How to delete favorites in Safari
To delete a favorite (bookmark) in Safari, open the Favorites sidebar, right-click or long-press the bookmark you want to remove, and select Delete. On Mac, you can also select the bookmark and press the Delete key. On iPhone and iPad, swipe left across the bookmark name and tap the trash icon. The bookmark is gone when ready — Safari does not move deleted bookmarks to a trash folder first.
The steps differ slightly between devices because Mac uses a mouse and keyboard while iPhone and iPad use touch. Both methods are equally fast once you know where to look. The Favorites sidebar is the quickest route on any device because it shows your bookmarks in one organized list.
Key Takeaways
- On Mac, open the Favorites sidebar, right-click the bookmark, and select Delete from the menu that appears.
- On iPhone and iPad, swipe left across the bookmark name in the Favorites list and tap the trash icon.
- Deleted bookmarks cannot be recovered, so double-check the name before you delete if you are unsure.
- The Favorites sidebar on Mac can be opened by pressing Command+Option+B or through the View menu.
- Bookmarks synced across your devices through iCloud will be deleted from all devices once you remove them from one.
Deleting favorites on Mac using the sidebar
Open Safari and press Command+Option+B to show the Favorites sidebar on the left side of the window. If the keyboard shortcut does not work, click View in the menu bar, then select Show Favorites Sidebar. Scroll through the list until you find the bookmark you want to delete.
Right-click directly on the bookmark name. A small menu will appear with several options. Click Delete. The bookmark disappears from the sidebar when ready. If you accidentally delete the wrong bookmark, press Command+Z to undo the deletion — this works only if you undo right away, before taking other actions in Safari.
Deleting favorites on Mac using Bookmarks menu
An alternative method on Mac is to use the Bookmarks menu at the top of the screen. Click Bookmarks in the menu bar, then look through the list for the bookmark you want to remove. Hover over the bookmark name until a small arrow appears to the right of it, then click that arrow. A submenu will open showing options for that bookmark.
Click Edit Bookmark. A small window will open showing the bookmark details. At the bottom of this window, click Remove. The bookmark is deleted and the window closes. This method is slower than using the sidebar, but it works if you prefer using menus instead of right-clicking.
Deleting favorites on iPhone and iPad
Open Safari and tap the Bookmarks icon at the bottom of the screen — it looks like an open book. Make sure you are on the Favorites tab, which is usually the default view. You will see a list of your bookmarks displayed vertically.
Find the bookmark you want to delete and swipe your finger from right to left across its name. A red trash icon will appear on the right side. Tap the trash icon once. The bookmark is deleted when ready. If you swipe too slowly, Safari may open the bookmark instead — if that happens, press the back button and try again with a faster swipe.
Deleting multiple favorites at once on iPhone and iPad
If you want to delete several bookmarks, tap Edit in the top right corner of the Bookmarks panel. The list will change to show small circles to the left of each bookmark name. Tap the circles next to each bookmark you want to delete — each one you select will show a checkmark.
Once you have selected all the bookmarks you want to remove, tap Delete in the bottom right corner. A confirmation message will appear asking if you are sure. Tap Delete again to confirm. All selected bookmarks are removed at once. This method is faster than deleting one bookmark at a time if you need to remove many.
Understanding where Safari stores your bookmarks
Safari stores bookmarks in folders. The Favorites folder is the one that appears in the Favorites sidebar and at the top of the Bookmarks menu. Other bookmarks you create go into different folders like Reading List or custom folders you make yourself. When you delete a bookmark, it is removed from whichever folder it was stored in.
If you use iCloud to sync Safari across multiple Apple devices — your Mac, iPhone, and iPad — deleting a bookmark on one device will delete it from all your devices within a few minutes. This happens automatically if you are signed into the same iCloud account on all devices. If you want to keep a bookmark on one device but delete it from another, you will need to turn off iCloud sync for Safari, which is a more complex process.
Recovering a deleted bookmark
Safari does not keep a trash folder for deleted bookmarks. Once you delete a bookmark, it is gone permanently. The only way to recover it is to use the undo command (Command+Z on Mac) when ready after deletion, before you perform any other actions in Safari.
If you realize you deleted a bookmark hours or days later, there is no built-in way to get it back. If the bookmark was synced to iCloud, you might be able to recover it through iCloud's backup system, but this requires contacting Apple Support and is not may provide. The safest approach is to pause and verify the bookmark name before you delete, especially if it is a site you visit often.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete a favorite without opening the sidebar?
On Mac, you can delete a bookmark from the Bookmarks menu at the top without opening the sidebar. On iPhone and iPad, you must open the Bookmarks panel to delete favorites. There is no way to delete a bookmark from the address bar or search suggestions.
What is the difference between Favorites and Bookmarks in Safari?
Favorites are bookmarks that appear in the Favorites sidebar and at the top of the Bookmarks menu for quick access. All Favorites are bookmarks, but not all bookmarks are Favorites. You can move a regular bookmark into the Favorites folder to make it appear in these quick-access locations.
If I delete a favorite on my Mac, will it disappear from my iPhone?
Yes, if you are signed into the same iCloud account on both devices and iCloud sync is turned on for Safari, deleting a bookmark on your Mac will delete it from your iPhone within a few minutes. To keep bookmarks separate between devices, you would need to turn off iCloud sync for Safari.
Can I undo a deletion if I closed Safari?
No. The undo command (Command+Z) only works while Safari is still open. Once you close Safari or perform other actions, you cannot undo a deletion. If you closed Safari by accident right after deleting, reopening it may still allow you to undo if you press Command+Z when ready.
How do I delete a bookmark from a folder other than Favorites?
The process is the same whether the bookmark is in Favorites or another folder. On Mac, right-click it and select Delete. On iPhone and iPad, swipe left and tap the trash icon. Safari removes it from whichever folder it was stored in.