When you turn on your brand-new iPhone, iPad, or Mac for the first time, you’ll find a bunch of pre-installed apps that are supposed to be helpful. Some of them can be quite useful, while others just clutter your phone and make it slower. Safari is not among the worst ones, but there definitely are better browsers out there. However, uninstalling it could be tricky. Here are some tips on how to delete Safari.
Paulius Ilevičius
Contents
Safari is a web browser developed by Apple. It’s the default browser for Apple operating systems. Safari browser first appeared in 1993 and has been regularly updated since then.
While Safari is not the worst browser available and does relatively well in terms of online security, here are a few reasons you may wish to delete it and choose a more secure variant:
Removing Safari from Mac is complicated. That’s because of its System Integrity Protection (SIP), a security feature Apple uses to prevent inexperienced users from accidentally breaking the OS. Safari is one of those embedded applications that can’t be modified or removed without a few tweaks.
To uninstall Safari on Mac, you have to disable System Integrity Protection through the Console or by using third-party apps. However, we advise against doing so if you’re not a computer whizz.
Removing embedded applications puts you at risk of damaging the operating system, and your Mac may end up malfunctioning. If you aren’t an advanced Mac user, removing Safari from the Dock, clearing your data, and replacing it with another browser may be enough.
Similar to Safari being embedded into a Mac, you can’t remove the Safari app from your iPhone or iPad because it is deeply integrated into iOS. However, you can easily remove Safari from your home screen. Unfortunately, removing the icon doesn’t mean you delete the app or its data, like browsing data or logins.
You can, on the other hand, try removing it by using various third-party cleaners, but do so at your own risk and make sure to choose secure software.
We recommend disabling the app, clearing your history, and getting a different browser.
If you want to delete your browsing history and website data, do the following:
1. Go to “Settings”.
2. Scroll down to the Safari tab.
3. Click “Clear History and Website Data”.
4. Click “Clear History and Data” to confirm your decision.
To delete Safari history on Mac:
1. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and choose “Settings”.
2. Go to “Security and privacy”.
3. Click “Clear browsing data”, mark all the relevant options, and click “Clear data”. You can also block and clear cookies in the “Cookies and other site data” section.
Now that all your searches, logins and other browsing data are gone, let’s turn Safari off:
1. Go to “Settings”.
2. Tap “Screen Time”.
3. Press on “Content and Privacy Restrictions”.
4. Enable “Content and Privacy Restrictions” by clicking on the switch next to it.
5. Go to “Allowed Apps”.
6. Disable Safari by clicking on the switch next to it.
Once you’re done, you will no longer see the Safari icon on your home screen and won’t be able to use it. But if you ever change your mind, you can bring it back anytime by the same procedure.
Whatever browser you use, make sure to:
Also, check our list of secure browsers to find a more viable alternative.