{"id":427767,"date":"2026-10-13T05:10:39","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T05:10:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/?p=427767"},"modified":"2026-10-13T07:55:31","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T07:55:31","slug":"reset-safari-settings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/reset-safari-settings\/","title":{"rendered":"Reset Safari on Mac and iPhone: Fix Pop-Ups, Redirects and Browser Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Safari is slow, keeps redirecting you to unwanted pages, or behaves unpredictably, resetting it to the default settings can often fix the issue. Resetting Safari lets you remove unwanted extensions and clear cookies and cached data that could be causing problems. These are separate actions, not a single factory-reset switch. It can also help eliminate adware or malicious scripts that may have altered your browser settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/safari-cleanup-mwt-oct2026.webp\" alt=\"Illustration of Safari cleanup using separate controls for extensions, website data, and notification permissions\" class=\"wp-image-427768\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" loading=\"eager\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/safari-cleanup-mwt-oct2026.webp 1440w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/safari-cleanup-mwt-oct2026-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/safari-cleanup-mwt-oct2026-1024x576.webp 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike Chrome or Firefox, Safari doesn\u2019t include a built-in \u201cReset\u201d option. However, you can troubleshoot it by clearing the relevant browsing data, reviewing extensions, and checking settings. Clearing website data does not automatically uninstall extensions or reset every preference. Below, you\u2019ll learn how to reset Safari safely on both Mac and iOS devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Reset Safari to Default Settings (Mac Guide)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before resetting Safari, make sure to back up any important bookmarks. To do this, open Safari, click the <strong>File<\/strong> tab in the top menu bar, select <strong>Export Bookmarks<\/strong>, and save the file to your desktop or preferred location. This ensures you won\u2019t lose your saved sites during the reset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To troubleshoot Safari on a Mac, start with its settings. If that does not solve the problem, use the additional checks in the second tab. If you\u2019re using Safari on an iPhone or iPad, tap the iOS tab for step-by-step instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><div class=\"su-tabs mwtcui-tabs \" data-mwt-tabs data-active=\"1\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-tabs-nav\" role=\"tablist\" aria-label=\"Instructions\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"\" role=\"tab\" id=\"mwtcui-tabs-1-0-tab\" aria-controls=\"mwtcui-tabs-1-0\" aria-selected=\"true\" tabindex=\"0\" data-anchor=\"\">Reset Safari for Mac via Settings<\/button><button type=\"button\" class=\"\" role=\"tab\" id=\"mwtcui-tabs-1-1-tab\" aria-controls=\"mwtcui-tabs-1-1\" aria-selected=\"false\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-anchor=\"\">Further Safari Troubleshooting<\/button><button type=\"button\" class=\"\" role=\"tab\" id=\"mwtcui-tabs-1-2-tab\" aria-controls=\"mwtcui-tabs-1-2\" aria-selected=\"false\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-anchor=\"\">Reset Safari for iOS (iPhone or iPad)<\/button><\/div><div class=\"su-tabs-panes\"><div class=\"su-tabs-pane mwtcui-tab-panel \" id=\"mwtcui-tabs-1-0\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"mwtcui-tabs-1-0-tab\" data-title=\"Reset Safari for Mac via Settings\" data-anchor=\"\">\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reset Safari for Mac via Settings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Go to Safari&#8217;s &#8220;Settings&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>On the menu bar, click the &#8220;Safari&#8221; menu and select &#8220;Settings&#8221;.<br \/><\/p>\n<p>Choose <strong>Safari \u2192 Settings<\/strong> from the menu bar.<\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Check Homepage.<\/p>\n<p>This will open a new window with your Safari preferences, opened to the &#8220;<em>General<\/em>&#8221; tab. Some browser hijackers may change your default homepage, so in the <em>Homepage<\/em>&nbsp;field make sure it&#8217;s a web page you want to use as your start-up page.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84114 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Change-Homepage.jpg\" alt=\"Change Homepage in Safari\" width=\"650\" height=\"418\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Change-Homepage.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Change-Homepage-300x193.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click &#8220;Extensions&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Next, click on the &#8220;<strong>Extensions<\/strong>&#8221; tab.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84119 alignnone\" title=\"Click on Extensions\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Click-Extensions.jpg\" alt=\"Click on Extensions MacOS\" width=\"650\" height=\"418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Click-Extensions.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Click-Extensions-300x193.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Find and uninstall malicious extensions.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>Extensions<\/strong> screen lists installed extensions. Select the unwanted extension and click <strong>Uninstall<\/strong>. Keep extensions you deliberately installed and trust. An unfamiliar name alone is not proof that an extension is malicious.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84125 alignnone\" title=\"Click on Uninstall to remove malicious extension\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Remove-malicious-extensions-Safari.jpg\" alt=\"Click on Uninstall to remove malicious extension\" width=\"650\" height=\"339\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Remove-malicious-extensions-Safari.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Remove-malicious-extensions-Safari-300x156.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Remove spam notifications ads<\/p>\n<p>Open <strong>Settings \u2192 Websites \u2192 Notifications<\/strong>. Set the unwanted website to <strong>Deny<\/strong> or remove its permission. Turning off <strong>Allow websites to ask for permission to send notifications<\/strong> prevents new requests; it does not revoke every existing permission.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-130285\" title=\"Deselect Allow websites to ask for permission to send push notifications\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Deny-Notifications-Safari.png\" alt=\"Deselect Allow websites to ask for permission to send push notifications\" width=\"800\" height=\"646\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Deny-Notifications-Safari.png 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Deny-Notifications-Safari-300x242.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Remove all data stored by websites on your computer.<\/p>\n<p>In the Safari menu, choose &#8220;Settings&#8230;&#8221;, select &#8220;<strong>Privacy<\/strong>&#8221; at the top of the new window that appears, and then click the &#8220;Manage Website Data&#8221; button.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-151104\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Manage-Website-Data.png\" alt=\"Click Manage Website Data\" width=\"800\" height=\"393\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Manage-Website-Data.png 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Manage-Website-Data-300x147.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In the next dialog box, click &#8220;<strong>Remove All<\/strong>&#8220;. It will ask you if you are sure you want to remove all data stored by websites on your computer. Select &#8220;<strong>Remove Now<\/strong>&#8221; to clear data that could be used to track your browsing.<\/p>\n<p>This signs you out of websites and removes local website data. If only one site is causing trouble, select that site and click <strong>Remove<\/strong> instead. Your saved passwords and bookmarks are separate.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-151105\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Remove-All-Website-Data.png\" alt=\"Click Remove All Website Data\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Remove-All-Website-Data.png 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Remove-All-Website-Data-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><p><\/p>\n<\/li><li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Empty Safari Caches.<\/p>\n<p>From your Safari menu bar, click <strong>Safari<\/strong> and select <strong>Settings<\/strong>, then select the <strong>Advanced<\/strong> tab. Enable the checkbox to &#8220;<strong>Show features for web developers (called Show Develop menu in menu bar in older versions)<\/strong>&#8220;.<br \/><\/p>\n<p>From the menu bar select <strong>Develop<\/strong>, then click on <strong>Empty Caches<\/strong> as seen in the image below.<br \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-151107\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/empty-cache.png\" alt=\"empty cache\" width=\"421\" height=\"470\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/empty-cache.png 421w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/empty-cache-269x300.png 269w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 421px) 100vw, 421px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"su-tabs-pane mwtcui-tab-panel \" id=\"mwtcui-tabs-1-1\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"mwtcui-tabs-1-1-tab\" data-title=\"Further Safari Troubleshooting\" data-anchor=\"\">\n<h5 class=\"toch5\">Further Safari Troubleshooting<\/h5>\n<ol class=\"mwt_detailed_steps\">\n<li><p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Quit and reopen Safari without restoring the problem tab.<\/p><p>Choose <strong>Safari \u2192 Quit Safari<\/strong>. If it will not respond, use <strong>Apple menu \u2192 Force Quit \u2192 Safari \u2192 Force Quit<\/strong>. Hold <strong>Shift<\/strong> while opening Safari again so it does not restore the previous windows.<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Test extensions one at a time.<\/p><p>Open <strong>Safari \u2192 Settings \u2192 Extensions<\/strong> and turn off the listed extensions. Reopen the page. If the problem stops, enable trusted extensions one at a time to find the cause. Uninstall the unwanted one using its <strong>Uninstall<\/strong> button.<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Remove the affected site\u2019s data.<\/p><p>Open <strong>Safari \u2192 Settings \u2192 Privacy \u2192 Manage Website Data<\/strong>, search for the site, select it, and click <strong>Remove \u2192 Done<\/strong>. This signs you out of that site. Do not paste commands that delete all of your Library, Cookies, or Safari folders; they can remove personal data beyond the problem you are fixing.<\/p><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><div class=\"su-tabs-pane mwtcui-tab-panel \" id=\"mwtcui-tabs-1-2\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"mwtcui-tabs-1-2-tab\" data-title=\"Reset Safari for iOS (iPhone or iPad)\" data-anchor=\"\">\n<h5 class=\"toch5\">Reset Safari for iOS (iPhone or iPad)<\/h5>\n<p>If you\u2019re using Safari on iPhone or iPad, you can reset it using the built-in <strong>Clear History and Website Data<\/strong> option. This removes browsing history, cookies, and cached files, restoring Safari\u2019s performance and privacy.<\/p>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open the <strong>Settings<\/strong> app.<br \/><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"231\" height=\"500\" class=\"size-full wp-image-159336 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Open-Settings-App.jpg\" alt=\"Open Settings App\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Open-Settings-App.jpg 231w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Open-Settings-App-139x300.jpg 139w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px\" \/><\/figure><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Turn on <strong>Airplane Mode<\/strong> while resetting. If Wi-Fi stays connected, turn it off too. After clearing the unwanted page, turn Airplane Mode off and reconnect.<br \/><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"231\" height=\"500\" class=\"size-full wp-image-159345 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Enable-Airplane-Mode.jpg\" alt=\"Enable Airplane Mode\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Enable-Airplane-Mode.jpg 231w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Enable-Airplane-Mode-139x300.jpg 139w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px\" \/><\/figure><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Open Apps, then tap <strong>Safari<\/strong>.<br \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tap <strong>Clear History and Website Data<\/strong>.<br \/><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"231\" height=\"500\" class=\"size-full wp-image-159343 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Clear-History.jpg\" alt=\"Tap Clear History\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Clear-History.jpg 231w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Clear-History-139x300.jpg 139w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px\" \/><\/figure><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Confirm by tapping <strong>Clear History<\/strong> when prompted.<br \/><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While in Safari settings, make sure <strong>Block Pop-ups<\/strong> and <strong>Fraudulent Website Warning<\/strong> are enabled.<br \/><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"231\" height=\"500\" class=\"size-full wp-image-159341 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Enable-Popup-Blocker.jpg\" alt=\"Enable Popup Blocker\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Enable-Popup-Blocker.jpg 231w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Enable-Popup-Blocker-139x300.jpg 139w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px\" \/><\/figure><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>  \n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s it! Safari has now been reset to its default settings. To protect your privacy and prevent intrusive ads, consider installing an ad blocker such as <a href=\"https:\/\/adguard.com\/?aid=29616\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer sponsored\"><strong>AdGuard [recommended]<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If Safari continues to behave abnormally after resetting, the issue may be caused by adware or unwanted software on your device. Try the following next steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Run a full system scan with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/run-a-scan-with-malwarebytes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Malwarebytes Free<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ask for expert assistance in our <strong><a title=\"Malware Removal Help\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/forums\/mac-malware-removal-help-support.183\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Malware Removal Help<\/a><\/strong> forum.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reset Safari settings on Mac and iPhone with clear steps for extensions, website data, and unwanted alerts. Learn what to clear and what each action changes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":427768,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-427767","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50","resize-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427767","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=427767"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":428269,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427767\/revisions\/428269"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/427768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=427767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=427767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=427767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}