You’d think it would be a simple button click. In a world where we have generative AI and foldable phones, you’d assume Apple and Google would play nice enough to let you just tap a "make default" prompt and call it a day. But no. Tech giants like their walled gardens. Apple wants you on their start page with those little "frequently visited" icons, and Google wants you inside their Chrome ecosystem. If you’re trying to figure out how to make google safari homepage, you’ve likely realized that the setting is tucked away just enough to be annoying.
It’s about friction. Every extra second you spend on a landing page you didn’t choose is a second they can show you their own news feed or curated links. Most people just give up and type "g" into the address bar every single time they open a new window. That’s a waste of life. Honestly, it’s one of those minor digital annoyances that builds up over months.
Let’s fix it. Whether you are on a MacBook Pro running macOS Sequoia or an iPhone 16, the process is different but the goal is the same: getting to that clean, white search bar the moment your browser breathes life.
The Desktop Reality: macOS and the Vanishing Homepage
On a Mac, the "homepage" has become a bit of a legacy concept. Apple has pivoted hard toward the "Start Page." This is that dashboard where you see your Favorites, Siri Suggestions, and that blurry background image of a mountain. If you want Google to be the first thing you see, you have to bypass Apple’s preference for their own layout.
Open Safari. Look at the top left of your screen. Click Safari, then Settings (or Preferences if you’re running an older OS like Monterey).
Now, stay in the General tab. This is where the magic—or the frustration—happens. You’ll see an option labeled "Homepage." Type in https://www.google.com. Simple, right? Not quite. Just typing it there doesn’t actually make it appear when you open the app. You have to change the two dropdown menus right above it.
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"Safari opens with" should be set to A new window.
"New windows open with" should be set to Homepage.
If you leave these as "Start Page," Safari will completely ignore that URL you just typed. It’s a classic UI trap. I’ve seen people do this, hit enter, close the settings, and then wonder why they’re still looking at their iCloud Tabs list. You have to tell Safari explicitly to ignore its fancy new dashboard in favor of the classic Google experience.
Why does Safari keep resetting this?
Sometimes, after a major macOS update, you might find your homepage has reverted. It’s usually not a bug; it’s Apple "reminding" you of their new features. Also, keep an eye on your extensions. If you’ve installed certain "Search Assistant" or "Shopping Saver" extensions, they often hijack your homepage settings to redirect you to their own ad-heavy search engines. If Google keeps disappearing, go to the Extensions tab in your settings and turn everything off for a second to see who the culprit is.
How to Make Google Safari Homepage on iPhone (The Workaround)
Here is the uncomfortable truth: You cannot technically set a "homepage" in the mobile version of Safari.
Apple doesn't provide a setting in iOS that says "when I tap the Safari icon, open this URL." Instead, Safari on iPhone always opens to the last tab you had open, or to the "Start Page" if you closed everything. It's a different philosophy of mobile browsing. However, if your heart is set on how to make google safari homepage on your mobile device, you have to use the "Home Screen Bookmark" trick. It’s effectively the same thing, just a different muscle memory.
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- Open Safari on your iPhone.
- Go to https://www.google.com/search?q=google.com.
- Tap the Share icon (the little square with an arrow pointing up at the bottom of the screen).
- Scroll down until you see Add to Home Screen.
- Rename it "Google" and tap Add.
Now, you have a Google icon on your home screen. Stop opening Safari via the blue compass icon. Open it via this new Google icon. It launches Safari directly to Google. It bypasses the blank start page entirely. It’s a bit of a hack, but in the iOS ecosystem, it’s the only way to get that "one-tap" access to search.
The Search Engine vs. The Homepage
We should clarify something that trips up a lot of people. There is a massive difference between your homepage and your default search engine.
If all you want is to be able to type a query into the top address bar and have it use Google, you don't actually need to change your homepage. Safari usually defaults to Google anyway because Google pays Apple billions of dollars a year for that privilege. But if yours got switched to Bing or DuckDuckGo and you want it back:
- On Mac: Settings > Search > Search Engine > Google.
- On iOS: Settings app > Safari > Search Engine > Google.
If you do this, the "homepage" matters less because the address bar is a Google search bar. You just type and go. But for those of us who like the "clean slate" feel of the Google homepage—the Doodles, the Gmail link in the corner, the feeling of a fresh start—the settings mentioned earlier are the only way to go.
Addressing the "Start Page" Obsession
Apple really wants you to use the Start Page. They’ve added features like "Shared with You," which shows links your friends texted you, and "Privacy Report," which tells you how many trackers Safari blocked. It’s functional, sure. But for a lot of us, it’s digital clutter.
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To strip Safari down to its bones on a Mac, open a new tab and look for the Settings/Sliders icon in the bottom right corner of the page. You can uncheck everything there. If you uncheck "Favorites," "Frequently Visited," and "Siri Suggestions," you’re left with a blank grey void. It’s not quite Google, but it’s better than a cluttered mess.
Honestly, the "Frequently Visited" section is often a privacy nightmare. If you're sharing a screen or someone is looking over your shoulder, you might not want your most-visited sites front and center. Setting a static Google homepage is a great way to maintain a bit of professional privacy.
The Problem with Third-Party "New Tab" Apps
You’ll see apps on the App Store promising to customize your Safari homepage with weather widgets or "aesthetic" backgrounds. Be careful. These are often just wrappers for data collection. When you give a third-party app permission to "change your page," you are often giving it permission to see what you’re browsing. Stick to the native settings. They are harder to find, but they are safer.
Troubleshooting Persistent Redirects
If you’ve followed the steps for how to make google safari homepage and it still won't stick, you might have a "browser hijacker." This sounds scarier than it is, but it’s annoying. It usually happens when you download a free PDF converter or a "player" to watch a video on a sketchy site.
Check your Profiles. On a Mac, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Profiles (it's at the very bottom). If you see anything there that you didn't personally install—like "Admin Settings" or "Search Alpha"—delete it immediately. These profiles can lock your Safari settings so you can't change the homepage no matter what you do in the browser settings.
Actionable Steps for a Cleaner Safari
If you want the ultimate Google-centric experience on Safari, follow this specific workflow:
- Set the Homepage URL: In Safari Settings, use
https://www.google.com. - Match the Dropdowns: Ensure "New windows" and "New tabs" both point to "Homepage."
- Clean the Toolbar: Right-click the top toolbar and select "Customize." Drag the "Home" button (it looks like a little house) next to your address bar. This gives you a one-click "panic button" to get back to Google if you get lost in a rabbit hole.
- Manage Top Hits: In the Search settings, uncheck "Preload Top Hit." This stops Safari from guessing where you're going and lets you actually land on the Google search results page first.
Getting your browser to behave shouldn't feel like a chore. By taking five minutes to override the default "Start Page" behavior, you reclaim a bit of your digital environment. It’s about making the tool work for you, rather than you adapting to the tool’s defaults. Once you have that "Home" button visible and the URL set, Safari starts to feel a lot more like a personalized workspace and a lot less like an Apple advertisement.