If your Safari browser is bogged down with dozens or even hundreds of open tabs, you’re not alone. An iPhone with dozens of tabs can become harder to manage, while a Mac may feel overloaded during multitasking. Closing tabs regularly frees up memory and speeds up Safari.
Instead of tapping through each tab one by one, here’s how to close all tabs in Safari all at once and get your browser back in shape.
1. How to Close All Tabs in Safari on iPhone and iPad
If you want to clear out all your open Safari tabs in one go, here’s how to do it fast:
- Open the Safari app.
- Tap the Tabs button (it may appear at the bottom or top of the screen, depending on your Safari layout).
- Touch and hold the Done button.
- Tap Close All [Number] Tabs.
That’s it, every Safari tab is gone.
If you accidentally closed something important, you can bring it back like this:
- Open the Tabs view.
- Touch and hold the New Tab (+) button.
- Select a tab from the Recently Closed Tabs list.
In case you want to keep just one tab open and close the rest, do this:
- Open Safari.
- Tap the Tabs button to open Tab View.
- Find the tab you want to keep open.
- Long-press that tab.
- Select Close Other Tabs.
You can also set Safari to clean up all old tabs for you automatically:
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Safari.
- Tap Close Tabs.
- Choose one of the automatic options: After One Day, After One Week, or After One Month.
This way, you don’t have to worry about tabs piling up over time.
Need to close all your private browsing tabs at once? That’s easy too.
- Open Safari.
- Tap the Tabs button.
- Select Private.
- While in Private Browsing mode, long-press the Done button.
- Tap Close All [Number] Tabs.
>>> Read more: How to Block Websites on iPhone
2. How to Close Tabs at Once in Safari on Mac
If you find yourself with a pile of open tabs in Safari on your Mac, here’s how you can quickly close everything out, including the tab you’re currently viewing.
There are a couple of ways to do this:
- Press Command + Shift + W
- Go to File > Close Window
Both close the entire Safari window and all tabs within it, which is useful if you want to wrap up your browsing session.
If you just want to keep one tab open and close all other tabs, here’s what to do:
- Open Safari.
- Locate the tab you want to keep open.
- Control-click the tab and select Close Other Tabs.
Besides, to close all tabs to the left or right of a specific tab if you want to tidy things up without losing everything:
- Open Safari on your Mac.
- Control-click the tab you want to use as the starting point.
- Choose: Close Tabs to the Right, or Close Tabs to the Left
>>> Read more: How to Transfer Data From One iPhone to Another in 5 Reliable Ways
3. How to Better Manage Safari Tabs Without Closing Everything
If you just want to avoid a cluttered browser but close all tabs in Safari, Tab Groups can help.
You can sort tabs by project, topic, or whatever makes sense for you, so it’s easier to find what you need later, without closing everything.
In iPhone:
- Open the Safari app.
- Tap the More button, then tap All Tabs. If your Safari layout is set to Bottom or Top, tap the Tabs button.
- Touch and hold a tab.
- Tap Move Tab.
- Tap New Tab Group and enter a name for the group. Then, tap Done.
In Mac:
- Open Safari.
- Click the down arrow next to the Sidebar button.
- Choose New Tab Group with [number] Tabs.
- Enter a name and press Return.
Notes: Quickly saves all current tabs into one organized group.
With just a couple of clicks, you can gather all your open tabs into a single, organized group. Tab Groups are perfect for keeping your work, personal, travel, or shopping tabs separate.
On Mac, Safari includes a sidebar that helps you organize bookmarks, Reading List, and Tab Groups in one place. You can open it by clicking the Sidebar icon in the toolbar.
From there, you can switch between Tab Groups and manage saved content more easily. Frequently used tabs can be pinned directly in the tab bar for quick access.
4. FAQs
Can Safari tabs stay open after restarting a device?
Yes. Safari automatically restores your previous session, including open tabs and windows, unless this behavior is changed in settings or overridden. On iPhone and iPad, tabs generally persist after restarts or force-quits.
Can closed Safari tabs affect battery life?
Closed Safari tabs generally do not affect battery life on iPhone, iPad, or Mac because inactive tabs are suspended in the background and do not continuously use CPU or memory. When you reopen a tab, Safari simply reloads it.
Does clearing Safari history also close tabs?
Clearing Safari history removes browsing history, cookies, and cached data, but your active tabs remain open.
Does having too many Safari tabs slow down an iPhone or Mac?
On iPhone, even hundreds of tabs typically have no noticeable impact on performance. On Mac, only actively loaded or resource-heavy tabs may use memory, while inactive ones remain lightweight.
5. Conclusion
So, how to close all tabs in Safari? You’ll never waste time closing Safari tabs one by one again. Whatever device you’re on, these methods transform into a two-second action that instantly declutters your browser.
