If your Safari browser mysteriously disappears from your home screen, what should you do? Safari may appear to be removed or uninstalled. There isn’t any way to remove the Safari app from your iPhone or iPad, since the Safari browser is part of the iOS system and therefore an inbuilt app.
The great thing about Safari is that it has a wonderful user interface and a great user experience, which makes it one of the best web browsers on the market. However, it does have its bugs just like any other application. I would like to share with you some facts that may lead to the loss of Safari from your iOS device.
- If you think you moved the Safari icon by accident, it may have ended up on your desktop or in a folder.
- There are some restrictions set in Safari’s settings that you have activated
- Update to iOS has caused a number of errors.
If you know anything about iOS, you know that Safari is a built-in system application. Safari will not be removed or uninstalled from your device. We are going to discuss how to get Safari back on iPhone in this article.
How to get Safari back on iPhone?
You can restore the Safari icon on your iPhone or iPad by using one of the methods listed below.
1. From iOS 14’s App Library
- Open the Utility folder in the App Library.
- The Safari app can be found in the App Store.
- You can see the jiggle mode by holding an empty area on the screen.
- Drag the Safari icon to your home screen by tapping and holding the icon.
- If you move an app, tap ‘Done’ in the upper-right corner.
It’s that simple. Similarly, you have the option of adding other apps to your home screen with iOS 14.
2. Using Search
Use Spotlight Search to find Safari
Using Spotlight Search, see if Safari is listed in an app folder if Safari is missing from the iPhone home screen. iOS 13 also supports this method.
Sliding down the screen on the home screen will allow you to do so. Enter Safari at the top of the screen. Now you can see the name of the folder in which Safari is located if it resides in one. From there, you can normally move Safari to the home screen or somewhere else on the device.
You can find Safari in the App Library
Search the App Library for Safari if it is not listed in the Utility app group.
Scan Safari in the App Library by swiping down on the page. Safari can be added back to the iPhone dock by holding down the Safari app icon and dragging it until it appears on the home screen. Move the app to the dock by dragging it.
Additionally, you can long-tap the Safari icon in App Libray and select “Add to Home Screen” to add it to your home screen. There’s one important thing to note, however: the option to add to the home screen won’t appear if Safari is already displayed on your home screen, saved in an app folder, or placed on one of the hidden app pages in iOS 14.
3. Check hidden home screen pages for missing Safari
When you hide the app page for Safari to give iOS 14 a cleaner appearance, Safari may not display.
You can locate Safari applications on hidden home screen app pages by following the steps below.
- Hold down the long-press button on your home screen or app page until an empty space appears.
- On the bottom-center of the screen, tap the page dot button to enter Edit mode.
- You can find the Safari app on the hidden app page.
- Unhide the app by selecting the particular page.
- The Done button can be found in the upper-right corner.
4. Reset your Home Screen Layout in settings
To reset the layout in settings as an alternative, you can try all the steps above that did not work. It will be possible to get the Safari app back when the Home Screen is reset in such cases. In that case.
- Click on Settings > General.
- At the bottom of the screen, tap the Reset button.
- Reset the layout of your home screen by tapping it
- When the pop-up window appears, click Reset Home Screen again to confirm.
Resetting the Home Screen to its default settings will restore it to its original state. If for some reason system apps were hidden, they will appear again.
4. Restore factory settings to regain access to Safari on iPhone
However, you can’t see the Safari icon on your Home Screen, so you need to restore your iPhone or iPad to factory settings in order to reinstall the browser. While implementing this method, you have to be very careful because it is very complex and risky. It will remove every bit of data from your iPhone or iPad.
Note: Make sure to backup your device before restoring it.
- Click on Settings > General.
- On the next screen, tap Reset.
- Reset all content and settings by tapping Reset All Content and Settings
- Next, tap Erase iPhone
That’s it. Your phone will be restored to factory settings in a few minutes. Thus, Safari will be back on your Home Screen and your system apps will be restored. Aside from that, updating your iOS or iPadOS to the latest version can also help you to avoid bugs.
NOTE: The first thing I would not recommend is restoring your iPad or iPhone to factory settings. When all the basic solutions haven’t worked, reset your iPhone to factory settings.
How to get Safari back on iPhone 6?
Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch need JavaScript enabled
- Select the “Settings” icon from the home screen.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the Settings page.
- Select “Safari” from the menu.
- Select “Safari” settings from the drop-down menu.
- Select “Advanced” from the menu.
- Look for the “JavaScript” setting.
Here are some frequently asked questions by users
1. Why does Safari not appear on my iPhone?
Safari should be set to On under Settings>General>Restrictions. You cannot delete it from any of your screens, so make sure you look in all your folders if it is there. Trying going to Settings>General>Reset>Reset Home Screen Layout may help you find this setting.
2. What restrictions apply to iPhones?
Select Screen Time from the Settings menu. Select Content & Privacy Restrictions. Enter the passcode if prompted. Click Privacy and then choose what settings you want to restrict.
3. Is it possible to uninstall and reinstall safari?
In the event that you deleted Safari without a Time Machine backup, reinstall macOS to restore it to your Applications folder. Installing macOS doesn’t affect your data. Search for Safari in Spotlight before reinstalling Safari.
4. Why did my Safari app disappear?
This can be done by going to Settings > Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout if you cannot find the icon. You will then be able to see all home screen icons in their default positions.
5. My Safari app has disappeared, where did it go?
You can open Safari by tapping the search field at the top of any home screen and typing Safari. After you tap on the app in the search, the folder will appear to the right of the app name if it is in a folder.
Conclusion
For assistance, contact Apple support if the problem persists. You will hopefully be able to clear all your doubts about how to get Safari back on iPhone after reading this article. Tell me in the comment section below if you have any problems with this guide.
