Written by
Sherry Song
Maybe you don't download Chrome or Firefox browsers on Mac, just rely on the Apple built-in browser Safari. As we know, there are more features in Safari with the macOS Sequoia release, but there are some users asking help for with the issue: Safari is unable to expand window.
Recently, my MacBook stopped allowing me to change the width of the Safari window. How strange it is! -discussion.apple.com
I found many methods to resize my Safari window, but none can help me. What can I do? -reddit.com
Encountering the issue cannot resize Safari window must be frustrating, especially when multitasking or trying to make the most of your screen space. Below, we will explore some methods step by step.
How to fix Safari unable to expand window
Here we summarize and test some effective solutions, you can fix one by one.
# 1 Close and manage the pinned websites
You may forget you have pinned so many websites on your Safari, which sometimes causes Safari's window to behave abnormally. That's to say, the window is much bigger than your screen.
- Open Safari and check if you have any pinned tabs.
- Right-click on each pinned tab and select Unpin Tab.
(Or you can click the top icon to create the Bookmarks/Reading list and open your Notes to manage all your pinned websites.)
- Close Safari and relaunch it.
# 2 Restart Safari and manually resize
Restarting Safari can often resolve minor glitches, and you can manually do some resizing to fix that Safari unable to expand window.
- Dock > Right-click Safari > Quit. (Or Apple menu > Force Quit > Safari > Force Quit.)
- Reopen Safari.
- Hover your cursor over the window edges then drag to manually resize the window.
(You can also click the green dot in the corner.)
# 3 Adjust Safari settings
Incorrect settings might cause the issue. Let's reset or adjust the settings:
- Open Safari > Click Safari on the top and choose Settings.
- Choose Extensions, and remove any installed ones.
- Choose Advanced and ensure there are no restrictions on resizing.
If you succeed in fixing here, please share our post.
# 4 Clear browsing history
Clearing your browsing history can help resolve Safari issues like you can't change the width of Safari window size.
- Open Safari > Click Safari on the top and choose Clear History.
- In the popup, select All History and click Clear History.
- Restart Safari and test the resizing functionality.
# 5 Reset Safari preference file
Corrupt preference files(.plist) can interfere with Safari's viewing functionality. To reset these files:
- Finder > Go > Go to Folder.
- Type ~/Library/Preferences/ and press the Enter key.
- Locate the file named com.apple.Safari.plist.
- Move the file to the Trash (you can back it up first if needed).
- Restart Safari, which will generate a new preferences file.
# 6 Check accessibility settings
Accessibility settings might inadvertently restrict Safari's resizing behavior.
- Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Display.
- Ensure options like display scaling, zoom, or other settings aren't interfering with Safari.
By following these methods, you should be able to resolve the issue of Safari unable to expand window or you can't resize the Safari window. Please share our post to help more Mac users.
