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

AppleToolBox

Tools and Fixes for Mac, iPad, iPhone & iWatch

Search posts

  • About
  • Contact

CONNECT WITH US

CATEGORIES

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

SITE

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Advertise

Search posts

You are here: Home / iPad / 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, iPad, or Mac

By Dan Helyer 15 comments Last updated December 29, 2022

It’s tempting to keep lots of tabs open in Safari for quick access to webpages when you want them. But Safari tabs are not a reliable stronghold. In fact, it’s very common for all your Safari tabs to disappear or to lose them after updating your device.

If this happened to you, there are a few things you can try to reopen your closed Safari tabs. We’ve explained all you need to know below, including a much safer way to save important websites in the future.

Related:

  • Our Top iPhone Safari Tab Tips and Tricks
  • Can I Make Safari Faster on My iPhone, iPad, or Mac?
  • 13 Hidden Features You Won’t Find for Yourself in iOS 13

Step 1. View a List of Your Recently Closed Tabs in Safari

Whether you’re using Safari on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac it’s easy to view a list of all your recently closed tabs. This way, you can find the particular websites you still want to visit from the list and restore those tabs in Safari.

On an iPhone:

  1. Open Safari and tap the Tabs button (two overlapping squares) in the bottom-right corner.
  2. Tap and hold the Plus (+) button at the bottom of the screen.
  3. A list of recently closed tabs appears, tap an item to open it in a new tab.
Safari New Tab Plus button to see recently closed tabs
Tap and hold the Plus button to see your closed tabs.

On an iPad:

  1. Open Safari.
  2. Tap and hold the Plus (+) button in the top-right corner.
  3. A list of recently closed tabs appears, tap an item to open it in a new tab.
Recently closed tabs in Safari on iPad
Tap your recently closed tabs to reopen them in Safari.

On a Mac:

  1. Open Safari.
  2. From the menu bar, go to History > Recently Closed.
  3. A list of recently closed tabs appears, click an item to open it in a new tab.
  4. Alternatively, go to History > Reopen Last Closed Tab or press Cmd + Shift + T to automatically reopen your las closed tab.
Reopen Last Closed Tab option in Safari on Mac
Reopen your recently closed tabs from the menu bar on a Mac.

Step 2. Check Your Other Safari Windows in iPadOS

The release of iPadOS introduced lots of iPad multitasking features, including the ability to open multiple windows of the same app. It’s possible you didn’t lose all your Safari tabs after updating to iPadOS, they just might be in a different app window.

There are lots of ways to manage and view Safari windows on your iPad. You can even merge them all together so you don’t lose tabs in the future.

Different Ways to View Your Open Safari Windows in iPadOS:

  • Tap and hold the Safari app icon from your Home screen, then select Show All Windows in the pop-up menu.
  • Open Safari, then slide up to reveal the Dock. With Safari open, tap the Safari icon again to see all your windows.
  • Slide up to the middle of the screen (or double-click the Home button) to open the App Switcher. Each Safari window appears as a different app.
Show All Windows in pop-up menu for Safari app on iPadOS
Tap and hold an app icon to view quick actions.

How to Reopen Closed Safari Windows and Tabs:

  1. Follow any of the instructions above to view your open Safari windows.
  2. In the top-right corner of the screen, tap Reopen Closed Windows to open recently closed Safari windows, including all the tabs in them.
Multiple windows open in Safari with option to reopen closed windows
Reopen closed Safari windows from the top-right corner.

How to Merge Your Safari Windows Together:

  1. Open Safari.
  2. Tap and hold the Tabs button (two overlapping squares) in the top-right.
  3. In the pop-up menu, tap Merge All Windows. All the Safari tabs in other windows should merge to your current window.
Tabs button options with Merge All Windows option in iPadOS
Choose to Merge All Windows from the pop-up window in Safari.

Step 3. Check Your Open Tabs on Other Apple Devices

One of the benefits of using Safari is that Apple syncs the open tabs across all your connected Apple devices. Thanks to this feature, there’s a chance you can restore your missing Safari tabs using another Apple device, if you have one.

This only works if you make iCloud sync across your devices.

On an iPhone or iPad:

  1. Open Safari and tap the Tabs button (two overlapping squares).
  2. Scroll down to reveal open tabs on each of your other Apple devices.
  3. Tap a webpage to open it in a new tab.
Safari Tabs on other Apple devices
Tap a tab from another device to reopen it in Safari.

On a Mac:

  1. Open Safari and click the Tabs button (two overlapping squares).
  2. Scroll down to reveal open tabs on each of your other Apple devices.
  3. Click a webpage to open it in a new tab.
Tabs from other devices on Mac Safari
Click tabs to reopen them from other Apple devices.

4. Search for Your Closed Tabs in the Safari History

If you still can’t recover your lost Safari tabs, you may need to reopen them from the browsing history instead. This is quicker than re-entering each website by hand, since you don’t need to remember any web addresses

Unless you’re browsing in Private mode, Safari saves every website you visit in the browsing history. You can easily view your history as a list or search for particular websites to reopen your closed Safari tabs.

On an iPhone or iPad:

  1. Open Safari and tap the Book icon.
  2. Tap the Clock icon to view your browsing history.
  3. Drag down to reveal a search bar or scroll through your history in chronological order.
  4. Tap a previously visited webpage to open it in a new tab.
History option with Search bar on iPhone Safari
Drag down to reveal a search bar for your history.

On a Mac:

  1. Open Safari.
  2. From the menu bar, go to History > Show All History.
  3. Use the search bar or scroll through your history in chronological order.
  4. Double-click a previously visited webpage to open it in your current tab.
Show All History option from Mac Safari menu bar
Show your browsing history from the Safari menu bar.

A Better Way to Save Your Safari Tabs

It’s easy to keep a lot of tabs open in Safari as you browse the web. But if you want to save those tabs for future reading, you should save them as bookmarks instead. You can do this for multiple Safari tabs at once and even reopen them together as well.

Unlike open tabs, iCloud backs up and syncs your Safari bookmarks so you can’t ever lose them. This way, the sites you want to visit are safe even if you update or change your device.

On an iPhone or iPad:

  1. Open Safari.
  2. Tap and hold the Book icon, then select Add Bookmarks for [X] Tabs.
  3. Choose a name and location for your new bookmark folder.
  4. To reopen the Safari tabs, tap the Book, then view the Bookmarks.
  5. Navigate to the new bookmark folder, then tap and hold it and select Open in New Tabs to open all the saved tabs at once.
Add Bookmarks for multiple tabs option in Safari
Tap and hold the Book icon to reveal a pop-up menu.

On a Mac:

  1. Open Safari.
  2. From the menu bar, go to Bookmarks > Add Bookmarks for These [X] Tabs.
  3. Choose a name and location for your new bookmark folder.
  4. To reopen your Safari tabs, go to Bookmarks > Show Bookmarks.
  5. Navigate to the new bookmark folder, then control-click and select Open in New Tabs to open all your saved tabs at once.
Add Bookmarks for Multiple tabs option in Mac Safari
Save bookmarks for all your open tabs at once.

Learn How to Fix Any Safari Problems

Losing your tabs after updating your device isn’t the only Safari problem people encounter. Other common issues include slow performance, unexpected behavior, and iCloud sync problems.

Whatever issue you’re experiencing with Safari, you can learn how to fix it in our master Safari troubleshooting guide. We’ve included simple yet effective instructions to help with all the most common Safari problems.

Dan Helyer

Dan writes tutorials and troubleshooting guides to help people make the most of their technology. Before becoming a writer, he earned a BSc in Sound Technology, supervised repairs at an Apple Store, and even taught English in China.

Related Posts:

  • iOS 13 or iPadOS problems and how to fix them - Troubleshooting Guide
    iOS 13 or iPadOS problems and how to fix them -…
  • AirPods Pro---The Complete Guide
    AirPods Pro---The Complete Guide
  • Mac Tips For New Users In 2023
    Mac Tips For New Users In 2023
  • iOS 16 Tips and Tricks: The Definitive List
    iOS 16 Tips and Tricks: The Definitive List
  • Should I sign up for Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program?
    Should I sign up for Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program?
  • The Best Weight Loss Apps For iPhone In 2021
    The Best Weight Loss Apps For iPhone In 2021
  • How To Run Linux On Mac: A Step-by-Step Guide
    How To Run Linux On Mac: A Step-by-Step Guide
  • The Best iPhone And Mac Shortcuts For Beginners
    The Best iPhone And Mac Shortcuts For Beginners
  • iPhone Tips for New Users In 2023
    iPhone Tips for New Users In 2023

Reader Interactions

Write a Comment Cancel reply

Show 15 Comments

  1. Dahianna Reyes says

    August 14, 2022 at 1:04 PM

    Hello it kinda worked, when I hold the + button nothing comes up please help?

    Reply
  2. Chris Scholten says

    March 20, 2022 at 6:52 AM

    Hello!! I am not a computer genius for starters!!
    I had a bunch of tabs open for some patterns I saved to get to them later. Somehow I lost ALL of those open tabs and I am going crazy!! It took me a very long time to find them all and they are just GONE now?! I read about how to recover them, but nothing works!! Please HELP????
    Thanx~

    Chris*

    Reply
  3. Cindy says

    March 7, 2022 at 11:08 PM

    Hi guys, Recently my ipad has been deleting on it’s own all my open tabs. Talking with someone at Apple the other day, we noticed I was running 14 something IOS. She said update, that may restore the tabs. Well, now I’m running 15.3.1 and it’s deleting my tabs again. Also, no matter what web site I’m on, or email I’m looking at, the page freezes for a few seconds. But that’s another issue.

    Anyway, when I touch and hold the “+” sign to pull up the recently closed tabs, it will only let me scroll through the first page. When the second page starts to come into view, it automatically jumps back to the first page. Cannot scroll through the entire list, so how am I suppose to restore my deleted tabs? Also, can the number of tabs be changed?

    Thank you very much for helping me, before it ends up thrown across the street.

    Reply
  4. Rita Sarubbi says

    March 1, 2022 at 11:31 AM

    I just want to let you know how helpful this site has been to recover lost tabs on my phone that i needed,
    Thank you

    Reply
  5. Merrille says

    November 25, 2021 at 4:00 PM

    How can I restore all of
    My tabs that got erased on my I phone

    Reply
  6. anonymous says

    September 23, 2021 at 6:03 AM

    thank you dan helyer, my all tabs were gone on my ipad (100+) but due to your article ive found them all. thanks again ur a life saver

    Reply
  7. Greta Roy says

    August 1, 2021 at 12:13 AM

    Literally saved me, I lost all my tabs and I was able to get them all back, and frankly just completely amazed because I had no idea you could get them back like that, you’re the best ever, hope you have a long and amazing life Mr. Helyer.

    Reply
  8. Sue says

    July 29, 2021 at 7:47 PM

    Thank you! The Safari tabs on my IPad had disappeared and I was able to bring them back by simply holding the + on the upper right of the Safari homepage. Other sites gave complicated recovery directions. This page is a keeper!

    Reply
  9. noormuha says

    July 7, 2021 at 9:55 PM

    Beacause help established connection

    Reply
  10. Carol A Waldmann says

    June 25, 2021 at 4:20 PM

    how do i recover tabs I never bookmarked or made favorite?

    Reply
  11. Jaden says

    May 21, 2021 at 1:47 PM

    No! It did not work! 🙁 how do I ACTUALLY fix it?

    Reply
  12. Brian says

    October 31, 2020 at 7:01 AM

    This sounds good, but when I click on the tabs icon I do not get a merge windows in the listing,

    Reply
  13. Doireanne says

    September 13, 2020 at 8:26 AM

    Please note that the method listed as #1 (for iPhone) will not work if you are in private mode.

    Reply
  14. James Hinton says

    August 8, 2020 at 11:22 PM

    My messenger is not working how can I get it back working

    Reply
  15. Kate Zod says

    August 7, 2020 at 4:16 PM

    This is a wonderful page! I was in a panic because my tabs were all gone, and you helped me get them back. You are like a guardian angel! Keep up the good work.

    Thank you and God bless you!

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • How to Watch MLB Games on Apple TV in 2023
  • What’s New in iOS 16.4
  • How to Share Focus Mode Across Multiple Devices on Your Mac
  • How to Use Google Bard on iPhone and iPad
  • What Is the Flyover Feature in Apple Maps? (+ How to Use It)
  • Notes vs. Notion: Which Is Better for Note-Taking as an Apple User?

Connect with us

Footer

ABOUT

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

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 2010-2023 Guiding Tech Media · All Rights Reserved

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