Open Safari → Settings → General. Choose Empty Page for new windows or tabs to use a blank page. Choose Start Page or Homepage to stop it. These steps are for macOS, not iPhone or iPad.
First identify what you want to change
A blank page can appear when Safari on Mac starts, when you use its Home control, when it restores a previous session, or after a website opens a new tab. These are different triggers. Change the setting that matches the moment you see it.
| Where blank appears | What controls it | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| When a new window opens | General → New windows open with | Choose Empty Page, Start Page, or Homepage |
| When a new tab opens | General → New tabs open with | Choose the desired page separately |
| Previous tabs return | General → Safari opens with | Choose a new window instead of the previous session |
| After a website click | Website popup setting or site code | Check Safari's site-specific popup controls |
Set Safari on Mac to an Empty Page
Safari provides a native Empty Page option. Prefer it to manually entering an internal URL.
- Open General settings. Choose Safari → Settings → General.
- Set new windows. Choose Empty Page from “New windows open with.”
- Set new tabs if desired. Choose Empty Page separately from “New tabs open with.”
- Review launch behavior. Choose a new window under “Safari opens with” if you do not want previous tabs restored.
The browser creates its own empty document. It does not load this website or another remote homepage.
Stop about:blank opening in Safari on Mac
- Open Safari → Settings → General. Locate the new-window and new-tab menus.
- Replace Empty Page. Choose Start Page or Homepage for each place where you no longer want blank.
- Set a valid homepage if needed. Enter its web address in the Homepage field, then select Homepage in the appropriate menu.
- Check session restore and extensions. If blank windows return, review launch behavior and disable recent Safari extensions one at a time.
If the setting changes back, review extensions and whether the browser is managed. On a work or school device, ask the administrator before changing managed items.
If a blank tab appears after one link
The homepage setting is probably unrelated. Return to the original page, retry the action once, and check for a blocked-popup indicator. If the site genuinely needs a popup, allow it for that trusted site only. Keep global popup protection enabled.
Test the same action in a private window. If it works there, stored site data or an extension in your normal profile is the likely difference. If it fails in multiple current browsers, report the broken action to the site owner.
If the address says about:blank#blocked, use the dedicated blocked-navigation guide.
When a security check is appropriate
The blank document itself is not malware. Check further if homepage or search settings change without permission, unknown extensions return, or random ads and redirects appear across unrelated websites. In that case, update Safari on Mac, remove unknown extensions, and run the operating system's trusted security scan.
There is no built-in infection with that name to remove. Use Safari on Mac's own settings and your trusted operating-system security tools.
Safari on Mac-specific notes
Safari on Mac uses the label Empty Page. Its Start Page is a separate customizable screen that can show favorites, privacy reports, reading list, and other sections.
Safari on iPhone and iPad does not expose the same General menus as macOS. Do not follow desktop instructions on mobile or install an unknown profile to force a blank start page.
Official source
- Apple Support: Change General settings in Safari on MacBrowser-maker instructions used to verify this guide on August 1, 2026.