Safari Default - How to make it stay on Bookmarks?

Question

Level 1

8 points

Safari Default - How to make it stay on Bookmarks?

So it seems from the boards there is no way to set the Safari Sidebar to default to bookmarks. I have used Safari for years - I have everything set up and well organized in bookmarks. I DO NOT CARE about tabs. I definitely DO NOT CARE OR WANT the stupid links my friends share on messages showing up in Safari. I never use the reading list. All I want is my bookmarks front and center.

WHY ARE THEY MAKING THIS EXTRA STEP FOR EVERYBODY!? just give us the option to make it a default view! This literally makes me want to uninstall the safari upgrade and go back to the earlier version. I'm honestly getting so fed up with this from Apple. The list of things I used to be able to do but can't with the new upgrade keeps growing. I have all these useless options to change things that I don't care about - and no options to set up my computer (my WORK computer) the way that works for me.

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Dec 21, 2022 9:16 AM

Reply

Answer 1

John Galt

Level 10

157,094 points

Dec 21, 2022 9:26 AM in response to Tigerlily618

Click the topmost entry in the Sidebar, where yours presumably shows something other than "5 Tabs" as in the below example.

Then, choose Bookmarks. It will remain selected until you select something else.

Reply

Answer 2

John Galt

Level 10

157,094 points

Dec 21, 2022 9:54 AM in response to Tigerlily618

I know I can select bookmarks... but if I close out of Safari it just reverts back to the Tab / Bookmark / Reading List view when I open it up again.

I suspected from your frustration that something was wrong. That's not how it's supposed to work. It's supposed to do what you describe. Basically, your preferences should "stick" despite quitting and subsequently re-opening Safari.

We could pursue a number of attempts to make Safari behave, but the limitations of this support site makes it less than ideal for that sort of thing. The solution I have in mind is along the lines of this Discussion: *Unable to open safari at all* - Apple Community, in which various Safari related files were dragged out of the User Library in an iterative attempt to isolate the problem.

As you can see it was very time-consuming and tedious. You will almost certainly be better off contacting Apple Support, who can screen-share with you (with your consent of course) and probably solve the problem in a matter of minutes, rather than the days or weeks it may take with this site's back-and-forth method.

Start here: Contact - Official Apple Support. I think you will be pleased with the degree of attention you will receive for your concern. Just be prepared to answer a lot of fundamental questions first.

Reply

Answer 3

Tigerlily618 Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 21, 2022 9:35 AM in response to John Galt

Thanks John. I appreciate you trying to help.

I know I can select bookmarks... but if I close out of Safari it just reverts back to the Tab / Bookmark / Reading List view when I open it up again. I know it's just one click, but I am in the habit of closing out apps when I'm not using them. I am in and out of Safari probably 50+ times a day working, then surfing at night. It's just annoying all the extra clicking.

I'm probably just venting. The only reason I even upgraded to Monterey was trying to solve another tech issue I have been battling, and that didn't work so I'm just having one of those "I've had it with tech issue" days :)

Reply