The fastest way to bookmark a webpage on iPhone
To bookmark a webpage on your iPhone, open the page you want to save, tap the Share button (the square with an arrow pointing up), scroll down and tap Add Bookmark, then tap Save. The page is now saved to your Bookmarks folder and you can find it later by tapping the Bookmarks icon in Safari.
The Share button location depends on which browser you use. In Safari, it's at the bottom right of the screen. In Chrome, it's the three dots at the bottom right. In Firefox, it's also the three dots at the bottom right. The steps after tapping Share are the same across all three browsers.
Key Takeaways
- Tap the Share button on any webpage, then select Add Bookmark to save it instantly without typing anything.
- Your bookmarks sync across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac if you use iCloud, so they appear on all your devices.
- You can organize bookmarks into custom folders during the save process or move them later from the Bookmarks menu.
- The Bookmarks icon in Safari looks like an open book and sits at the bottom of the screen next to the address bar.
Where bookmarks go and how to find them later
When you save a bookmark, it goes into your Bookmarks folder by default. To see all your saved pages, open Safari and tap the Bookmarks icon at the bottom of the screen — it looks like an open book. A menu will drop down showing your saved pages and any folders you've created.
If you have many bookmarks, they may be organized into folders like Favorites, Reading List, or custom folders you made yourself. Tap any folder name to see the bookmarks inside it. If you want to go directly to a bookmarked page, just tap its name from this menu and Safari will load it.
Creating folders to organize your bookmarks
When you first save a bookmark, you can choose which folder it goes into. After you tap Add Bookmark, you'll see a line that says "Bookmarks" with a folder icon next to it. Tap that line to see your existing folders, or tap Edit in the top right to create a new folder right then.
To create a new folder, tap the plus sign, type a name for the folder (like "Travel" or "Recipes"), then tap Save. The new folder will appear in your list, and you can select it before saving your bookmark. If you already saved a bookmark to the wrong folder, you can move it later by opening Bookmarks, tapping Edit, and dragging the bookmark to a different folder.
Moving and deleting bookmarks you no longer need
To delete a bookmark, open Safari, tap the Bookmarks icon, then tap Edit in the top right corner. A red minus sign will appear next to each bookmark. Tap the minus sign next to any bookmark you want to remove, then tap Delete. Tap Done when you're finished.
To move a bookmark to a different folder without deleting it, tap Edit in the Bookmarks menu, then press and hold the bookmark you want to move. Drag it to the folder where you want it to go. You can also tap the three dots next to a bookmark in Edit mode to see options for moving or renaming it.
Using Favorites for your most-visited pages
Favorites are bookmarks that appear at the top of your Bookmarks menu and also show up on your Safari start page. To add a page to Favorites, tap the Share button, then tap Add to Favorites instead of Add Bookmark. The page will be saved to your Favorites folder and will appear both in your Bookmarks menu and on the Safari home screen.
You can have as many Favorites as you want, but the ones you use most often should go here so you can reach them without opening the full Bookmarks menu. If you want to remove a page from Favorites, open Bookmarks, find it in the Favorites folder, tap Edit, and delete it the same way you would any other bookmark.
Syncing bookmarks across your devices
If you sign into iCloud on your iPhone, your bookmarks automatically sync to your iPad and Mac. This means any bookmark you save on your iPhone will appear on your other Apple devices, and vice versa. To check if iCloud syncing is on, go to Settings, tap your name at the top, tap iCloud, scroll down to Safari, and make sure the toggle is turned on.
If you use a different browser like Chrome or Firefox, bookmarks sync through your Google or Firefox account instead. Sign into your account in the browser settings, and your bookmarks will appear on any device where you're logged in. This works across iPhone, Android, Windows, and Mac.
What to do if a bookmark won't save
If tapping Add Bookmark doesn't work, the most common reason is that Safari is having trouble loading the page. Try closing Safari completely and opening it again, then navigate back to the page and try bookmarking it once more. If the page still won't bookmark, try clearing your Safari cache by going to Settings, tapping Safari, scrolling down, and tapping Clear History and Website Data.
Another reason bookmarks sometimes fail to save is if iCloud syncing is turned off and your device storage is full. Check your available storage by going to Settings, tapping General, then iPhone Storage. If you're low on space, delete apps or photos you don't need, then try bookmarking again. If you're using a third-party browser and bookmarks won't save, sign out of your account in that browser's settings and sign back in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bookmark a page without using the Share button?
Yes. In Safari, you can also tap and hold the address bar, then tap Add Bookmark from the menu that appears. This opens the same bookmark dialog as the Share button method. Some people find this faster once they know it's there.
What's the difference between a bookmark and a favorite?
A favorite is a bookmark that also appears on your Safari home screen and at the top of your Bookmarks menu. All favorites are bookmarks, but not all bookmarks are favorites. Use favorites for pages you visit regularly.
Do my bookmarks stay on my iPhone if I update iOS?
Yes. Bookmarks are stored on your device and in iCloud, so they survive iOS updates. If you're concerned, you can back up your iPhone before updating by going to Settings, tapping your name, then iCloud, and making sure iCloud Backup is on.
Can I export my bookmarks from iPhone to share with someone else?
Not directly from iPhone. You can view your bookmarks on a Mac or Windows computer through iCloud.com, then export them from there. Alternatively, you can email someone a link to a bookmarked page by opening Bookmarks, tapping and holding the bookmark, and selecting Share.
Why do some of my old bookmarks disappear?
If you have multiple devices syncing through iCloud and you delete a bookmark on one device, it deletes on all of them. If bookmarks vanish unexpectedly, check whether you accidentally deleted them. You can also turn off iCloud syncing temporarily to stop deletions from spreading across devices while you investigate.