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User profile for user: Celeste Pickron
Celeste Pickron Author
User level: Level 1
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support safari just lost all my tabs and I can’t restore them

I’m using iOS 16.2. I’m really upset I just closed safari and all my tabs are gone with no way to find them. I’ve tried pressing the + key on top right of the screen and they don’t show up in recently closed tabs. I’ve clicked “show all windows” and they don’t show up.


what happened is I clicked merge windows, then all my tabs were there, I closed safari and suddenly all my tabs are gone. If I repeat those steps I lose all my tabs, it makes safari unusable and I hate this bug.

iPad Pro, 12.9-inch, 6th Gen, Wi-Fi

Posted on Dec 19, 2022 10:43 AM

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User profile for user: LotusPilot
LotusPilot
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User level: Level 10
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Posted on Dec 21, 2022 5:33 AM

You can usually Reopen Recently Closed Windows.


Starting from a Home Screen, assuming that Safari is visible in the Dock, touch-and-hold (i.e., long touch) the Safari icon; an Action Menu will appear.


From the menu, select Show All Windows; you will now see a screen that closely resembles the Task Switcher - but you will only see preview windows for your open Safari Windows. At top-right (iPadOS15) or top-left (iPadOS16) of the screen you may see the Reopen Closed Window(s) button.




You should note that the Reopen Closed Window(s) button allows you to reopen a window for a limited period of time. If you have previously followed poor advice in attempting recovery, or have taken too long, you may have lost the opportunity to recover the closed window - and with it the tabs and related tab history.


This article, written a while ago, hasn’t yet been updated for iPadOS16. While there are some differences, much of the content remains relevant:

iPadOS - Safari - Lost Windows, Lost Tabs… - Apple Community


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User profile for user: LotusPilot
LotusPilot
Community+ 2025
User level: Level 10
294,868 points

Dec 21, 2022 5:33 AM in response to Celeste Pickron

You can usually Reopen Recently Closed Windows.


Starting from a Home Screen, assuming that Safari is visible in the Dock, touch-and-hold (i.e., long touch) the Safari icon; an Action Menu will appear.


From the menu, select Show All Windows; you will now see a screen that closely resembles the Task Switcher - but you will only see preview windows for your open Safari Windows. At top-right (iPadOS15) or top-left (iPadOS16) of the screen you may see the Reopen Closed Window(s) button.




You should note that the Reopen Closed Window(s) button allows you to reopen a window for a limited period of time. If you have previously followed poor advice in attempting recovery, or have taken too long, you may have lost the opportunity to recover the closed window - and with it the tabs and related tab history.


This article, written a while ago, hasn’t yet been updated for iPadOS16. While there are some differences, much of the content remains relevant:

iPadOS - Safari - Lost Windows, Lost Tabs… - Apple Community


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support safari just lost all my tabs and I can’t restore them

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