Mac instructions: create, use and delete Safari profiles (from macOS 14)

Ab macOS 14 Sonoma you can set up different Safari profiles on the Apple Mac to keep tab groups, extensions, bookmarks, histories and the like separate depending on the area of ​​application. With a “work” profile you can e.g. B. Collect all websites that you need for work. In the "Hobby" profile you collect and use instructions, guides and videos for leisure fun, and so on. In this guide I will show you how you can create, use and delete profiles in Safari starting with macOS Sonoma. 

Create a Safari profile on Mac

To create a new profile for work, leisure, sport, university, a specific hobby or the like, you naturally have to go to the Safari app. As of macOS 14 Sonoma, there is a new tab in their settings that is used exclusively for profile management. And this is how you use it to create topic profiles:

1. Opens Safari on your Apple Mac
2. Click in the menu bar Safari
3. Now select in this menu Settings ... from
4. Brings up the new "Profiles" tab of the Settings window
5. Click on the "New Profile" button at the bottom

You can then give the profile a name, set an icon for it, choose a color (used for the background image on the start page, among other things) and set whether the profile should have its own favorites folder or use an existing one.

A little tip for choosing the symbol: If you click on the last circle with the three dots in it, then the selection will be enlarged and you can choose even more than just the five suggested symbols. You will find the right pictogram for recipes, garden, electronics, music, animals, shopping, news and many other profile ideas.

If one of the details given bothers you later, you can change it later. This can also be done in the Profile tab of Safari settings. Simply select the appropriate profile from the list on the left and then change the icon, color, favorites folder and/or other details on the right. In addition to "General", there is also the "Extensions" tab, in which you can manage the profile's own add-ons and plugins.

Create multiple Safari profiles on macOS

If you want to separate a topic, interest or life area in Safari, then there will certainly be a second one. And maybe even third, fourth and more Safari profiles. These are very easy to set up: go back to Safari settings, select the "Profiles" tab and click on the plus symbol (+) below the list on the left. You'll get back to the input mask for the data of a new profile. This also appears in the said list after the profile creation is complete.

Use Safari with a specific profile (via the Dock)

The procedure for opening a Safari window with a specific profile is not really intuitive yet (as of macOS 14 Developer Beta, June 2023). Because you have to start Safari first and then z. B. Secondary click (right mouse button or two fingers on the trackpad) on the Safari icon in the dock. You can now select "New [profile] window" from the resulting menu above the dock icon. For the profiles created above as an example, the options in the dock are: "New work window" and "New hobby window". 

Use Safari in a specific profile (from the menu bar)

In addition to the Dock icon's context menu, you can also use Safari's File menu to open new windows. The options "New work window" and "New hobby window" are also available in the corresponding drop-down menu from the Mac menu bar with the profiles created above.

Open Safari profile window via keyboard shortcut

If you have a Safari window open, you can also use a key combination to open a new window with one of the created profiles. As you can see on the menu bar screenshot, the shortcut Option+Shift+Command+1 is used for the first profile created (in this case “Work”), and Option+Shift+Command+2 for the second profile (“Hobby”) XNUMX.

How do I know which Safari profile I'm using?

If you want to open a website that should be assigned to a specific profile (i.e. should only be visible in its history), then you don’t have to search long for an indicator for the workspace used. Because the profile is displayed with its name and color in the top left of the program window. This name field is grayed out for inactive windows, but the profile name is still legible in it.

Use multiple Safari profiles at the same time

To use multiple Safari profiles at the same time, simply double-click/right-click the Safari icon in the Dock or the File menu and select the desired profile windows. As shown in the last screenshot, the windows opened in this way can be used independently of one another and can be distinguished from one another by their names and colors. If you prefer using the keyboard to the mouse, use the keyboard shortcuts.

This content is limited to the profile used

Browsing activities performed in a profile window remain restricted to the corresponding Safari profile. This means that the history, cookies and other website data are only stored for this profile. In addition, bookmarks and favorites can be added to profile folders so that they do not overlap with the links stored in other profiles. As mentioned above, profile-specific extensions can also be installed. This keeps the Mastodon extension in the free time area and the password manager in the work area (if used in this way).

Delete a Safari profile on the Apple Mac

If you only need the separated work area for a certain period of time and then want to remove it, then that is of course possible. If you have transferred the pages to which you want to continue to have quick access to the general favorites folder, to the reading list or to another profile, then you can start. To delete a Safari profile on the Apple Mac, proceed as follows:

1. Opens the Safari Settings on your Apple Mac
2. Brings up the "Profile" tab
3. Select a profile from the list on the left
4. Click on the minus symbol (–) below it
5. Then confirm the process by clicking on "Delete profile".

Note: These instructions are based on the possibilities in the macOS Sonoma beta from June 2023. Details are subject to change until the release of the public upgrade.

Johannes Domke

[On vacation] After graduating from high school, Johannes completed training as a business assistant specializing in foreign languages. But then he decided to research and write, which led to his independence. He has been working for Sir Apfelot, among others, for several years now. His articles include product introductions, news, instructions, video games, consoles and much more. He follows Apple keynotes live via stream.