How to Configure iOS to Auto-Close Safari Browser Tabs - MacRumors
Skip to Content

How to Configure iOS to Auto-Close Safari Browser Tabs

by

ios7 safari iconIn iOS 13, Apple has added new functionality to its Safari mobile browser that makes it easier for you to manage how many tabs you have open at the same time.

The number of active browser tabs in Safari can quickly get out of hand on iPhone because of the way the browser displays tabs in a vertical array when viewed in the popular portrait orientation. Hyperlinks that open websites in a new tab only exacerbate the situation.

how to close ios safari tabs based on when you last viewed them
Using the Close All Tabs option (long pressing Done reveals it) is one solution for restoring order to your browser session, but it's no good if you have a handful of newer tabs that are still useful to have open.

Fortunately, iOS 13 can close Safari's browser tabs on your behalf, based on when you last viewed them. Launch the Settings app and select Safari -> Close Tabs, and you'll find options to make the browser automatically close tabs that have not been viewed After One Day, After One Week, or After One Month.

how to close ios safari tabs based on when you last viewed them 1
Safari also iOS 13 includes a new feature that lets you bookmark multiple tabs in a just couple of taps and save them all in a new or existing bookmark folder. Click here to learn how it works.

Tag: Safari
Related Forum: iOS 13

Popular Stories

Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Pre-Orders and Release Date

Sunday August 16, 2026 8:24 pm PDT by
Apple has yet to reveal when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be announced and released, but the dates usually follow a familiar pattern. As usual, the event is expected to take place in the first half of September. Labor Day falls on September 7 this year. The last time the holiday was on that day was in 2020, but the iPhone event that year was delayed until October due to the...
apple camera airpods

Apple's Camera-Equipped AirPods Confirmed: See Them in Action

Monday August 17, 2026 6:21 pm PDT by
Apple is working on camera-equipped AirPods that appear to be nearly ready to launch, based on a video MacRumors found in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate. In a short demo, a man holds a book up so the camera in the AirPods can see the title. "With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later," says the voiceover text. Here ...
iPhone 18 Pro Dark Cherry Feature

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra: New Details Leak as Apple Event Nears

Monday August 17, 2026 11:09 am PDT by
"iPhone Ultra" supply will be very limited when the foldable device is first released later this year, according to Fixed Focus Digital, a known leaker on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account also claimed that the iPhone 18 Pro's A20 Pro chip will be up to 18% faster and up to 30% more power efficient compared to the iPhone 17 Pro's A19 Pro chip. The A20 Pro chip will be the...