Safari browser is a web-browsing application developed by Apple Inc. it is a proprietary application whose rights are owned by Apple only. When you buy a new iOS or macOS device, you will find Safari pre-installed on your device, and it is not available for Windows or any other operating system.
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There was a time when it used to be available for other operating systems, but more than a decade ago, Apple discontinued the production for other operating systems and made it proprietary.
In this article, I will be guiding you on “How To Delete Safari” on your iOS devices. Keep reading below.
Why Would You Wish To Delete Safari?
Safari is a pre-installed browser on any Apple device, and it is popular among Apple device users. But even so, most of them wish to delete Safari from mac and iOS devices. Let’s see why some people wish to delete Safari.
- Apple has already been caught collecting users’ data when using private browsing in the Safari browser.
- It is a closed-source application, so users can’t see the codes and can’t be sure if there are any backdoors or vulnerabilities.
- You are using another browser and don’t see why you need Safari.
- Safari is not customizable like any other competitive browser in the market.
- You need some additional storage on your device and want to uninstall Safari and other built-in applications which are cluttering your storage.
- To limit screen time on your child’s device.
Why It Is Difficult To Remove Safari From Your Device
Unlike other operating systems, Apple OS does not allow you to drag and drop any “native” application. The System Integrity Protection (SIP) functionality protects native Mac and iOS programs.
The SIP feature prevents users from mistakenly removing any native application, which could compromise the overall functionality of the operating system. Like Safari, you cannot delete any other native app in the new iOS that supports IoT connectivity, such as Facetime, Calculator, Calendar, or even the Home application.
Though you may remove the native Apple OS browser from your Mac, you can’t do the same with your iPhone or iPad. But don’t give up hope. You may still turn it off on your smart devices to clear the screen or make place for another app.
How To Delete Safari On iOS And MacOS Devices
Removing Safari on iOS and macOS devices is hard. It is easier on Android devices where you trash the system application you don’t want to use, and it is a bit more hectic for iOS and macOS devices.
1. Delete Safari on Mac
You can uninstall Safari on Mac in two ways. One is by disabling the SIP feature manually, and the other is by using a third-party application. Let’s have a look at both of them in detail.
a. By disabling the SIP feature manually
I’ll guide you through the procedure needed to uninstall Safari completely. However, this requires using the Terminal window, a text-based command window, and turning off SIP. To complete this step, you will also need administrative privileges on the Mac.
[Disable SIP]
Step 1: When you power on your Mac, boot it into Recovery mode by immediately pressing and holding the Command key, followed by the R key. When you see an Apple icon or a startup screen appear on the screen, release the keys.
To proceed, you may be required to enter an administrator password.
Step 2: Select and run Terminal from the utility menu.
Step 3: Enter csrutil disable in the Terminal window and press the Return key. Restart the computer normally.
[Delete Safari]
Step 4: Open Terminal again after the computer has restarted. Begin by selecting the Finder icon. Go to the Applications folder, then to the Utility folder. Double-click the Terminal icon to open it.
Step 5: Type sudo mount -uw /system/applications and press the Return key at the prompt. You can use this command to edit files in the Applications folder, and an administrator password may be required.
Step 6: Type cd /applications/ at the prompt and press the Return key. The prompt should now indicate that you are in the Applications folder.
Step 7: Then, write sudo rm -r safari.app and press the Return Key. This will remove the Safari browser app.
[Enable SIP]
Step 8: Start the Mac in Recovery mode to re-enable SIP, as I explained earlier. Return to the Utility menu and launch the Terminal window.
Step 9: Enter csrutil enable at the prompt and press the Return key. Restart the computer in normal mode.
Users unfamiliar with Terminal or hesitant to make such modifications to their system may wish to check other options mentioned in this blog.
b. By using a third-party application
If you are not familiar with commands in Terminal and don’t want to mess up your system, this is an easy way out for you. You can use third party apps also. The third-party app that I suggest you use is CleanMyMac, and let’s look at the steps.
Step 1: Go to macpaw.com and download the CleanMyMac application. Now, navigate the downloaded folder and double-click the.dmg file to install it.
Step 2: Drag the CleanMyMac icon into your Applications folder.
Step 3: To activate the program, navigate the Applications folder and double-click it.
Step 4: Drag & drop the Safari icon into the app window once opened.
Step 5: Now, in the CleanMyMac software, choose Safari and click Remove. Safari has been successfully removed from your Mac.
2. Delete Safari on iPhones or iPads
You cannot remove the Safari app from your iPhone or iPad since it is firmly incorporated into iOS, similar to how Safari is embedded in a Mac. You can delete the icon from the home screen, but unfortunately, deleting it does not destroy the app or its data, such as browsing history or logins.
On the other hand, you can try to remove it using various third-party cleaners, but do so at your own risk and only use secure software. I recommend that you disable the app, erase your history, and use a different browser.
Delete browsing history on iPhone
Step 1: At first, go to Settings and search for Safari tab.
Step 2: Here, “Clear History and Website Data” will appear.
Step 3: Click “Clear History and Data.” to confirm your selection.
Disable Safari on iPhone
To disable Safari on iPhone, follow these steps.
Step 1: Go to Settings.
Step 2: Tap on Screen Time.
Step 3: Select “Content and Privacy Restrictions.”
Step 4: Click the switch next to “Content and Privacy Restrictions” to enable it.
Step 5: Navigate to “Allowed Apps.”
Step 6: Click the button next to Safari on your iPhone to turn it off.
When you’re finished, you won’t see or be able to utilize the Safari icon on your home screen. You can return it at any time using the same procedure.
Conclusion
Safari is not the most used and liked browser as of now. That is why iOS users would probably want to disable Safari from their devices.
Hence, I hope you are clear on “How To Delete Safari” through this article. If you have any comments and suggestions, leave them down below.
