How many taps does it take you to get to the sites you use every day? If you’re opening Safari on your iPad, typing the first few letters of your CRM, scheduling tool, or supplier portal, and waiting for it to autofill, there’s a faster way.
Safari on iPad has a bar of one-tap shortcuts that sits right below the address bar, just like on a desktop browser. It’s off by default, and most iPad users never find it. Here’s how to turn on the bookmarks bar in Safari on iPad, add your go-to sites, and keep it organized.
iPad Tip to Turn on Your Safari’s Bookmarks Bar
First, a quick note on names. Apple used to call this the Bookmarks Bar. In current versions of iPadOS, it’s called the Favorites Bar. Same idea, new name: any website you save to Favorites shows up as a shortcut in the bar, so your most-used sites are always one tap away.
The iPad has become a go-to device for managers and owners on the move, field teams, and anyone who needs a bigger screen than a phone without carrying a laptop. If you use it for work, a few minutes setting up the Favorites Bar pays off every single day.
Adding the Bookmarks Bar
To turn on the Favorites Bar:
- Open the Settings app on your iPad.
- Tap Apps, then tap Safari.
- Under General, turn on Show Favorites Bar.
Open Safari, and you’ll see a new bar just below the address bar. If you haven’t saved any favorites yet, it’ll be empty. That’s next.
Adding bookmarks to the Bookmark Bar
To add a website to the bar:
- In Safari, go to the website you want to save.
- Tap the Share button next to the search field.
- Tap View More, then tap Add to Favorites.
The site’s name appears in the Favorites Bar right away. Apple’s guide to bookmarking a website as a favorite has a few more options if you’d like to dig deeper.
Editing the Bookmarks Bar
Eventually you’ll want to tidy things up. You can edit favorites right from the bar, or from Safari’s sidebar:
- Rename a favorite: touch and hold it in the Favorites Bar, tap Edit, enter a shorter name, then tap Save. Short names like “CRM” or “Payroll” fit more shortcuts on the bar.
- Delete a favorite: touch and hold it, then tap Delete.
- Reorder favorites: tap the Show Sidebar button, tap Bookmarks, then Favorites. Tap the More button, choose Select Bookmarks, and drag items into the order you want. Tap Done when you’re finished.
- Show icons instead of names: go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Favorites Bar Appearance and choose Show Icons Only to fit even more sites on the bar.
More Ways to Get to Your Favorite Sites Faster
The Favorites Bar is just one option. A few others are worth knowing:
- Sync favorites across your Apple devices. If you’re signed in to iCloud with the same Apple Account on your iPad, iPhone, and Mac and Safari syncing is turned on, your favorites follow you from device to device.
- Use bookmark folders. For sites you visit less often, regular bookmarks organized into folders keep things tidy without crowding the bar. Apple explains how in its guide to bookmarking and organizing websites in Safari on iPad.
- Add a site to your Home Screen. For the one or two web tools your team opens all day, tap Share > View More > Add to Home Screen to give them their own app-style icon.
- Customize your start page. Safari’s start page can show your favorites every time you open a new tab. Apple’s guide to customizing Safari settings on iPad covers this and other display options.
One word of caution for business users: only save sites you trust, and if you ever get a link by text or email asking you to sign in to a work account, go through your saved favorite instead of the link. It’s a simple habit that sidesteps a lot of phishing.
LG Networks Can Help Your Team Work Smarter on Every Device
A tidy Favorites Bar is a small win. But when your team works across iPads, iPhones, laptops, and desktops, the bigger questions are about keeping all those devices set up, secure, and supported.
LG Networks provides IT support in Dallas and across DFW, including a 24/7 helpdesk your team can call with any device question, 24/7 monitoring, and cybersecurity for small and mid-size businesses. Whether your people work from an office, a job site, or the road, we help make sure the tools they rely on are ready when they need them.
How many taps could your team save if their go-to tools were always one touch away?
Take the first step. We’ve got you covered.
Looking for managed IT services in Dallas, TX that keep every device running smoothly? Contact Us Today.
