Hi there! If you’re looking to master Safari on your iPhone or iPad and make your web browsing more enjoyable, safer, and less distracting, you’re in the right place. I’m Ellen from Ellen’s Tips for iOS, where I help seniors—and anyone who wants to learn—get the most out of their Apple devices. Today, I’m sharing nine super helpful Safari tips that can transform the way you browse the web, whether you’re reading news articles, checking recipes, or shopping online. Let’s dive in!
Use Reader View to Simplify Web Pages
Have you ever landed on a news article or blog post that’s cluttered with flashing ads or distracting videos? It can make reading a real challenge, especially if your eyes get tired easily. Safari’s Reader View is a fantastic tool to strip away all the extras and leave you with just the text and images you want to focus on.
To activate Reader View, simply tap the reader icon in the address bar. When you do, a menu appears—choose Show Reader and voilà! The page transforms into a clean, easy-to-read format.
But that’s not all. You can customize the background color to make reading even easier on your eyes. Just tap the reader icon again and select a background color that suits you best. Plus, you can adjust the text size by tapping the two “A”s—tap the larger “A” to increase the font size so you don’t have to strain your eyes. Safari will even remember your preferred text size on some websites, making your reading experience consistent.
To exit Reader View, just tap the reader icon and select Hide Reader to return to the normal web page.
Quickly Find Words or Phrases on a Page
When you’re reading a long article and want to find a specific word or ingredient, Safari’s Find on Page feature is a real time saver. Tap the share button (the square with an arrow pointing up), scroll down, and tap Find on Page. Type the word you’re searching for, then tap Search. Safari highlights every instance of that word, helping you zero in on exactly what you need.
Customize Your Safari Start Page
When you open a new tab in Safari, you see your start page, which by default shows favorites, reading lists, iCloud tabs, and more. But you might not use all of these sections. You can make your start page cleaner and more personalized by tapping the overlapping squares icon to open tabs, then tapping the plus sign to open a new tab. Scroll to the bottom and tap Edit.
Here, you can turn off sections you don’t use, like “Shared with You,” “Suggestions,” or “iCloud Tabs.” This gives you a simpler, tidier homepage focused on what matters most to you, like your favorite sites and reading list.
Organize Your Browsing with Tab Groups
If you like to keep multiple websites open—maybe recipes, travel plans, or news articles—you’ll love Safari’s Tab Groups. They help you organize tabs into categories so you can find what you need quickly without getting overwhelmed.
To create a tab group, tap the tabs button (the overlapping squares), then tap the icon that looks like stacked lines. From there, tap New Empty Tab Group, give it a name (like “Recipes”), and tap Save.
To add tabs to your new group, hold down a tab and select Move Tab, then choose the group you want. You can switch between tab groups by tapping the tabs icon and swiping through your groups. This keeps your browsing neat and organized, and as a bonus, your tab groups sync across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac if you use them.
Translate Web Pages Instantly
Sometimes you might find yourself on a webpage in a different language. No worries—Safari has a built-in translate feature. Just tap the reader icon in the address bar and select Translate to English (if available). This comes in handy for researching travel tips, health information, or any other content in foreign languages.
Keep in mind that not every site can be translated, but many common ones support this feature.
Protect Your Privacy by Blocking Pop-Ups and Tracking
Your privacy is important, and Safari includes settings to help you keep your browsing safe and clean. To access these, open Settings on your device, scroll down to Apps, then tap Safari.
Make sure Block Pop-ups and Prevent Cross-Site Tracking are turned on. These settings stop annoying pop-ups and prevent websites from tracking your activity across the web. You only need to set this once, and it stays on automatically.
Clear History and Website Data to Keep Safari Running Smoothly
Over time, Safari stores history and website data that can slow things down. It’s a good idea to clear this out every once in a while. Go to Settings > Safari and tap Clear History and Website Data. Don’t worry—this won’t delete your saved passwords, and it can help Safari run faster and feel less sluggish.
Add Frequently Visited Websites to Your Home Screen
Do you have websites you visit daily, like your bank, library, or favorite blog? Make access super easy by adding them to your home screen. Open the site in Safari, tap the share button, then scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen. You can edit the name before adding it. This creates an app-like icon on your home screen, so you can get there with just one tap.
Take Your Time and Explore These Tips at Your Own Pace
These Safari tips can make a huge difference in how you use your iPhone or iPad to browse the web. You don’t have to learn them all at once—try one or two that sound most useful to you and build from there.
Which tip do you find most helpful? Feel free to share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below. Happy browsing!
Need help with your device? I’m always available for a Free Consult.
Like Video instead? Head to my YouTube channel for more great tips.
