Skip to main content

How to use tab groups in Safari

With MacOS Monterey, Apple has updated Safari’s tab management system with a new look, more customization options, and the ability to form tab groups for managing especially busy online sessions.

We’re big fans of these changes, as they make work and research easier to manage over the long term, but the extra features will take some practice to get comfortable using. Here’s how to get started with tab groups so you can make the most of them.

Difficulty

Moderate

Duration

15 minutes

What You Need

  • Mac computer, Safari browser

How to use tab groups in Safari

First, make sure everything is updated and you are using the latest version of Safari.

Step 1: Collect the sites you want to save.

Open Safari and start opening new tabs to visit the websites you want to collect in a group. If you are doing research on Einstein, for example, you would want to collect a number of tabs including biographies, common Einstein myths, a list of his major theories and works, and so on.

Don’t leave any blank tabs when you are finished. There doesn’t appear to be a limit to how many tabs you can put in a group, but at a certain point, too many browser tabs can become cumbersome — you may want to keep it under 20 or so.

how to use tab groups in safari macos monterey public beta
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Turn your tabs into a tab group.

When ready, select File from Safari’s upper-left menu, then look for the option that says New Tab Group With X Tabs, where X is the number of tabs you currently have open. Select it.

Now you can name your tab — something like “Einstein,” for example — and it will automatically be saved. Any work you do in this Safari window will still count as the tab group, and the group will be updated accordingly. Close your Safari window to save your tab group for later.

When you want to access the tab group again, pop open Safari and select the Sidebar icon, just to the left of the Favorites menu. This drop-down menu will include all the groups you have created under Tab Groups. When you select the group you want, Safari will open all tabs in a single window for you to use and change Favorites to the name of your tab group.

Note the Small Grid icon to the right when you hover over a tab group — this opens up all tabs in a grid view that makes it easier to scan for the webpage you had in mind.

Alternative: Create a new tab group from scratch

You don’t have to collect your tabs first before turning them into a tab group. If you prefer to set up and name your tab group ahead of time, this is easy to do as well.

Open Safari, select File in the upper-left corner, and select New Empty Tab Group. Now, any tabs that you create while you work will be automatically added to the tab group you have made.

how to use tab groups in safari apple group
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: Rename or delete your tabs.

Don’t let your tab groups get cluttered over time! Instead, reuse them by renaming them, or delete them when you are finished with that particular project or plan. Open Safari, then select the Sidebar icon right next to the Favorites menu.

Hover over the Tab Group, then right-click to open a menu with several choices. Here, you will see an option to Rename the group or to Delete it entirely when you are finished. Keep these options handy when your tab groups start to pile up.

how to use tab groups in safari renaming group
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 4: Share tab groups as needed.

In the Sidebar menu, when you right-click on a Tab Group, you’ll notice another option that says Copy Links. Choose this, and it will allow you to paste an outline-like section with the tab group as the title and a bulleted list of the web links. This makes it easy to share or email the tab group as needed.

how to use tab groups in safari ios 15 website
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to create tab groups on iOS

We’ve been talking about the MacOS version of tab groups, but there’s good news: With iOS 15 updates, iPhones and iPads have very similar capabilities. Safari’s syncing capabilities will also stay in place, allowing you to access tabs you created on your Mac on other devices.

If you want to create tab groups on iOS, long-press the Tab button on Safari and select the arrow for Move to Tab Group to open the option for Tab Groups.

Don’t forget to keep updated on the latest Mac news for more information.

Editors' Recommendations

Tyler Lacoma
Former Digital Trends Contributor
If it can be streamed, voice-activated, made better with an app, or beaten by mashing buttons, Tyler's into it. When he's not…
How to make a GIF from a YouTube video
woman sitting and using laptop

Sometimes, whether you're chatting with friends or posting on social media, words just aren't enough -- you need a GIF to fully convey your feelings. If there's a moment from a YouTube video that you want to snip into a GIF, the good news is that you don't need complex software to so it. There are now a bunch of ways to make a GIF from a YouTube video right in your browser.

If you want to use desktop software like Photoshop to make a GIF, then you'll need to download the YouTube video first before you can start making a GIF. However, if you don't want to go through that bother then there are several ways you can make a GIF right in your browser, without the need to download anything. That's ideal if you're working with a low-specced laptop or on a phone, as all the processing to make the GIF is done in the cloud rather than on your machine. With these options you can make quick and fun GIFs from YouTube videos in just a few minutes.
Use GIFs.com for great customization
Step 1: Find the YouTube video that you want to turn into a GIF (perhaps a NASA archive?) and copy its URL.

Read more
How to print from a Chromebook
Man using Chromebook touchscreen.

Though Chromebooks use a different operating system, that doesn't mean printing from them will be more complicated than other operating systems. You can usually start printing from a Chromebook in a few simple steps, regardless of how you choose to connect your printer to your Chromebook.

Generally speaking, the process is about the same as it is with any other computer. If you have any trouble, it's also possible to fall back on the Android subsystem built into modern Chromebooks. Android enjoys better support from printer manufacturers than ChromeOS.

Read more
How to delete a user on your Mac and free up disk space
Two people use iMacs on a desk in an office.

If you have an account on your Mac that’s no longer used and is taking up valuable disk space, you can remove it in just a few steps. Our guide will take you through everything you need to do to delete a user on a Mac quickly and easily.

Read more