How to Sync Website Settings between Devices in Safari

One useful new Safari features in iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura (coming this fall and available as beta software now) is the ability to have the browser remember your settings for specific websites even when you open the site on another device, as long as you're logged into the same Apple ID. This includes your Reader Mode settings, content blockers, whether you prefer to view the desktop site on mobile, and more. We'll show you how to turn syncing on and off and where to find these settings to adjust them.

Jump To:

• How to Sync Website Settings on iPhone in  iOS 16
• How to Sync Website Settings on iPad in iPadOS 16
• How to Sync Website Settings in macOS Ventura

How to Sync Website Settings in iOS 16

Before you sync your custom Safari settings, you'll need to have some customized website settings already enabled. Check out our guide on customizing individual websites in Safari to learn how to, and be sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter for more information on new iPhone features.

1. To make sure your settings are being shared, or to disable the feature, start by opening the Settings app.
   
   
2. Then tap Safari.
   
   
3. Scroll down and under Settings for Websites, find the Share Across Devices toggle. Tap it to turn the feature off or on. If the toggle is green, syncing is enabled. 
   
   
4. To choose settings for specific websites, open Safari and then navigate to the website you wish to set up. In this example, I decided to use Wikipedia.
   
   
5. On the site you wish to configure, tap the AA icon next to the address bar.
   
   
6. In the menu, tap Website Settings.
   
   
7. In this menu, there are a few toggles you can set, such as using Reader automatically, as well as setting the site's access to your microphone, camera, or location. With the Share Across Devices toggle on in Safari Settings, these will all be remembered automatically if you visit this site on another device, as long as you're using the same Apple ID.
   
   

How to Sync Website Settings in iPadOS 16

1. This feature works largely the same on the iPad as it does on the iPhone, so start by opening the Settings app.
   
   
2. Find the Safari option in the left-hand menu and tap it to open the settings list on the right.
   
   
3. Scroll down on the right to find the Settings for Websites section and the Share Across Devices toggle. Tap it to turn the feature off or on. If the toggle is green, syncing is enabled. 
   
   
4. To set your website settings, open Safari and navigate to the website you want to configure. In this example, I'm using Wikipedia.
   
   
5. Once on the site, tap the AA icon next to the address bar.
   
   
6. In the menu that opens, tap Website Settings.
   
   
7. In the Website Settings menu you can find toggles to control whether Reader Mode is automatically used, or if the desktop version of the site is always requested, as well as settings to control the site's ability to access your camera, microphone, or location.
   
   

How to Adjust Synced Website Settings in macOS Ventura

1. On the Mac, both the setting to share across devices and the individual website settings are found in the same menu in Safari. So after opening the browser and navigating to the site you want to adjust settings for (in my example, I used Wikipedia), then click the Safari menu.
   
   
2. In the Safari menu, click the Settings option.
   
   
3. The settings window will probably open on the Websites tab, but if it doesn't, click it. In the lower-left corner, there is a check box labeled Share across devices. Make sure this is checked if you want your website settings to sync to your iPhone and other devices or unchecked if you don't. This window also has all the website settings in it as well. In the left-hand column are various categories such as Page Zoom, Reader, and Downloads. Click any of these to see the settings you can adjust in the right-hand section of the window.
   
   

That's it, now you know how to enable, or turn off, the syncing of website settings across your devices in Safari 16, and some basics on the different settings you can customize for specific sites.

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