How to Customize Safari Toolbar on Mac

This guide shows you how to rearrange, add, and remove buttons in the Safari toolbar on macOS, so you can put the controls you use most right where you want them. You’ll learn how to customize the toolbar, add useful buttons like Home or Share, and fix common issues when things don’t work as expected.

What You’ll Need

• A Mac running macOS Sierra (10.12) or later (the steps are the same for all recent versions).
• Safari open (you can customize the toolbar from any window).

Step-by-Step

1. Open Safari on your Mac. You can do this by clicking the Safari icon in the Dock or by searching for it with Spotlight (press Cmd+Space and type “Safari”).
2. Reveal the toolbar customization menu. With Safari active, go to the menu bar at the top of the screen and click View > Customize Toolbar…. (Alternatively, you can right-click (or Control-click) on the toolbar itself and choose Customize Toolbar… from the dropdown menu.)
3. Understand the customization sheet. A sheet will slide down from the toolbar, showing a palette of available buttons. The current toolbar is displayed above, and the palette below contains all the buttons you can add.
4. Add a button to the toolbar. Find the button you want (for example, the Home button, the Share button, or the New Tab button) in the palette. Click and drag it up to the desired position in the toolbar. Release the mouse button to drop it. The toolbar will adjust to make room.
5. Remove a button from the toolbar. While the customization sheet is open, simply drag any button you don’t want off the toolbar and drop it back onto the palette below. The button will disappear from the toolbar.
6. Rearrange buttons. Drag any button left or right within the toolbar to change its order. You can also drag the flexible space (a small dotted icon) to add spacing between groups of buttons.
7. Add or remove the flexible space. The palette includes a Flexible Space item. Drag it onto the toolbar to add a gap that expands to fill extra space. To remove it, drag it off the toolbar.
8. Choose which items appear in the toolbar. The palette includes a Show pop-up menu at the bottom. You can choose to show only the Address Bar, the Address Bar and Tab Bar, or the Full Toolbar (which includes the tab bar and the toolbar). Select the option that best fits your workflow.
9. Reset the toolbar to its default. If you want to start over, drag the entire default set from the palette (the group of buttons that appears at the bottom of the palette) onto the toolbar, replacing the current arrangement. Or, click the Reset button in the bottom-right corner of the sheet.
10. Finish customizing. When you’re happy with the arrangement, click the Done button (or press Return). The sheet closes, and your changes are saved automatically.

Common Mistakes

• Dragging a button but not dropping it correctly. If you release the mouse button while the cursor is not over the toolbar, the button will not be added. Make sure the cursor is over the toolbar area before releasing.
• Removing a button you still need. You can always add it back using the same customization sheet, but it’s easy to accidentally remove the stop/reload button. If you do, just go back to View > Customize Toolbar… and drag it back.
• Expecting the customization to affect the tab bar. The toolbar customization only affects the main toolbar (the row with the address bar and buttons). The tab bar is separate; to show or hide it, use View > Show Tab Bar or View > Hide Tab Bar.
• Forgetting that the customization sheet is modal. While the sheet is open, you can’t interact with the web page. You must click Done to return to normal browsing.

Tips

• Use the Share button for quick sharing. The Share button (the square with an arrow) gives you one-click access to sharing via Mail, Messages, AirDrop, and more. It’s a popular addition.
• Add the Home button if you have a favorite start page. The Home button takes you to the page you set in Safari’s preferences (under Safari > Settings… > General). It’s handy if you often return to a specific site.
• Keep the toolbar minimal. A cluttered toolbar slows you down. Only keep the buttons you use at least once a week; you can access other features via the menu bar or keyboard shortcuts.
• Use keyboard shortcuts for common actions. For example, Cmd+L focuses the address bar, Cmd+R reloads the page, and Cmd++/Cmd+- zooms. This can reduce your reliance on toolbar buttons.
• Try the “Address Bar and Tab Bar” view. If you prefer a cleaner look, choose this option from the Show pop-up in the customization sheet. It hides the toolbar buttons entirely, giving you more space for content.

Troubleshooting

• I can’t find the “Customize Toolbar” option. Make sure you’re in Safari, not another browser. The option is under the View menu. If you’re using a full-screen view, you may need to exit full-screen first (press Esc).
• My changes don’t stick after I close Safari. Safari automatically saves your toolbar customization. If it reverts, try quitting Safari completely and reopening it. If the problem persists, check if you have any third-party extensions that might be interfering (go to Safari > Settings… > Extensions and disable them temporarily).
• The toolbar looks different after a macOS update. Apple occasionally changes the default toolbar. You can always re-customize it using the same steps. If you want to restore the old look, you may need to manually add back buttons like the Home button.
• I accidentally removed the address bar. Don’t panic. Open View > Customize Toolbar… and look for the Address Bar item in the palette. Drag it back to the toolbar. If you can’t see it, use the Show pop-up to select “Address Bar” or “Full Toolbar” to bring it back.
• Right-clicking the toolbar doesn’t show “Customize Toolbar”. In some versions of Safari, the context menu may not include that option. Use the View menu instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a “New Tab” button to the Safari toolbar?

Yes. In the customization sheet, you’ll find a “New Tab” button in the palette. Drag it to the toolbar to add it. Clicking it will open a new tab.

How do I remove the sidebar button from the Safari toolbar?

The sidebar button (which shows or hides the sidebar) can be removed just like any other button. Open View > Customize Toolbar… and drag the sidebar button off the toolbar. If you don’t see it, it might be hidden; you can also use the keyboard shortcut Cmd+Shift+L to toggle the sidebar.

Why can’t I drag buttons when the customization sheet is open?

Make sure you are clicking and holding the mouse button on the button you want to drag. If you’re using a trackpad, press and hold the trackpad button (or tap with two fingers and hold) while dragging. Also, ensure the cursor is over the button when you start dragging.

Will my toolbar customization sync across my devices?

No, toolbar customization is per-Mac and does not sync via iCloud. You’ll need to customize the toolbar on each Mac you use.

Can I add a “Downloads” button to the toolbar?

Yes. In the customization sheet, there is a “Downloads” button. Dragging it to the toolbar gives you one-click access to your downloads list.

How do I reset the Safari toolbar to the default?

Open View > Customize Toolbar… and click the Reset button in the bottom-right corner. This will restore the original toolbar layout.

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