• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

AppleToolBox

Tools and Fixes for Mac, iPad, iPhone & iPod

Search posts

  • About
  • Contact

CONNECT WITH US

CATEGORIES

  • iPhone
  • iPad
  • Mac/MacBook
  • Apple Watch
  • Reviews
  • Mac
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Apple Services
  • AirPods

SITE

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Advertise

Search posts

You are here: Home / iPad / How to Close the Bookmarks Sidebar on iPad

How to Close the Bookmarks Sidebar on iPad

By Kris Wouk 3 comments Last updated December 1, 2021

The Bookmarks Sidebar on iPadOS is incredibly handy. Despite the name, it’s not just for bookmarks. It also lets you browse your history, manage tab groups, and access Safari’s built-in Reading List feature.

Just because the Bookmarks Sidebar is useful, that doesn’t mean you want to see it all the time. If you’re losing valuable screen real estate on your iPad, it can be annoying. Let’s look at how to close it.

Contents

  • Closing the Bookmarks Sidebar
  • Simplifying the Bookmarks Sidebar

Closing the Bookmarks Sidebar

Apple has a habit of adding features to its software that hide in plain sight. Power users might be aware of them, but most other users never even notice the feature is there.

This is the case with the Bookmark Sidebar. In the very upper-left of your screen, there is an icon that looks like a miniature version of Safari with a sidebar. That’s not just an icon; it’s a button.

All you have to do is tap the button and the Bookmarks Sidebar will close. If you ever want to open the sidebar again, tap the button in the same spot.

Simplifying the Bookmarks Sidebar

In many cases, when someone wants to get rid of the Bookmarks Sidebar, it’s because there are too many bookmarks to manage. Simply removing bookmarks can make this more manageable.

If you’re at the top level of the sidebar, you’ll see Bookmarks, Reading List, and History together. Tap the Bookmarks button to access your bookmarks.

Once you’re looking at your bookmarks, deleting them is easy. Just tap and hold on an icon and a menu will pop up with the option to Edit or Delete the bookmark. Tap Delete and the bookmark will disappear.

To remove multiple bookmarks at a time, tap Edit at the bottom of the toolbar. This adds red Delete icons next to every bookmark.

For more information, be sure to take a look at our guide to managing bookmarks in Safari.

Kris Wouk
Kris Wouk

Kris Wouk is a writer, musician, and whatever it’s called when someone makes videos for the web. He’s an Apple nerd with a fondness for hi-res audio and home theater gear.

Related Posts:

  • How to Manage Bookmarks in Safari on iOS and Mac
    How to Manage Bookmarks in Safari on iOS and Mac
  • iOS 13 or iPadOS problems and how to fix them - Troubleshooting Guide
    iOS 13 or iPadOS problems and how to fix them -…
  • Can’t Clear the Browsing History in Safari on Your iPhone or iPad
    Can’t Clear the Browsing History in Safari on Your iPhone or…
  • Improve your habits and enhance your life with Habitify
    Improve your habits and enhance your life with Habitify
  • How to reopen closed or lost Tabs in Safari on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac
    How to reopen closed or lost Tabs in Safari on your iPhone,…
  • Getting Started With iOS 15: Everything Good And Bad
    Getting Started With iOS 15: Everything Good And Bad
  • How to use Books in iOS 13 & 12 and iPadOS, essential tips
    How to use Books in iOS 13 & 12 and iPadOS, essential tips
  • Safari Bookmarks Disappear on iPad/iPhone
    Safari Bookmarks Disappear on iPad/iPhone
  • WWDC21 Recap: Everything You Missed In Apple's 2-Hour Event
    WWDC21 Recap: Everything You Missed In Apple's 2-Hour Event

Reader Interactions

Write a Comment Cancel reply

Show 3 Comments

  1. deep says

    July 25, 2022 at 11:50 PM

    very helpful article for me.

    Reply
  2. Diane Walsh says

    April 6, 2022 at 6:54 AM

    I appreciate the help on removing the bookmark sidebar with the icon on upper left of the full screen (not the sidebar screen) but I was hoping for a graphic of the icon too because it was an open book icon, not a miniature safari.

    Reply
  3. Rob says

    March 4, 2022 at 12:02 PM

    THERE IS NO ‘miniature’ icon that looks like Safari to clear off bookmarks.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • How to Use the New Visual Look Up Tool in Photos on iOS
  • The New iMac Pro: What To Expect
  • The Best iOS Apps and macOS Apps: July 2022
  • AirPods Pro Recall: How to Check if You Are Eligible
  • How to Edit Messages on iPhone
  • How to Backup Your Mac to a Cloud-Based Backup Solution

Connect with us

Footer

ABOUT

  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

DEVICES

  • iPhone
  • Mac & MacBook
  • Apple Watch
  • iPad
  • AirPods
  • Apple TV
  • iPod Touch

GUIDES

  • iOS 13 & iPadOS
  • Apple ID
  • iCloud
  • App Store
  • iTunes
  • FaceTime
  • iMessage
  • Siri
  • Books and iBooks
  • Game Center
  • AirPlay

CONNECT

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • FeedBurner
  • YouTube

© Copyright 2010-2022 AppleToolBox · All Rights Reserved

This site and its content are in no way affiliated or endorsed by Apple, Inc. · Reproduction without explicit permission is prohibited