# How to pin a tab in Safari on Mac: drag or Control-click, step by step > How to pin a tab in Safari on Mac: drag it to the left of the tab bar, or Control-click it and choose Pin Tab. Unpin steps included. URL: https://www.lazur.app/how-to/pin-a-tab-in-safari Updated: 2026-11-08 To pin a tab in Safari on Mac, drag it to the left side of the tab bar and let go once it shrinks to an icon. You can also Control-click the tab and choose Pin Tab, then unpin it later with Unpin Tab. ## Quick answer - Drag the tab to the left side of the tab bar, and drop it once it shrinks to an icon. - Or Control-click the tab and choose Pin Tab. Dragging isn't required. - Unpin by dragging the pin to the right, or Control-click it and choose Unpin Tab. - Apple documents no keyboard shortcut for pinning. - Pins stay after you open a new window or quit and reopen Safari. Applies to: Safari on Mac, as described on Apple's current pin page. Time: 2 min. Difficulty: Easy. ## What you need - A Mac with Safari open - The website you want to pin loaded in its own tab - Tab Groups, if you use them, keep a separate set of pins ## How to Pin a tab in Safari on Mac in Safari on a Mac 1. **Open the site in a tab.** Open Safari and load the website you want to keep. Make sure it has its own tab, not a window you plan to close soon. 2. **Find the left edge of the tab bar.** Look at the tab bar at the top of the Safari window. The left edge is where your pins will sit. If you use Tab Groups, the bar belongs to the group you are in right now. 3. **Drag the tab left.** Press and hold the tab, then drag it to the left side of the tab bar. Keep going until the tab shrinks to an icon, then let go. Tip: If the tab stays wide, you dropped it in the middle of the bar. Drag further left and try again. 4. **Or Control-click the tab.** (Control-click the tab > Pin Tab) Hold Control and click the tab, or use a two-finger click on your trackpad. Then choose Pin Tab from the menu. Tip: Older guides list Window > Pin Tab. Apple's current page does not, so check the Window menu on your version. 5. **Confirm the pin stays.** Shortcut: ⌘Q. Open a new window, then quit Safari with ⌘Q and reopen it. Pinned sites should still sit at the left. If they don't, see the troubleshooting section. 6. **Unpin a tab.** (Control-click the pinned tab > Unpin Tab) Drag the pinned tab to the right side of the tab bar and let go. Or Control-click the pin and choose Unpin Tab. 7. **Set pins inside a Tab Group.** Open the Tab Group from the sidebar, then pin its sites the same way. Pinned sites for that group appear at the top of the group in the sidebar. ## Pin a tab by dragging it in Safari Dragging is the method Apple documents first. Open the website in a tab, then press and hold that tab in the tab bar at the top of the window. Move it toward the left edge of the bar. Keep going until the tab shrinks to a small icon, which is either the site's icon or a pin icon. Then let go. The shrink is your signal. If the tab stays wide, it is still a normal tab. Drop it in the middle of the bar and nothing pins. This is the most common reason people think pinning failed. Drag further left and try again. ![Person working on a laptop with a web browser open at a desk](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/pin-a-tab-in-safari/how-to-pin-a-tab-in-safari-1-cf7704.jpg) When you already have pins, drop the new one right next to them. A tidy row of pins is easier to scan than pins scattered between normal tabs. The pins sit together on the left, and every other tab stays in order to their right. ## Pin a tab with Control-click instead If dragging feels fiddly, use the menu. Control-click the tab, then choose Pin Tab. You don't need to drag at all. On a trackpad, a two-finger click works the same way if your trackpad is set to secondary click. You can check that setting in System Settings > Trackpad. > **Quick check:** A pinned tab shows Unpin Tab in its Control-click menu. If Pin Tab is missing, the tab may already be pinned. Make sure you clicked the tab itself, not the web page. Older guides also list Window > Pin Tab. A MacRumors article from May 2020 describes that path. Apple's current pin page does not mention a Window menu entry, and it doesn't say which Safari version its steps cover. Check your Window menu before you rely on it. The Control-click method is the one Apple documents now. ## Unpin a tab in Safari To unpin, drag the pinned tab to the right side of the tab bar. Let go, and it becomes a normal tab again. You can also Control-click the pin and choose Unpin Tab. Both routes do the same thing, so pick the one that suits your hands. The same Control-click menu also holds Duplicate Tab and Close Tab. Duplicate Tab gives you a second copy of a pinned site and leaves the pin alone. Close Tab closes the site altogether. Unpinning is the gentler choice when you want to keep the page open. ## Keyboard shortcuts for pinned tabs in Safari Apple's keyboard shortcut page lists no shortcut for pinning. You can't press one key to pin the current tab. Once your pins are set, these shortcuts help you move around the tab bar. - ⌃Tab goes to the next tab, and ⌃⇧Tab goes to the previous one. - ⌘1 to ⌘8 select tabs 1 to 8. Pins sit on the left, so ⌘1 usually reaches your first pin. - ⌘9 jumps to the last tab. - ⌘W closes the active tab. Check which tab is active before you press it. - ⇧⌘T reopens the last tab you closed. - ⇧⌘\ opens the tab overview, which shows your open tabs at a glance. - ⌥-click a Close button closes all other tabs. Test it in a spare window first, so you know what it does to your pins. ## Pinned tabs and Tab Groups Each Tab Group keeps its own set of pins. A pinned site in your Work group won't show up in your Personal group. Pinned sites appear at the top of each group in the sidebar, so you can see them before you open the group's tabs. This helps when you switch context. Pin your mail and calendar in Work, and pin a news site in Personal. For steps on making groups, read [how to create a tab group in Safari on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/create-a-tab-group-in-safari). ## Why pinned tabs disappear after a restart Apple says pinned sites stay after you open a new window, or after you quit and reopen Safari. If yours vanish, start with the basics. Confirm your macOS and Safari are up to date. Then check the Close windows when quitting an app setting in System Settings > Desktop & Dock. > **Back up before you delete anything:** A September 2025 Apple Community thread says deleting the ~/Library/Containers/Safari folder fixed lost pins on Tahoe 26.0. That is a user workaround, not an Apple fix. It removes local Safari data, and no Apple staff replied in the thread. Back up first, or contact Apple Support. A February 2022 thread about pins lost after an update has no confirmed fix. A Community Specialist suggested checking the macOS version, iCloud Tabs, and the Close windows setting. The same person suggested contacting Apple Support. ## Pinned tabs and Add to Dock are different People mix these up. Add to Dock turns a website into a separate app with its own Dock icon. To do it, open the site, click the Share button, choose Add to Dock, then click Add. The icon lands in the Dock and in Spotlight Applications. That web app is a standalone window, and tab pins don't apply to it. If you want a site in the Dock, use Add to Dock. If you want it at the left of Safari's tab bar, use pinning. ## Safari vertical tabs may change how you pin Safari vertical tabs are coming. Six Colors reports they arrive in the Safari 27.3 updates, due in December, and first developer betas are out now. In that layout, you pin by dragging tabs up to the top of the vertical bar. The View menu sets the layout. Treat the December date and the View menu location as unconfirmed. Apple's own release notes were not available when this page was written. On a stable release, follow the steps above. ## Why pin tabs at all Pinning keeps the sites you check every day in one place. You stop scanning a long row of tabs for the one you need. Clutter is a common complaint. An Aalto University study, reported by PCWorld in May 2023, put numbers on it. - **About 57%** of people see browser clutter as a mild issue, in an Aalto University survey ([source](https://www.pcworld.com/article/1813173/is-chrome-stressing-you-out-you-may-have-too-many-tabs-open.html)) - **Nearly 25%** say browser clutter is somewhat or serious in the same study ([source](https://www.pcworld.com/article/1813173/is-chrome-stressing-you-out-you-may-have-too-many-tabs-open.html)) - **400** online survey respondents, plus 16 interviewees, in that study as reported in 2023 ([source](https://www.pcworld.com/article/1813173/is-chrome-stressing-you-out-you-may-have-too-many-tabs-open.html)) The study used online survey answers and interviews. It describes how people feel about clutter, not how many tabs they keep. Treat it as a reason to try pins, not as a measure of your own habits. ## Mistakes people make with pinned tabs - Dropping the tab in the middle of the bar. It stays a normal tab, so drag further left. - Looking for a pinning shortcut. Apple documents none, so use the drag or the menu. - Using Add to Dock and expecting a pinned tab. It makes a separate web app. - Pinning in one Tab Group and expecting it everywhere. Each group keeps its own pins. - Pinning every site you use. A short set of pins is easier to scan than a long one. ## A worked example for a workday Say you check mail, a calendar, and a project tracker first thing. Open each one in its own tab. Drag the mail tab to the left until it shrinks. Repeat for the calendar, then the tracker, dropping each new pin beside the last one. ![Mac laptop on a desk while someone types, the kind of setup where you use Safari on a Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/pin-a-tab-in-safari/how-to-pin-a-tab-in-safari-2-4195b3.jpg) Next, quit Safari with ⌘Q, reopen it, and check that all three pins are still on the left. If one is gone, go to the troubleshooting list before you pin anything else. Doing this once tells you whether your Safari setup keeps pins. If you use Tab Groups, repeat the process inside the Work group. Your Personal group needs its own pins, so set them up separately. ## What to do next Start with the two or three sites you open every day. Add more only when you find yourself hunting for one. Then check your Tab Group setup, because pins live there. If the toolbar gets in your way, [customize the toolbar in Safari on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/customize-the-toolbar-in-safari) to move the buttons you use most. ## Shortcuts - Next tab: ⌃Tab - Previous tab: ⌃⇧Tab - Select tabs 1 to 8: ⌘1 to ⌘8 - Last tab: ⌘9 - Close the active tab: ⌘W - Reopen the last closed tab: ⇧⌘T - Open the tab overview: ⇧⌘\ - Close all other tabs (click a Close button): ⌥ click ## If it does not work - **The tab won't pin and stays wide** You dropped it in the middle of the tab bar. Drag it further left, toward the edge, until it shrinks to an icon. - **A pinned tab disappears after quitting Safari** Confirm macOS and Safari are up to date. Check System Settings > Desktop & Dock for the Close windows when quitting an app setting. A Tahoe 26.0 thread describes deleting ~/Library/Containers/Safari as a fix. That is a user workaround, not an Apple fix, and it removes local Safari data. Back up first, or contact Apple Support. - **Pins were lost after a macOS update** A February 2022 Apple Community thread has no confirmed fix. Check your macOS version, iCloud Tabs, and the Close windows setting, then contact Apple Support. - **Pin Tab is missing from the menu** Look for Unpin Tab instead, because the tab may already be pinned. Make sure you Control-clicked the tab itself, not the web page. - **You want a keyboard shortcut for pinning** Apple's shortcut page lists none. Use the drag or the Control-click menu for now. - **A pinned site shows up as a separate app, not in Safari** You used Add to Dock. That makes a separate web app, which doesn't support tab pins. Pin the site in Safari's tab bar instead. ## 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 - “Where's the pin option for this tab?”: Lazur circles Pin Tab in the tab's menu and labels it. You make the click yourself. (Points at it) ## FAQ ### Is there a keyboard shortcut to pin a tab in Safari? Not one that Apple documents. Apple's keyboard shortcut page has no pinning entry. Drag the tab to the left side of the tab bar, or Control-click the tab and choose Pin Tab. ### Do pinned tabs stay after I restart my Mac? Apple says pinned sites stay after you open a new window or quit and reopen Safari. Apple's page does not say what happens after a full Mac restart. Test it once. If pins are gone, see the troubleshooting section. ### How do I unpin a tab in Safari on Mac? Drag the pinned tab to the right side of the tab bar. Or Control-click the pin and choose Unpin Tab. The site stays open as a normal tab. ### Can I pin a tab to the top of the window in Safari? Not in the standard tab bar. Safari vertical tabs are due in the 27.3 updates, according to Six Colors. In that layout you pin by dragging tabs to the top of the vertical bar, and that update was in developer beta when this page was written. ### Are pinned tabs the same as bookmarks? No. A pinned tab is an open tab that stays at the left of the tab bar. A bookmark is a saved address you open later. Pin tabs you use all day, and bookmark pages you visit now and then. ### Do pinned tabs sync to my iPhone or other Macs? Apple's pin page does not say. A 2022 Apple Community thread suggested checking iCloud Tabs when pins disappeared, but no fix was confirmed. Don't assume your pins sync to other devices. ### Why don't I see Window > Pin Tab in my menu bar? Apple's current pin page does not list that path. A 2020 MacRumors guide did. Menus change between Safari versions, so use the Control-click menu, which Apple documents, and check the Window menu on your own Mac. ## Sources 1. [Pin frequently visited websites in Safari on Mac: Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/pin-frequently-visited-websites-ibrw0495694f/mac), Apple Support, checked 2026-11-09 2. [Keyboard shortcuts and gestures in Safari on Mac: Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/keyboard-shortcuts-and-gestures-cpsh003/mac), Apple Support, checked 2026-11-09 3. [Safari User Guide for Mac: Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/welcome/mac), Apple Support, checked 2026-11-09 4. [Turn a website into an app in Safari on Mac: Apple Support](https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/add-to-dock-ibrw9e991864/mac), Apple Support, checked 2026-11-09 5. [How to Use Pinned Tabs in Safari Browser on Mac: MacRumors](https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/pin-tabs-safari-browser-mac/), MacRumors, checked 2026-11-09 6. [Pinned tabs in Safari 26.0 (Tahoe) disappear: Apple Community](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/256148124), Apple Community, checked 2026-11-09 7. [How do I permanently save my pinned tabs?: Apple Community](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253655770), Apple Community, checked 2026-11-09 8. [Safari update brings vertical tabs, adaptive dark mode, AI integration: Six Colors](https://sixcolors.com/post/2026/11/safari-update-brings-vertical-tabs-adaptive-dark-mode-ai-integration/), Six Colors, checked 2026-11-09 9. [All those open browser tabs are stressing you out, study says: PCWorld](https://www.pcworld.com/article/1813173/is-chrome-stressing-you-out-you-may-have-too-many-tabs-open.html), PCWorld, checked 2026-11-09