# How to import bookmarks from chrome in Safari on Mac: File menu steps and fixes

> Learn how to import bookmarks from Chrome in Safari on Mac with File > Import From Browser, plus fixes if the import fails or items go missing.

URL: https://www.lazur.app/how-to/import-bookmarks-from-chrome-in-safari
Updated: 2026-11-08

To import bookmarks from Chrome into Safari on Mac, open Safari and choose File > Import From Browser > Google Chrome. Select Bookmarks, click Import, and Safari adds your Chrome bookmarks after the ones you already have.

## Quick answer

- Quit Chrome, open Safari, and choose File > Import From Browser > Google Chrome.
- Check Bookmarks, leave History and Passwords as you want them, and click Import.
- Imported bookmarks land after your existing ones, so scroll to the bottom of the list.
- If the quick import fails, export bookmarks.html from Chrome and import that file in Safari.
- Imported passwords go to iCloud Keychain, and you can review them in the Passwords app.

Applies to: Safari on a Mac with Google Chrome installed. Time: 5 min. Difficulty: Easy.

## What you need

- A Mac with Safari
- Google Chrome installed on the same Mac
- Chrome closed before you start the import
- Chrome bookmarks saved in Chrome on this Mac
- Optional: Chrome's Bookmark Manager, for the HTML fallback

## How to Import Chrome bookmarks into Safari on Mac in Safari on a Mac

1. **Quit Google Chrome.** (Chrome > Quit Google Chrome) Shortcut: ⌘Q. Quit Chrome before you start. Click Chrome in the menu bar and choose Quit Google Chrome, or press ⌘Q while Chrome is the active app. iDownloadBlog's January 2026 guide advises this step. Tip: Quitting closes the app. You do not need to uninstall Chrome.
2. **Open Safari.** Shortcut: ⌘Space. Open Safari from the Dock, or press ⌘Space, type Safari, and press Return. Wait until the Safari window is in front before you open the File menu. Tip: Keep Chrome installed. Safari imports from Chrome, so Chrome must still be on the Mac.
3. **Open the Import From Browser menu.** (File > Import From Browser) With Safari in front, click File in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Hover over Import From Browser. This is the label in Apple's current Safari help. Tip: Older Safari builds show Import From instead. The Google Chrome entry sits under it.
4. **Choose Google Chrome.** (File > Import From Browser > Google Chrome) In the submenu, click Google Chrome. Safari opens a dialog with checkboxes for Bookmarks, History, and Passwords. Tip: If Google Chrome does not appear, Chrome may not be installed on this Mac. Install it, reopen Safari, and check again.
5. **Pick what to import.** Check Bookmarks. Leave History and Passwords checked only if you want them in Safari. History joins Safari's existing history, and passwords go into iCloud Keychain. Tip: For bookmarks only, uncheck History and Passwords before you click Import.
6. **Click Import.** Click Import at the bottom of the dialog. Wait until the dialog closes before you do anything else in Safari. Tip: A large bookmark list can take longer than a small one, so give it a moment.
7. **Answer the start page prompt.** (Bookmarks > Show Start Page) If Chrome was your default browser, Safari's start page shows a message at the bottom. It asks whether to keep the imported bookmarks, history, and passwords. Choose Keep, Remove, or Decide later. Tip: Missed it? Choose Bookmarks > Show Start Page to bring the start page back.
8. **Find the imported bookmarks.** Open the Safari sidebar and select Bookmarks. Imported bookmarks sit after your existing bookmarks, so scroll to the bottom of the list. Compare the list with Chrome's Bookmark Manager. Tip: Search the sidebar for a bookmark title you know came from Chrome.
9. **Check for an Imported folder.** If the new bookmarks do not show, look for a folder named Imported under Bookmarks. A 2024 Apple Community reply describes that folder, with the date in its name. The thread closed without a confirmed fix, so treat this as a lead, not a guarantee. Tip: Open each folder you do not recognize before you delete anything.

## Before you start: what Safari imports from Chrome

Safari can import bookmarks, history, and passwords from Chrome. You pick what comes across in a checklist, so nothing moves unless you check the box. Most people only want bookmarks, and this guide focuses on them. History and passwords are optional, and you can import them later with the same steps.

Chrome has to be on the same Mac. Apple's help says Chrome or Firefox must be installed before Safari can import from it. If you removed Chrome after an earlier move, reinstall it before you try again. An old copy on a different Mac will not help you here.

- Install Google Chrome if it is not on this Mac.
- Quit Chrome so it is not running during the import.
- Decide now whether you also want history and passwords.
- Keep Chrome installed afterward, since some sites may not work in Safari.

Keeping Chrome around costs nothing, and it gives you a fallback. iDownloadBlog's January 2026 guide recommends keeping Chrome or Firefox, because some sites may not work in Safari. Keep that advice in mind before you uninstall anything.

## Steps to import Chrome bookmarks in Safari on Mac

Follow these steps in order. Match each menu name against your own screen. Menu labels change between Safari versions, so yours may read a little differently. The order stays the same either way, and the next sections cover older labels.

![Person at a desk using a Mac laptop to import bookmarks from Chrome into Safari](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/import-bookmarks-from-chrome-in-safari/how-to-import-bookmarks-from-chrome-in-1-559edc.jpg)

> **Version check:** Apple's Safari help lists several macOS versions, including macOS 27 Golden Gate, which Apple's site labels as prerelease. If your menu names differ from these, follow the same order: File, then the browser import, then Google Chrome.

## Quick reference: the File menu path

The whole job comes down to one menu path: File > Import From Browser > Google Chrome. After that, you check boxes and click one button. Apple's help does not list a keyboard shortcut for this import, so use the menu. Do not spend time hunting for a shortcut that may not exist.

## What happens after you click Import

Safari adds the imported bookmarks after the bookmarks you already have. Apple's help says so directly. Each kind of item lands in a different place, as the table shows.

| Item | Where it goes in Safari | How to check it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bookmarks | After your existing bookmarks | Open the sidebar, select Bookmarks, and scroll to the bottom |
| History | Joins your existing Safari history | Open the History menu and look for sites you used in Chrome |
| Passwords | iCloud Keychain | Open the Passwords app on your Mac |

_Where each imported item lands, based on Apple's Safari help._

The start page can change what you see next. If Chrome was your default browser, Safari's start page shows a message at the bottom. It asks whether to keep the imported bookmarks, history, and passwords. Choose Keep, Remove, or Decide later.

Missed that message? Choose Bookmarks > Show Start Page to bring the start page back. The prompt appears there, so you can still make your choice.

## Where Chrome and Safari stand in desktop use

- **66.98%** Chrome's share of worldwide desktop browser use, October 2026 ([source](https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/desktop/worldwide))
- **7.83%** Safari's share of worldwide desktop browser use, October 2026 ([source](https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/desktop/worldwide))
- **5.81%** macOS share of worldwide desktop operating system use, October 2026 ([source](https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/desktop/worldwide))

StatCounter put Chrome at 66.98% of worldwide desktop browser use in October 2026, and Safari at 7.83%. Those are worldwide figures, not Mac-only numbers. StatCounter lists macOS at 5.81% and the older OS X label at 9.86% of worldwide desktop operating system use.

The browser numbers show that Chrome is the dominant desktop browser worldwide. If you are moving to Safari, your bookmarks may have built up in Chrome for years. Some sites may not work in Safari, which is one reason to keep Chrome installed after the import.

## When the quick import fails: export and import an HTML file

Sometimes the quick import from Chrome does not work. Macworld says the quick import can fail, and then the manual route is the fix. The manual route uses an HTML file. Chrome exports it, and Safari imports it.

1. In Chrome, click More, the menu near the top right of the window.
2. Choose Bookmarks and lists, then Bookmark Manager.
3. In the Bookmark Manager, click More, then Export Bookmarks.
4. Save the file to your Desktop, where it is easy to find later.

Google's Chrome help gives this path. Macworld's 2015 article uses older labels, such as Customize and Control > Bookmarks > Bookmark Manager > Organize > Export Bookmarks to HTML File. The idea is the same. Find the export command and save an HTML file.

![Mac laptop screen showing a web browser with a bookmarks list in Safari](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/import-bookmarks-from-chrome-in-safari/how-to-import-bookmarks-from-chrome-in-2-581c65.jpg)

Now bring that file into Safari. In older Safari builds, choose File > Import From > Bookmarks HTML File. Newer builds may show a different item. iDownloadBlog describes a File menu item called Import Browsing Data from File or Folder, which it ties to a Google Takeout export. I could not confirm that label for a Chrome HTML file, so check the menu and then check the result.

> **Do not double-click the file:** Opening bookmarks.html in Safari only shows the file as a web page. Macworld warns about this. The bookmarks come across only when you import the file from Safari's File menu.

## Older Safari versions use different menu labels

The menu label is the part that moves around most. Apple's current help and iDownloadBlog's January 2026 guide say File > Import From Browser > Google Chrome. Macworld's 2015 article and a 2024 Apple Community thread say File > Import From > Google Chrome. It is the same command with an older label.

Open the File menu and read what it says. Click whatever label your Mac shows. If you see Import From Browser, you have the current wording. If you see only Import From, look through its submenu until you find Google Chrome.

## A worked example: moving 200 bookmarks in one import

A user in a 2024 Apple Community thread had more than 200 Chrome bookmarks. They ran File > Import on macOS 14.5 and saw no new bookmarks and no Imported folder. The thread closed without a confirmed fix, so treat that case as a warning, not a solution.

You can test an import like that without guessing. Note how many bookmarks you see in Chrome's Bookmark Manager, folder by folder. Then run the import and compare the two lists. If the numbers do not match, move to the HTML route.

- Note how many bookmarks you have in Chrome's Bookmark Manager, folder by folder.
- Import Bookmarks only, and click Import.
- Scroll to the bottom of Safari's Bookmarks list.
- Look for an Imported folder if the new items are missing.
- If nothing new appears, export bookmarks.html from Chrome and import that file.

![Person checking a list of saved bookmarks on a laptop after a browser import](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/import-bookmarks-from-chrome-in-safari/how-to-import-bookmarks-from-chrome-in-3-54daf7.jpg)

## Check that the import worked

Check three places. First, scroll to the bottom of the Bookmarks list in the sidebar. Second, search the sidebar for a bookmark title you know came from Chrome. Third, if you chose History, open the History menu and look for a site you visited in Chrome.

Check passwords in the Passwords app on your Mac, since Apple says imported passwords go into iCloud Keychain.

## Common mistakes and how to avoid them

- Skipping the quit step. iDownloadBlog advises quitting Chrome first, so do it.
- Removing Chrome before the import. Safari needs Chrome or Firefox installed to import from it.
- Hunting for a keyboard shortcut. Apple's current help does not mention one.
- Assuming the import failed when the bookmarks sit at the bottom of the list.
- Missing the start page prompt, then forgetting which option you chose.
- Opening the HTML file and assuming it is already imported.

Most of these mistakes come down to looking in the wrong place. The fix is usually a quick look at the bottom of the bookmark list, or at the start page message.

## Edge cases to check before you finish

If you run the import a second time, look for duplicates in the sidebar before you change anything. Make the cleanup a separate step, after the import is done. Open each folder before you delete it.

If you use more than one Chrome profile, the Apple and Google pages do not say which profile Safari reads. Test with a bookmark you know is in the profile you use. Imported history joins Safari's existing history, so look for Chrome sites in the History menu.

## If Chrome is no longer on your Mac

The direct import needs Chrome or Firefox installed, according to Apple's help. If you already uninstalled Chrome, you have two options. You can reinstall Chrome, run the import, and then decide whether to keep it. Or you can import a bookmarks file you exported earlier from Safari's File menu.

iDownloadBlog also describes a Google Takeout route. Its File menu item, Import Browsing Data from File or Folder, is for Takeout exports. Use that route only if you have a Takeout file. Otherwise the HTML file from Chrome is the simpler choice.

## What to do next after the import

Keep Chrome installed for now, and test the sites you use most in Safari. If a site breaks, open it in Chrome until you find a fix. Then tidy your bookmarks in Safari's sidebar, delete the duplicates, and move the rest into folders.

If you imported history you do not want, [clear browsing history in Safari](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/clear-browsing-history-in-safari) removes it. If you want separate workspaces for your tabs, [create a tab group in Safari](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/create-a-tab-group-in-safari) is the next step. If pop-ups get in the way on the sites you moved, [block pop-ups in Safari](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/block-pop-ups-in-safari) covers that.

## Shortcuts

- Quit Google Chrome before the import: ⌘Q
- Open Safari with Spotlight: ⌘Space

## If it does not work

- **Google Chrome is missing from the Import From Browser submenu** Install Chrome on this Mac, quit Safari, reopen it, and check the File menu again. Apple's help says Chrome or Firefox must be installed.
- **The quick import from Chrome fails** Use the HTML route. Export bookmarks.html from Chrome, then import that file from Safari's File menu.
- **Opening bookmarks.html in Safari only shows a web page** That is expected. Import the file through the File menu, which is what brings the bookmarks in.
- **Imported bookmarks do not appear in the sidebar** Scroll to the bottom of the Bookmarks list and look for a folder named Imported. The 2024 Apple thread did not confirm a fix, so open each folder to check.
- **You missed the start page prompt** Choose Bookmarks > Show Start Page. The prompt offers Keep, Remove, or Decide later.

## With Lazur

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac that lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ and ask; it sees your screen, answers out loud, points at buttons and walks you through apps. Hold fn to dictate. Free for 3 days, then $18/month: https://www.lazur.app/download

- “Walk me through importing Chrome bookmarks into Safari.”: Lazur points at each menu item in turn and waits for you to click before it moves on. (Walks you through it)

## FAQ

### Does Safari import Chrome bookmarks on its own?

Apple's help describes a manual import from the File menu. You start it yourself, check the results, and then decide whether to run it again.

### Is there a keyboard shortcut for importing bookmarks in Safari?

Apple's current Safari help does not mention one. Use File > Import From Browser > Google Chrome instead of hunting for a shortcut.

### Why can't I see my Chrome bookmarks after the import?

They usually sit after your existing bookmarks, so scroll to the bottom. If they still do not show, look for a folder named Imported under Bookmarks. A 2024 Apple Community reply describes that folder, but the thread did not confirm a fix.

### Do my Chrome passwords move to Safari too?

Only if you check Passwords in the import dialog. Apple says imported passwords go into iCloud Keychain, and you can review them in the Passwords app on your Mac.

### Can I delete Chrome after importing?

You can, but iDownloadBlog recommends keeping Chrome or Firefox installed. Some sites may not work in Safari, and a second browser gives you a fallback.

### The menu says Import From, not Import From Browser. Is that wrong?

No. Macworld's 2015 guide and a 2024 Apple Community thread use Import From > Google Chrome. It is the same command with an older label.

### Can I open the Chrome bookmarks HTML file directly in Safari?

Safari shows the file as a web page, and that imports nothing. Import it through Safari's File menu to bring the bookmarks in.

### Does importing change my Chrome bookmarks?

Apple's help describes bringing items into Safari. It does not say the import changes Chrome. Open Chrome's Bookmark Manager after the import if you want to confirm your Chrome list is still there.

### What if Chrome is not on my Mac?

Install Chrome, reopen Safari, and check the File menu again. Apple's help says Chrome or Firefox must be installed for the direct import to work.

## Sources

1. [Import from Chrome or Firefox in Safari on Mac: Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/en-my/guide/safari/ibrw1015/mac), Apple, checked 2026-11-08
2. [Import bookmarks and history directly from another browser in Safari on Mac: Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/import-bookmarks-and-passwords-ibrw1015/mac), Apple, checked 2026-11-08
3. [How to transition from Chrome to Safari the right way on Mac](https://www.idownloadblog.com/2026/01/01/moving-from-chrome-to-safari/), iDownloadBlog, checked 2026-11-08
4. [Export, import, or backup bookmarks: Chrome Help](https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/96816), Google, checked 2026-11-08
5. [Export bookmarks from Chrome to Safari](https://www.macworld.com/article/671456/how-to-export-bookmarks-from-chrome-to-safari.html), Macworld, checked 2026-11-08
6. [Safari not importing bookmarks: Apple Community](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255715327), Apple Community, checked 2026-11-08
7. [StatCounter: Desktop Browser Market Share Worldwide](https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/desktop/worldwide), StatCounter, checked 2026-11-08
8. [StatCounter: Desktop Operating System Market Share Worldwide](https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/desktop/worldwide), StatCounter, checked 2026-11-08
9. [Safari: Apple](https://www.apple.com/safari/), Apple, checked 2026-11-08