Safari Tab Groups let you keep a whole set of tabs — work, a trip you are planning, a shopping list — bundled together and out of your way until you need them. They sync across every Apple device signed in to the same iCloud account, so the tabs you open on your Mac are waiting on your iPhone. Here is how to create, organize, share, and troubleshoot them.
The quick answer: open the sidebar
Click the sidebar button in the top-left of the Safari toolbar (or choose View → Show Sidebar). At the top you will see your Tab Groups. Click the down arrow next to the group name — or the plus (+) button in the sidebar — and pick New Empty Tab Group or New Tab Group with [N] Tabs. Everything below is detail, syncing, and sharing.
Method 1: Create a Tab Group
There are two ways to start one, depending on whether you already have the right tabs open:
- From your current tabs: if you already have a window full of tabs you want to keep together, open the sidebar, click the arrow next to Tab Group (or the + button), and choose New Tab Group with [N] Tabs. Safari bundles every open tab into the new group.
- Empty, to fill later: choose New Empty Tab Group instead, give it a name, and open pages into it as you go.
Type a name (for example Work, Vacation, or Research) and press Return. Switch between groups any time by clicking their names in the sidebar — each group remembers exactly which tabs were open in it.
Method 2: Rename, reorder, and delete groups
- Rename: Control-click (or right-click) a Tab Group in the sidebar and choose Rename.
- Reorder: drag groups up or down in the sidebar to put the ones you use most at the top.
- Delete: Control-click a group and choose Delete. Deleting a group closes its tabs on every synced device, so move anything you want to keep into another group first.
Method 3: Pin tabs inside a group
Pinned tabs stay put at the left edge of the tab bar so the pages you always need — email, a calendar, a dashboard — never get lost. Control-click any tab and choose Pin Tab, or drag it to the far left of the tab bar until it shrinks to an icon. Pinned tabs are per Tab Group: the tabs you pin in your Work group will not clutter your Personal group. To unpin, Control-click and choose Unpin Tab. You can pin a tab this same way in a normal window even if you do not use Tab Groups at all — pinned tabs appear at the left of the tab bar in every window and sync to your other Macs, iPhone, and iPad through iCloud, so a pinned tab is always one click away. Pinned tabs differ from Favorites: a Favorite is a saved bookmark you open on demand, while a pinned tab stays open and refreshes on its own.
Method 4: Share a Tab Group with other people
Shared Tab Groups turn a group into a live, collaborative set of tabs — everyone sees the same links, and changes appear for the whole group in real time. It is ideal for planning a trip or a project with family or coworkers.
- Control-click the Tab Group in the sidebar and choose Share Tab Group (or use the Collaborate button in the toolbar).
- Pick how to invite people — Messages is easiest, since it keeps everyone in one thread.
- Choose whether invited people can add their own tabs or only view yours.
Sharing needs everyone to be signed in to iCloud with two-factor authentication on. You will see small icons on tabs other people are currently viewing.
Method 5: Sync Tab Groups to iPhone and iPad
Tab Groups sync automatically over iCloud, so the group you build on your Mac shows up in Safari on every device signed in to the same Apple Account. To turn syncing on, open System Settings → [your name] → iCloud → Saved to iCloud → See All, then make sure Safari is switched on. On iPhone and iPad the setting lives in Settings → [your name] → iCloud → Safari.
Tab Groups vs. Profiles: which do you need?
Newer versions of Safari also offer Profiles, and people mix the two up. The difference is how completely they separate things:
- Tab Groups organize tabs within one shared set of history, cookies, and extensions. Good for sorting projects you switch between during the same day.
- Profiles (in Safari → Settings → Profiles) give each context its own separate history, cookies, favorites, and extensions — a true wall between, say, work and personal browsing. Each Profile can hold its own Tab Groups.
Use Tab Groups for everyday sorting; add a Profile when you want work and personal Safari to never see each other.
When Tab Groups will not sync
If a group you made on one device never shows up on another, work through these in order:
- Same Apple Account? Every device must be signed in to the exact same account. Check under System Settings / Settings at the top.
- Safari toggled on for iCloud? Turn the Safari iCloud switch off, wait ten seconds, and back on to force a resync.
- Give it a minute. iCloud sync is not instant. If a device has been asleep or offline, open Safari and wait — new groups can take a few minutes to appear.
- Software up to date? Very old macOS or iOS versions store Tab Groups differently. If one device is far behind, updating it usually clears mismatches. New to the Mac side of this? Our switching from Windows to Mac guide covers the other iCloud surprises.
Keep the rest of your Mac tidy too
Tab Groups are one piece of a clean workspace. Once your tabs are sorted, our guides on using Desktop Stacks and Finder tags and color labels tame the files behind them. If Safari itself feels sluggish while you juggle groups, clearing the cache is the first fix. Just moved to a new machine? Here is how to move your data — including your Safari tabs — to a new Mac.
FAQ
How do I create a Tab Group in Safari on a Mac?
Open the sidebar (View → Show Sidebar), click the arrow next to the Tab Group name or the + button, and choose New Empty Tab Group or New Tab Group with [N] Tabs. Name it and press Return.
Do Safari Tab Groups sync to my iPhone?
Yes. As long as both devices are signed in to the same Apple Account and Safari is switched on for iCloud, your Tab Groups — and the tabs inside them — appear on iPhone and iPad automatically.
Can I share a Tab Group with someone else?
Yes. Control-click the group and choose Share Tab Group, then invite people (usually via Messages). Everyone sees the same tabs live, and you can let them add their own. All participants need iCloud with two-factor authentication.
What is the difference between a Tab Group and a Profile?
A Tab Group organizes tabs within one shared browsing context. A Profile gives a whole context its own separate history, cookies, and extensions — a full wall between, say, work and personal. Each Profile can contain its own Tab Groups.
Why won't my Tab Groups sync between devices?
Almost always it is one of three things: the devices are on different Apple Accounts, Safari is not enabled for iCloud on one of them, or sync simply has not caught up yet. Toggle the Safari iCloud switch off and on to force it, and make sure both devices are online and updated.
Do Tab Groups work on older MacBooks?
Tab Groups arrived in Safari 15 (macOS Monterey) and improved in every version since, so any MacBook that can run a recent macOS handles them well. If you are shopping for a Mac that stays current for years, our Apple clearance deals are a good place to start.