Usually, Safari appears on the iPhone home screen without any issue. But in some rare cases, it gets accidentally removed from the home screen. When it happens, the Safari app icon doesn’t appear on the home screen.
You might think you have uninstalled Safari from your iPhone and get worried. What if we tell you that’s not something to be worried about, and you can quickly get back Safari on your iPhone or iPad. Sounds good? Here are five ways to get Safari back on the iPhone home screen.
Get Safari Back on iPhone Home Screen
Safari is the default browser on iPhone. It is a native app and comes pre-installed, so you can’t uninstall it even if you want to. Although it does not appear on the home screen, Safari is still there on your iPhone, and you can get it back in no time. But before you try one of the fixes, look for Safari on your home screen pages or in the app folders. If you don’t find it, try the below fixes one by one.
1. Use Spotlight Search
You can use Spotlight to search for Safari on your iPhone. Follow the below steps and get Safari back with the help of Spotlight.
1. Swipe down from anywhere on your iPhone home screen to open Spotlight. Alternatively, you can swipe right to the widget area and tap on Search to bring the search box.
2. In the search box, start typing Safari.
3. You will see Safari at the top of all the search results.
4. If you want to add it back to your home screen, touch and hold the app icon and drag and drop it within the Dock or home screen pages.
That’s how you can get back Safari on your iPhone home screen using Spotlight search.
2. Add Safari From App Library
With iOS 14, Apple introduced App Library on iPhone. App Library categorizes all the available apps on iPhone in different folders based on their usage. As Safari is not on your home screen, it will still be there in the App Library. You can access it from the app library or add it back to the home screen.
1. From from iPhone home screen, swipe right until you reach App Library.
2. In the App Library, open the Utility folder, and you will find Safari there.
3. Touch and hold on to the Safari app icon. A context menu will appear on the screen.
4. From the menu options, tap on Add to Home Screen.
Once done, Safari will be added back to the Dock of your iPhone.
Note: If you don’t see Add to Home Screen option in the context menu. It means Safari is already on your home screen. It might be on a different home screen page or within an app folder. Look for Safari on all the home screen pages and app folders.
3. Check Within Hidden App Pages
Besides introducing App Library in iOS 14, Apple added the option to hide app pages from the iPhone home screen. If Safari does not appear anywhere on your home screen or within app folders, it might be misplaced on one of the hidden app pages. Follow the below steps to check if Safari is within hidden app pages.
1. Touch and hold a blank area on your iPhone home screen. Your iPhone will enter the jiggle mode.
2. Tap on the dots appearing at the bottom center of the screen.
3. Look for the Safari icon in the hidden app pages. If you see Safari on one of the pages, tap on the circle below it to unhide the page.
4. Lastly, tap on Done from the upper left corner to save the changes.
Once you follow the above steps, Safari icon will get back on your iPhone/iPad.
4. Reset Home Screen Layout
If none of the above ways work for you, the next fix we have is to reset the home screen layout. Before you proceed with the steps, do remind resetting the home screen layout will remove the current layout of your home screen.
1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone, scroll down to General and tap on it.
2. In the General settings, scroll down all the way to the bottom and tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone option.
3. Under Transfer or Reset iPhone tap on Reset.
4. On the next screen, a pop-up will come out with five different Reset options tap on Reset Home Screen Layout.
5. A prompt will appear at the bottom of the screen tap on Reset Home Screen to give the final confirmation.
Once you have followed the above steps, swipe up to get back on your iPhone home screen. You will find Safari in the dock.
5. Allow Safari in Content & Privacy Restrictions
Apple gives an option to set content and privacy restrictions on iPhones. It prevents Safari from appearing in App Library, Spotlight, and the home screen. If you have tried all the above fixes but still struggling to get back to Safari on your iPhone, check if it is allowed in the Content & Privacy Restrictions setting.
1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on Screen Time.
2. Under Screen Time settings, tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions.
3. On the next screen, tap on the Allowed Apps option.
Note: The Allowed Apps option will be clickable if you have enabled Content & Privacy Restrictions on your iPhone. If you have not set any content and privacy restrictions on your iPhone, all the options will appear grayed out.
4. On the Allowed Apps screen, check if the switch next to Safari is turned on. If it is turned off, tap on the switch to turn it on.
Now go back to your home screen and look for Safari.
Final Words
So, above are the five working fixes to get back Safari on iPhone. You should first check all your home screen pages and app folders. If you don’t find it there, use Spotlight and search for it. You can also add Safari to your home screen from App Library. It is also possible that it might be in the hidden app pages. You can reset your home screen layout or check if Safari is allowed in content and privacy restrictions as a last resort. Which fix did work for you? Do let us know in the comments section.
