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Safari is a browser app that comes preloaded on all iPhones and iPads. However, it’s possible to accidentally delete or hide the Safari app icon from your Home Screen. If the Safari icon has gone missing from your Home Screen, don’t worry. In this article, we’ll talk you through the best ways to find the Safari app on your device and put it back .

Method 1
Method 1 of 6:

Adding Safari from the App Library

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  1. If you’re using iOS 14 or later, Safari may be hidden in your App Library. To unhide it , unlock your phone and swipe toward the left on your Home Screen until you come to the App Library. [1]
  2. At the top of the App Library screen, you’ll see a search bar that says App Library . Type in Safari to begin searching for the Safari app. [2]
    • As soon as you start typing, search results should begin to pop up on the screen.
    • You can also browse the categories in the library until you find Safari. For instance, Safari may be located in the Utilities category.
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  3. Once Safari pops up in the search results, press and hold the icon with your fingertip. A context menu will pop up with several options. [3]
  4. If Safari isn’t already on your Home Screen somewhere, you’ll see Add to Home Screen in the context menu. As soon as you select this option, the App Library will close and you will be taken directly to the Safari app’s new location on your Home Screen. [4]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 6:

Finding Safari in Spotlight Search

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  1. If your Safari app has been removed from the Home Screen, you may be able to find it and add it back using your phone or tablet’s Search function. To open Search , swipe down from the center of your screen or keep swiping right to open Today View .
    • Either option will give you a screen with a
      Mac Spotlight
      Search field at the top.
  2. Tap the Search bar at the top of the screen. When your keyboard opens, type in Safari . Search results should start to pop up as soon as you begin typing. [5]
  3. Once Safari appears in your search results, touch and hold the icon to open a context menu.
  4. If Safari isn’t on your Home Screen somewhere already, you’ll see the option to Add to Home Screen in the context menu. Once you tap this option, you’ll be taken to Safari’s new location on the Home Screen.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 6:

Unlocking Safari in Parental Controls

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  1. Apple’s parental controls allow users to hide built-in apps and features. If you have parental controls turned on and you can’t find Safari, check to see if it’s on your list of restricted apps. To get started, launch the
    iPhone Settings App Icon
    Settings app. [6]
  2. In the main Settings menu, locate Screen Time and tap on it to open a new menu screen. [7]
  3. In the Screen Time menu, tap Content & Privacy Restrictions . This will open a new screen. [8]
    • At this point, if you have restrictions enabled, you’ll be prompted to enter your Screen Time passcode.
    • If you want to quickly turn off all content restrictions , you can toggle off Content & Privacy Restrictions at the top of the screen.
  4. Look for the Allowed Apps option near the top of the menu and tap on it. This will take you to a list of built-in apps with switches that you can toggle on or off to either allow or disable them. [9]
  5. Look for Safari in the list of apps in the Allowed Apps menu. If the
    iPhone Switch Off Icon
    toggle button next to it is white, then the app is restricted. Switch it to the
    iPhone Switch On Icon
    On position to enable Safari and unhide it on your Home Screen. [10]
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Method 4
Method 4 of 6:

Showing Hidden Home Screen Pages

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  1. If you have several Home Screen pages, it’s possible that the one with Safari on it has been hidden. To find and unhide hidden Home Screen pages, start by tapping and holding any empty space on your Home Screen until the app icons start to wiggle. [11]
    • You can also touch and hold the row of dots at the bottom of your screen to make the icons start wiggling.
  2. This will open up a new screen displaying thumbnail versions of all your Home Screen pages. [12]
  3. Any Home Screen page that’s currently visible should have a circle underneath with a check mark inside. If you see any pages with a blank circle underneath, that means the page and any apps on it are hidden. To unhide a Home Screen page, tap the circle under the screen. A check mark should appear inside the circle. [13]
  4. Once you’ve unhidden any hidden pages, tap Done to return to the Home Screen. [14]
  5. Swipe through the pages of your Home Screen. If the Safari app was on one of the hidden pages, it should be visible now. [15]
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Method 5
Method 5 of 6:

Doing a Home Screen Reset

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  1. If you’ve tried everything to unhide the Safari app and you still can’t get it to reappear on your Home Screen, resetting your Home Screen layout might work. You can do this from the
    iPhone Settings App Icon
    Settings app. [16]
  2. In the main Settings menu, tap on
    iPhone Settings General Icon
    General . This will open a new menu screen. [17]
  3. Scroll down to the bottom of the General menu, then tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone . [18]
  4. At the bottom of the screen, select Reset . A menu will pop up displaying several options for resetting your iPhone or iPad. [19]
  5. This option appears close to the bottom of the pop-up menu. [20]
  6. After you tap Reset Home Screen Layout , a new window will pop up asking you to confirm your choice. Tap Reset Home Screen to go ahead with the reset. [21] If you decide not to reset your Home Screen, tap Cancel instead.
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Method 6
Method 6 of 6:

Adding Safari Bookmarks to your Home Screen

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  1. If you have a favorite website that you’d like to access instantly from your home screen, you can create a home screen shortcut from the Safari app. Start by opening Safari on your iPhone or iPad. [22]
  2. Tap the address bar at the top of the screen and type in the URL of the website, then tap Go in the bottom right corner of the keyboard.
  3. At the bottom center of the browser window, look for the
    iPhone Blue Share
    Share button . Tap this button to launch a menu with different sharing options. [23]
  4. Scroll down in the Share menu until you find Add to Home Screen . Hit Add in the upper right corner again to confirm. [24]
    • In the Add to Home Screen window, you can also customize the name of the bookmark if you like.
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      Tips

      • If you want to add the Safari app icon to the dock on your iPhone, tap and hold the app icon on your Home Screen until it starts to wiggle. Then, drag it down to the dock. If you already have 4 apps in your dock, you’ll need to remove one to make room. You can use the same process on the iPad, but the iPad dock can hold many more apps than the iPhone dock.
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