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(5 Ways Included) How to Restore Closed Tabs in Safari?

Updated on Monday, January 29, 2024

iBoysoft author Vain Rowe

Written by

Vain Rowe
Professional tech editor

Approved by

Jessica Shee

English

5 Effective Ways to Restore Recently Closed Tabs in Safari

If you use a Mac as your workstation, then circumstances where Safari tabs are accidentally closed or Mac power failure suspends your incomplete webpages occur as commonly as a meal.

Yet don't be upset, you have 5 ways to restore closed tabs in Safari on your iPhone and Mac without issue. Just read this article from iBoysoft and try the way that you like.

How to Restore Closed Tabs in Safari

Table of Contents:

How to restore recently closed tabs in Safari on Mac

If you think that Safari gets the better of Chrome in the Safari vs Chrome battle and take it as your default browser, it's not an odd thing that you close all Safari windows with one mouse click. Take it easy, you can learn 3 methods to reopen the Safari tabs on your computer running macOS here.

Method 1: Use the keyboard shortcuts or menu shortcuts

Just like you undo an email on Mac, you can also undo the tab shut actions with certain keyboard shortcuts or the Safari menu shortcuts on the context menu.

You can relaunch Safari on your computer and then press the Command + Z keys to bring back the last closed tab. If you have shut several tabs in one click, you should hold down the keyboard shortcuts repeatedly to restore all the tabs one by one.

Alternatively, you are able to select the Reopen Last Closed Tab option to bring the closed Safari tab back. Let me show you how to do:

  1. Launch Safari on your Mac via Spotlight Search shortcuts.
  2. Head to the History menu on the top toolbar of your Mac desktop.
  3. Select Reopen Last Closed Tab on the dropdown menu of the History. You can also hit the responding Shift + Command + T keyboards to complete the restoration.
  4. Then all the tabs you have closed on Safari will show up automatically.

If you have closed one or more windows mistakenly, then the option will show you as Reopen Last Closed Window and you are able to select it directly. 
Use the keyboard shortcuts or menu shortcuts

Method 2: Utilize the add icon on Safari

Safari's new tab icon allows you to create a new tab with a left click and restore the closed tab with a right click. You will have the list of all closed tabs and windows that you have closed as long as you right-click this icon.

  1. Relaunch the Safari browser on your device.
  2. Head to the upper right corner of the Safari main interface.
  3. Locate the + icon and then right-click it. 
    Utilize the add icon on Safari
  4. Choose the tab that you plan to restore and it will come back.

Method 3: Check the Recently Closed option

You are also allowed to recover your closed tab on Safari by checking the Recently Closed menu. Different from the Restore Last Closed Tab option, this way won't show you all the closed tabs and you can choose specific tabs to recover.

  1. Launch the Safari browser on your Mac.
  2. Locate the History tab on the top menu bar.
  3. Scroll to select the Recently Closed option and then choose what you want to restore.
    Check the Recently Closed option
  4. Click the website that you visited and then it will appear on the Safari main window.

If you have known how to restore recently closed tabs in Safari on your Mac with the guideline, why not share it with more people?

 

How to restore closed tabs in Safari on iPhone

The way to reopen a recently closed Safari tab on your iPhone is pretty much the same as on your Mac. You can click the + icon or search for your Closed Tabs in the Safari history to reopen the closed tabs, though they are not as easily accessible as the Mac.

Method 1: Utilize the add icon on Safari 

  1. Run the Safari browser on your iPhone, and tap the Show All Tabs icon at the bottom right corner of the iPhone screen.
  2. Tap and hold your finger on the + (New Tab) icon for a couple of seconds.
  3. You will be presented with a list of your recently closed tabs. Simply tap on the one you want to reopen and then it will appear automatically. 
    Utilize the add icon on Safari

Method 2: Search for the Closed Tabs in the Safari history

If you fail to restore the Safari tabs, you may need to browse the history and then reopen them manually. Safari saves every website you visit in the browsing history until you browse them in Private mode. 

You can easily view your history list or search for particular websites to reopen your closed Safari tabs here:

  1. Open Safari and tap the Book icon.
  2. Tap the Clock icon to view your browsing history.
  3. Search your closed Safari tab or scroll through your history in chronological order.
  4. Tap a previously visited tab to open it in a new tab. 
    Search for the Closed Tabs in the Safari history

Wrap up

Missing all Safari tabs with one accidental click or Mac power failure really drives people crazy. Fortunately, this article tells you how to restore closed tabs in Safari on your iPhone and Mac with specific instructions. Meeting this trouble, too? Read this post right now!

For more information about the Safari browser, please read the related articles:

If you find this article helpful and useful, please share it to help more people!

 

FAQ about how to restore closed tabs in Safari

A

If you click the red X to close Safari, the Reopen All Windows from Last Session option becomes greyed out from the dropdown menu. You can press the Command + Q keyboards to quit the Safari app and then the Reopen All Windows from Last Session option functions normally.

A

You can utilize the add icon on Safari to recover the closed tab. Follow the steps: Relaunch the Safari browser on your device > Head to the upper right corner of the Safari main interface > Locate the + icon and then right-click it > Choose the tab that you plan to restore and it will come back.