Delete a favorite in three taps on iPhone or iPad

Open Safari and tap the Bookmarks icon at the bottom of the screen — it looks like an open book. Tap "Favorites" at the top to see your saved favorites. Find the favorite you want to remove, swipe left across it, and tap the red Delete button that appears.

If swiping feels awkward on your device, you can also tap "Edit" in the lower right corner of the Favorites view. This turns on edit mode, where you can tap the red minus sign next to any favorite, then tap Delete to confirm.

Key Takeaways

  • On iPhone and iPad, swipe left on a favorite in the Bookmarks menu and tap Delete, or use Edit mode to remove multiple favorites at once.
  • On Mac, right-click a favorite in the Bookmarks sidebar and select Delete Bookmark, or click the X that appears when you hover over it.
  • Deleting a favorite from one device does not automatically remove it from your other devices unless you use iCloud Sync.
  • If you turn on iCloud Sync in Safari settings, deletions will sync across all your Apple devices signed into the same account.

Delete a favorite on Mac using the sidebar

In Safari on Mac, your Bookmarks sidebar appears on the left side of the window. If you do not see it, click View in the menu bar, then select Show Bookmarks Sidebar. Find the favorite you want to delete in the Favorites section at the top of the sidebar.

Hover your mouse over the favorite and an X button appears on the right side. Click it to delete the favorite when ready. Alternatively, right-click the favorite and select Delete Bookmark from the menu that appears.

Understand how iCloud Sync affects your favorites

If you have iCloud Sync turned on in Safari settings, deleting a favorite on one device will remove it from all your other devices signed into the same Apple account. This happens automatically within a few minutes.

To check if iCloud Sync is on, go to Settings on iPhone or iPad, tap your name at the top, select iCloud, and look for Safari in the list. On Mac, open Safari, click Safari in the menu bar, select Preferences, go to the Passwords tab, and check the iCloud Sync checkbox. If you want to delete a favorite on only one device without affecting the others, turn off iCloud Sync first, make your deletion, then turn it back on.

Delete multiple favorites at once

On iPhone and iPad, tap Edit in the Favorites view to select multiple favorites. Tap each one you want to delete — a checkmark appears next to each selection. Once you have chosen all the favorites to remove, tap Delete in the lower right corner, then confirm.

On Mac, you can select multiple favorites in the sidebar by clicking one, then holding Command and clicking others. Right-click any selected favorite and choose Delete Bookmark. All selected favorites will be removed at once.

Recover a deleted favorite

Safari does not have a built-in undo button for deleted favorites, but you can restore them if you have a recent backup. On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings, tap your name, select iCloud, and look for the option to restore from backup. On Mac, you can restore from a Time Machine backup if you have one set up.

The easiest way to avoid losing a favorite by accident is to use Edit mode and double-check your selections before tapping Delete. If you frequently delete favorites by mistake, consider using a different method — for example, moving favorites to a separate folder instead of deleting them outright.

Move a favorite to a folder instead of deleting it

If you are not sure whether you want to keep a favorite, you can move it to a folder instead of deleting it. On iPhone and iPad, tap Edit in the Favorites view, then tap and hold the favorite you want to move. Drag it to a different folder in your Bookmarks menu.

On Mac, drag the favorite from the Bookmarks sidebar into any folder you have created. This keeps the favorite in Safari but removes it from your main Favorites view, so it does not clutter your most-used bookmarks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will deleting a favorite delete the website itself?

No. Deleting a favorite only removes the bookmark from Safari. The website continues to exist online and you can still visit it by typing the address in the address bar or searching for it.

Can I delete a favorite that is synced across devices?

Yes. If iCloud Sync is on, the deletion will sync to all your devices. If you want to delete it on only one device, turn off iCloud Sync first, delete the favorite, then turn iCloud Sync back on.

What is the difference between a favorite and a bookmark?

Favorites are bookmarks that appear in a special section at the top of your Bookmarks menu and on your start page. You can have many bookmarks, but only a limited number of favorites. Deleting a favorite does not affect other bookmarks you have saved.

Can I undo a favorite deletion?

Safari does not have an undo feature for deleted favorites. If you have iCloud backups or Time Machine enabled on Mac, you may be able to restore from a previous backup, but this will restore your entire Safari data to an earlier point in time.