How to Reset Safari to Default Settings on Mac and iPhone – Step By Step

Are you twisting your brain trying to figure out how to reset Safari to default settings on Mac and iPhone? Are you stumped as to where to proceed? Don’t stress, we’ve got you covered!

There’s no denying that Safari is a fantastic browser. With some of its anti-tracking rules, Apple is heading the battle over ad trackers on the web. Safari has always been a refuge for people who wish to keep their personal information private.

When exploring the web on a Mac, Safari makes you comfortable. Safari’s most recent versions are always better. However, no browser is ideal. Safari has a tendency to slow or stop, becoming slower, and seem unresponsive with time.

Safari, on the other hand, may win the competition when it comes to securing its audiences. However, it is frequently unable to compete in the game of extendable functionalities with its rivals.

Many here, on the other hand, use safari on a regular basis. Some people prefer to keep their online privacy as private as possible. Others, on the other hand, do not want to use a third-party browser on their Macs or iPhones.

Whatever your reason for utilizing Safari may be. One thing is certain: after years of use, Safari has amassed a massive amount of website data. This may cause your browser or, in the worst-case scenario, your gadgets to slow down. Safari lacks a reset button, which is included in Chrome and Firefox.

The Process to Reset Safari to Default Settings on Mac

To everyone’s surprise, none of the iphone models include a ‘Reset Safari’ option. As a result, we’ll have to go through a series of processes that not every person is familiar with. In any case, restarting Safari entails resetting the following components:

  1. History of the Safari browser
  2. Website data of the Safari browser
  3. The Cache of the Safari browser
  4. Extensions of the Safari browser
  5. Plugins of Safari browser

We will reset all of the components one by one, lets get started now:

The Process to Reset History of Safari Browser

  • To begin, open Safari from your Mac’s Dashboard or menu.
  • Then, from the toolbar, you have to select the History button. The next step is to select the Clear History option from the drop-down menu.
  • Then, from the drop-down menu, click full history.
  • Finally, you need to hit on the Clear History box.

The Process to Reset Website Data of Safari Browser

  • To begin, open Safari from your Mac’s Launcher or dock.
  • After that, go to the navigation bar and select the ‘Safari’ option. Then you have to select Preferences from the drop-down menu.
  • Then, under the Privacy window, select the Manage Website Data option.
  • Now, in the lower-left right corner of the screen, hit the Remove All box.
  • To verify, press the Remove Now tab.

The Process to Reset Cache of Safari Browser

  • To begin, you have to launch Safari from your Mac’s Dashboard or menu.
  • Then, from the toolbar, select the Safari tab. Afterward, from the drop-down menu, select Preferences
  • Navigate to the Advanced window after that. There you will find the Show Develop menu in the menu bar box, just tick it.
  • As a consequence, the ‘Develop’ button in the navigation bar will now be displayed. Select ‘Empty Caches’ from the drop-down menu after clicking on it.

The Process to Uninstall or Disbale Safari Extensions

Safari extensions are essentially mini-applications that enhance the browser’s capabilities. You’ll need to deactivate or delete any addons if you’re attempting to reset Safari.

  • Choose Safari from the toolbar, then you need to select Preferences from the drop-down list.
  • Selecting the Extensions box is your next step.
  • After that, you should choose an extension and deselect the checkbox next to it to stop it.
  • You can remove an extension after it has been deactivated. Uninstall is the option to choose.
  • A notice will appear stating that the extension is part of an application and that you must uninstall the application. Then you are required to pick Show in Finder from the menu bar.
  • The program will launch Finder with the app chosen. Push the program to the bin by right-clicking it and selecting Move to Trash.
  • Hit OK after entering your password. You’ve removed the add-on.

The Process to Remove all cookies from your Browser

  • When you surf the web, Safari, like some other browsers, saves website cookies. These cookies store information about your activities with the web, like login and form input, the information of your shopping cart, and so on. When restarting over, it’s a smart option to delete their cookies.
  • To remove all cookies from Safari, follow these steps:
  • Open Safari and select Safari > Preferences from the toolbar at the top of the window.
  • Navigate to the Privacy option in the pop-up box and hit the Manage Website Data option. In Safari, this will open a new window with a collection of cookies.
  • Press and hold Cmd to choose specific cookies to remove, or select Remove All to erase the whole list.

The Process to Disable or Remove Safari Plugins

Although Apple designed Safari to be fast, some third-party plugins and website access regulations can reduce the speed. It’s ideal if such plugins prompt you before they execute in Safari. You may also check whether websites have permission to use your Mac’s webcam, mic, and other features.

You need to navigate to Safari > Preferences in the toolbar at the top of the screen when Safari is active. Review each object in the column for website access under the Websites section. Auto-Play, Webcam, Audio, Gps, and Pop-Ups should all be disabled.

If you have an earlier version of Browser, you won’t be able to use these features. Then go to Safari > Settings and select Security > Plug-In Options from the drop-down menu. Then, before Safari executes any plugins, switch all to Ask first, and deactivate the plugins you will never need.

The Process to Reset Safari to Default Settings on iPhone

  • On the iPhone, resetting Safari is a simple process that takes only a few steps.
  • From your device’s main screen, open the ‘Settings’ application.
  • After that, slide down and touch on ‘Safari’ from the menu.
  • Then, after you’ve found it, scroll down until you see the ‘Clear History and Website Data’ button on the display and touch it.
  • To confirm, select ‘Clear History and Data’ from the pop-up notification option.

Conclusion

By using the above-mentioned ways, you can reset your Safari browser to its default settings. After that, it should feel a lot faster and works better.