Where to find the homepage setting in Safari
Your homepage is the page that loads when you open Safari or click the home button. On a Mac, you change it through Safari's preferences, not through your browser's home page itself. Open Safari, then click Safari in the menu bar at the top of your screen and select Preferences (or press Command + comma as a shortcut).
Once Preferences opens, click the General tab at the top. You will see a field labeled Homepage with a text box next to it. This is where you enter the web address you want to see when Safari starts up.
Key Takeaways
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu bar, then select Preferences to reach the homepage setting.
- In the General tab, paste or type the full web address (starting with https://) into the Homepage field.
- You can also set Safari to open to your start page, a blank page, or the tabs from your last session instead of a specific website.
- If you use Chrome, Firefox, or another browser on your Mac, each one has its own separate homepage setting in its own preferences menu.
- Clearing your browser history or cache will not change your homepage — the setting stays in place until you manually change it again.
Entering the web address correctly
Type or paste the full web address into the Homepage field. The address should start with https:// or http:// — for example, https://www.google.com or https://www.bbc.com. If you copy a link from your browser's address bar, it will already include the https:// part.
If you enter just a domain name without the protocol (like google.com instead of https://www.google.com), Safari may not recognize it. Paste the full address to avoid errors. Once you have entered it, close the Preferences window — Safari saves the change automatically.
Other homepage options besides a website
You do not have to set a specific website as your homepage. In the same General tab, you will see a dropdown menu next to the Homepage field with other choices. You can select Start Page (Safari's built-in page with shortcuts and reading list), Blank Page (an empty white screen), or Tabs from Last Session (whatever pages were open when you last closed Safari).
Many people choose Blank Page if they want Safari to load quickly, or Start Page if they want quick access to their favorite sites without typing. The choice is yours and can be changed anytime by returning to Preferences.
Changing the homepage in other browsers on your Mac
If you use Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or another browser instead of Safari, each one stores its homepage setting in its own preferences. In Chrome, click the three-line menu in the top right, select Settings, then click On startup in the left sidebar. In Firefox, click the menu button (three horizontal lines), select Preferences, scroll to Home, and enter your address in the Homepage field.
The steps differ slightly for each browser, but the principle is the same: find the browser's preferences or settings menu, locate the startup or homepage section, and enter the web address you want. If you switch between browsers, remember that changing the homepage in one does not affect the others.
What happens if you accidentally delete the homepage setting
If you clear the Homepage field and close Preferences without entering a new address, Safari will open to a blank page the next time you start it. You can fix this by returning to Preferences, General tab, and entering a homepage address again. There is no undo button, but the change is straightforward to reverse.
Some Mac users also use parental controls or device management software that can lock the homepage setting. If you try to change it and the field is grayed out or will not save, check System Preferences under Parental Controls or ask the person who set up your Mac whether restrictions are in place.
Resetting to Safari's default homepage
Safari's default homepage is the Start Page, which shows your reading list, bookmarks, and search suggestions. If you want to go back to this after setting a custom homepage, open Preferences, click General, and select Start Page from the dropdown menu next to the Homepage field. You can also delete any text in the Homepage field and choose Start Page instead.
If you have never changed your homepage and Safari is already opening to the Start Page, no action is needed. The Start Page is Safari's built-in option and does not require you to enter a web address.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my homepage keep changing back to something else?
Some websites or browser extensions can override your homepage setting. Check Safari's Extensions by clicking Safari in the menu bar, then Preferences, then Extensions. Look for any extensions you do not recognize and remove them. If the problem continues, restart your Mac and check Preferences again to confirm your homepage is still set correctly.
Can I set different homepages for different Safari windows?
No, Safari uses the same homepage setting for all windows. Every time you open a new window or click the home button, it will load the same page. If you want different pages open at once, you can use tabs within the same window instead.
What if the web address I want to use is very long?
Paste the full address into the Homepage field, even if it is long. Safari will accept it. If the address is so long that it becomes hard to manage, consider using a bookmark instead — you can set Safari to open to your bookmarks page and then click the bookmark you want.
Does changing my homepage affect my search engine?
No, your homepage and your default search engine are separate settings. Your homepage is the page that loads when you open Safari. Your search engine is what runs when you type in the address bar. You can change the search engine in Preferences under the Search tab.
Will my homepage setting sync across my other Apple devices?
If you use iCloud sync and have Safari syncing turned on, your homepage setting will sync to your iPhone, iPad, and other Macs signed into the same Apple ID. You can turn off Safari sync in System Preferences under your Apple ID if you want different homepages on different devices.