Where to change your homepage depends on which browser you use

Your homepage is the page that loads when you open a new tab or window. On a Mac, the steps to change it are different in Safari, Chrome, and Firefox — each browser stores this setting in its own preferences menu. The process takes less than a minute in any of them, and you can set a different homepage for new tabs versus new windows if you want.

You do not need to read anything or restart your computer. Once you change the setting, the new homepage appears the next time you open a fresh tab or window.

Key Takeaways

  • Safari stores the homepage setting under Safari menu > Settings > General, where you can paste any URL you want.
  • Chrome and Firefox both let you set the homepage through their settings menus, and both allow you to choose between a blank page, your most-visited sites, or a custom URL.
  • You can set different pages for new tabs and new windows in all three browsers.
  • If you want your homepage to be a search engine, you can use Google, DuckDuckGo, Bing, or any other search site's URL.

Changing your homepage in Safari

Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Select Settings (or Preferences on older versions of macOS). Click the General tab.

Look for the field labeled Homepage. Click inside it and paste or type the URL of the page you want to load when you open a new window. For example, type https://www.google.com if you want Google to be your homepage, or https://www.bbc.com if you prefer the BBC. Leave the field blank if you want a blank page instead.

Close the Settings window. The next time you open a new Safari window, your chosen page will load. Note that Safari treats new windows and new tabs the same way — you cannot set different homepages for each.

Changing your homepage in Chrome

Open Chrome and click the three-dot menu in the top right corner. Select Settings. Click On startup in the left sidebar.

You will see three options: Continue where you left off, Open the New Tab page, or Open a specific page or set of pages. Choose the third option if you want a custom homepage. Click Add a new page and paste the URL you want. You can add multiple pages if you want Chrome to open several tabs at once.

For new tabs (not new windows), go back to Settings and click Appearance in the left sidebar. Toggle on Show home button. A new button will appear in your toolbar. Click the dropdown next to it and choose Open the home page or Open a specific page. Paste your URL if you choose the latter.

Changing your homepage in Firefox

Open Firefox and click the three-line menu in the top right corner. Select Settings. Click Home in the left sidebar.

Under New Windows, choose what you want to appear: Firefox Home (a page with shortcuts and news), Blank Page, or Custom URLs. If you choose Custom URLs, paste the address you want in the field below. You can add multiple URLs separated by a line break if you want Firefox to open several tabs.

Under New Tabs, you have the same options. Set new tabs and new windows to different pages if you prefer — for example, a blank page for new windows and Google for new tabs.

Using a search engine as your homepage

If you want a search engine as your homepage, use the full URL of the search page, not just the domain name. For Google, use https://www.google.com. For DuckDuckGo, use https://www.duckduckgo.com. For Bing, use https://www.bing.com.

Some people prefer to set their homepage to a blank page and use the search bar in the browser itself. This loads faster and takes up less screen space. In Safari, leave the Homepage field empty. In Chrome and Firefox, select Blank Page from the dropdown.

What to do if your homepage keeps changing

If your homepage reverts to a different page after you set it, a browser extension or installed software may be overriding your choice. In Chrome, click the three-dot menu, go to Settings, and click Extensions in the left sidebar. Look for any extension you do not recognize and click the trash icon to remove it.

In Firefox, click the three-line menu, select Add-ons and extensions, and review your installed extensions. Disable or remove anything suspicious. In Safari, click Safari in the menu bar, select Settings, click Extensions, and uncheck any extension you do not trust.

If the problem persists, restart your browser completely and check your homepage setting again. If a specific website keeps forcing itself as your homepage, you may have visited a malicious site — avoid it in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set a different homepage for new tabs and new windows?

Yes, in Chrome and Firefox. Safari does not offer this option — it uses the same homepage for both. In Chrome, set the startup page under On startup and the new tab page under Appearance. In Firefox, use the New Windows and New Tabs sections separately.

What if I want my homepage to be a local file on my Mac instead of a website?

You can use a file URL. In Finder, locate the HTML file you want. Right-click it and select Get Info. Copy the path shown at the bottom. In your browser's homepage setting, paste the path and add file:// at the beginning. For example: file:///Users/yourname/Documents/mypage.html.

Does changing my homepage affect my search engine?

No. Your homepage and your default search engine are separate settings. You can have Google as your homepage and DuckDuckGo as your search engine, or any other combination. Search engine settings are usually found under Search or Privacy in your browser's settings menu.

Why does my homepage load slowly?

If the page takes a long time to load, try setting your homepage to a simpler site or a blank page. News-heavy sites like BBC or CNN load more slowly than a blank page or a search engine. You can also check your internet connection by opening the page in a new tab — if it loads quickly there, the issue may be with how the browser loads the homepage specifically.