How do I Selectively Sync Safari on iCloud?

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Level 1

11 points

How do I Selectively Sync Safari on iCloud?

Long time user struggling with iCloud Safari Sync.

I use an iMac in my office at home, another in my home studio. I use an iPad Pro when working away from home and when not working both at home and away. I've an Admin account on another iMac at a customer's premises I regularly work at and a Mac mini as a media centre. Plus my phone.

Obviously I want my bookmarks, reading list and logins everywhere.

Obviously I don't want work machines autofilling the address bar or history with Youtube Time Team S4 E3/E4/E5, The Poke, ClientsFromHell etc when clients are sitting at my desk.

Obviously I don't want to have to trawl through a history of thousands of local files to pick up where I left off on Time Team.

Surely there's a way there's a way to refine what Safari syncs on Mac as it seems there is for PC users using alternate browsers.

Nobody else has access to any of these machines (or account on the clients machine) so it's not about privacy, it just seems silly/clumsy for sync to be all or nothing.

Anyone figured how selectively sync Safari?

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Jul 30, 2019 4:52 PM

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Answer 1

tygb

Level 9

64,998 points

Jul 31, 2019 4:09 AM in response to _pb_

History can't be shared between different macs when they are signed in with same Apple ID and password on the same network but bookmarks and reading list are shared .

To share history between mac use migration assistant , see this article https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT204350

If one of Mac mini history is not shown , go system preferences > iCloud turn the box of safari .

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Answer 2

tygb

Level 9

64,998 points

Jul 31, 2019 12:20 AM in response to _pb_

All Mac / iOS device must be signed in with same Apple ID and password on the same network with latest versions , the apple products must be updated / upgraded and meet system requirements for iCloud https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT204230 and as per this article https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/safari/ibrw1039/mac

Note: Safari uses iCloud to keep your bookmarks the same on all your Mac computers and iOS devices that have Safari turned on in iCloud preferences. With iCloud, your bookmarks and Reading List are archived automatically, and you can restore them from an earlier version at any time.

For the You tube time team games ...etc clear all history and web site data , and for files to pick up keep hands off https://support.apple.com/en-in/guide/mac-help/mchl732d3c0a/mac

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Answer 3

_pb_ Author

Level 1

11 points

Jul 31, 2019 4:19 AM in response to tygb

Thanks again tygb.

Just so I understand,

Are you telling me that two macs using the same Apple ID and password on a home network cannot share Safari Browsing History?

Are you telling me that two macs using the same Apple ID and password on different networks do share their Safari Browsing History?

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Answer 4

_pb_ Author

Level 1

11 points

Jul 31, 2019 1:45 AM in response to tygb

Thank you for taking the time tygb.

My aim is for all machines to sync bookmarks and reading lists, but only some machines to sync Browsing History. I'm trying to avoid having to clear Browsing History per machine as I want it, just not everywhere.

I do have an issue that the Mac Mini shows history from the other machines, but the other machines don't see Mac mini history. This is ideal, but it's the wrong machine and seems to be a glitch! It does however make me believe it can be done.

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Answer 5

_pb_ Author

Level 1

11 points

Jul 31, 2019 4:48 AM in response to tygb

I'm logged in on my customers iMac at my customers premises right now, and the safari browsing history currently includes everything I browsed on the iMac in my office at home this morning, and everything I browsed on my iPhone last night, and everything I browsed on my iPad drinking my morning coffee, but not what I viewed on my mac mini.

All are logged in and synching with iCloud on the same Apple ID

Either I'm not explaining myself correctly, or all my macs have gone rogue in the same very specific manner.

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Answer 6

tygb

Level 9

64,998 points

Jul 31, 2019 7:31 AM in response to _pb_

Consult this with apple support , make sure Mac mini has not enabled private browsing , I don't think history is shared , different opened tabs in which browsing is done are shared , bookmarks , reading list is shared .

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Answer 7

_pb_ Author

Level 1

11 points

Jul 31, 2019 7:46 AM in response to tygb

Sharing History is a standard feature of iCloud. There are a ton of threads here where children are using parents ID to buy in the store and share apps, but want to hide their history.

I just can't believe it's not optional, especially when for some reason one machine is not sharing.

Thanks anyway.

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Answer 8

tygb

Level 9

64,998 points

Jul 31, 2019 4:30 AM in response to _pb_

History is not shared between two Macs on the same / different network with signing in same Apple ID and password as system files for each Mac are different

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How do I Selectively Sync Safari on iCloud?

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