarks Sidebar. Hold down the Command key on Mac (or Shift on iPad) and click each bookmark you want to delete. Once you have selected them all, right-click and select Delete. All selected bookmarks are removed together.

This method also works for deleting entire folders. Select a folder while holding Command, then right-click and delete. Make sure you have selected only the folders you want to remove, since this action cannot be undone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a deleted bookmark?

No. Safari does not have an undo feature for deleted bookmarks, and they do not move to a trash folder. Once you delete a bookmark, it is permanently removed. If you need it again, you will have to visit the website and bookmark it a second time.

Will deleting a bookmark delete the website itself?

No. Deleting a bookmark only removes the shortcut from Safari. The website itself remains on the internet unchanged. You can still visit the site by typing its address into the search bar or finding it through a search engine.

What happens to bookmarks I delete if I use iCloud?

If you sync bookmarks through iCloud, the deletion syncs to all your devices within a few minutes. The bookmark is removed from your Mac, iPad, and iPhone. If you want to keep a bookmark on one device but delete it from another, turn off iCloud syncing for bookmarks in Settings.

Can I delete a bookmark folder without deleting the bookmarks inside it?

No. When you delete a folder, all bookmarks inside it are deleted as well. If you want to keep the bookmarks, move them to a different folder first by right-clicking each one and selecting Edit Bookmark, then choosing a new folder.

Why can't I see the Bookmarks menu on my Mac?

The menu bar may be hidden because Safari is in full-screen mode. Press Control+Command+F to exit full-screen mode and bring the menu bar back. You can also access bookmarks by clicking the Bookmarks button at the bottom of the Safari window.