If you want to remove the frequently visited section from Safari’s start page, you can turn it off in the Start Page settings on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. This article explains exactly where that setting is on each device, how to clear the individual site thumbnails, and how to hide the section entirely so it never appears again.
What the Frequently Visited Section Is
Safari’s start page (the page you see when you open a new tab or window) automatically shows a grid of websites you visit often. This is the “Frequently Visited” section, and it’s designed for quick access. On macOS, it appears as a row of large thumbnail cards. On iPhone and iPad, it’s a horizontal scrollable list of icons. The section is generated locally on your device from your browsing history, so it can feel personal and sometimes unwanted if you share a device or simply prefer a clean start page.
How to Remove Frequently Visited on Mac
On a Mac running macOS Catalina or later, the start page is customizable. To remove the entire section:
- Open Safari and click the new tab button (the plus sign) or press Command+T.
- Scroll to the very bottom of the start page.
- Click the “Options” button (it looks like a small toggle switch or gear icon) in the bottom-right corner.
- Uncheck “Frequently Visited.” The section disappears immediately.
If you only want to remove one or two specific sites from the grid without disabling the whole section, hover over a thumbnail, right-click it, and choose “Delete.” That site will no longer appear in the frequently visited list, though it may come back later if you visit it often again.
How to Remove Frequently Visited on iPhone and iPad
On iOS and iPadOS, the start page settings are accessed differently. To hide the entire section:
- Open Safari and tap the new tab button (the plus sign) in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the start page.
- Tap the “Edit” button (it looks like a small list icon or the word Edit).
- Toggle off “Frequently Visited.”
- Tap “Done” in the top-right corner.
To remove a single site from the frequently visited row on iPhone/iPad, press and hold the icon until a context menu appears, then tap “Delete.” This removes it from the list without turning off the feature entirely.
How to Clear the Entire Frequently Visited List
If you want to wipe the list clean (for example, after using a shared computer), you need to clear your browsing history. The frequently visited section is derived from your history, so removing history removes those sites. On Mac, go to History > Clear History and choose a time range. On iPhone/iPad, go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. Note that this also clears cookies and other browsing data, so you may be logged out of websites.
If you prefer not to clear all history, you can individually delete each site from the frequently visited grid as described above. There is no built-in “clear all” button that only resets frequently visited without touching history.
Why the Section Keeps Coming Back
A common frustration is that after deleting a site or disabling the section, it reappears later. This happens because Safari rebuilds the list based on your most recent browsing. If you visit a site frequently, it will be re-added to the grid even after you delete it individually. The only permanent fix is to disable the entire section via the Start Page options, which prevents any sites from appearing there at all. If you re-enable it later, the list will repopulate based on your history.
Alternative Ways to Keep Safari Clean
If you want a completely blank start page, you can also turn off other sections like Privacy Report, Siri Suggestions, and Reading List. On Mac, uncheck all options in the Start Page settings. On iPhone/iPad, toggle them all off in the Edit menu. Another option is to use a different start page: in Safari settings, you can set a specific homepage (on Mac) or use a bookmark folder as your start page (on iPhone/iPad). This bypasses the dynamic start page entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing frequently visited delete my bookmarks?
No. The frequently visited section is separate from your bookmarks. Deleting a site from the grid or clearing your history does not affect saved bookmarks. Bookmarks are stored independently and will remain intact.
Will disabling frequently visited speed up Safari?
No noticeable speed difference. The frequently visited section is just a visual grid; it does not slow down page loading or browsing. Disabling it only changes the appearance of the start page, not performance.
Can I reorder the sites in frequently visited?
Safari does not let you manually reorder the frequently visited thumbnails. The order is determined automatically by how often and how recently you visit each site. You can only delete individual sites or disable the section entirely.
Why do some sites appear that I never visited?
This can happen if those sites are linked from pages you visited, or if they are popular sites that Safari suggests based on your browsing patterns. On newer versions of macOS and iOS, Siri Suggestions can also add sites to the start page. To stop this, disable “Siri Suggestions” in the Start Page options or in the Safari settings.
Does private browsing affect frequently visited?
No. Sites you visit in private browsing mode are not added to the frequently visited list, and they don’t appear in your history. The list is only built from regular browsing sessions.
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