How to delete open pages on ipad

Long-press the Tab icon or delete your Safari cache

Updated on December 14, 2020

What To Know

  • To close tabs normally: Press and hold the two-stacked-square Tab button. The menu will open. Press Close all # Tabs.
  • To close unresponsive tabs: Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data > Confirm.

This article explains how to close all of your tabs in the Safari browser for iPhone and iPad. These instructions work for iOS 12, iOS 11, and iOS 10.

How to Close All Tabs in the Safari Browser

Use the Tab menu to close all open tabs simultaneously. Tap and hold the Tab button, which looks like two stacked squares. When you tap it, the button opens a new window, but when you keep your finger pressed on it, the Tabs menu appears.

The Tabs menu includes an option to close all open tabs, except for the page you're currently viewing.

How to Close All Tabs Without Opening the Safari Browser

When you cannot open Safari to close all the open tabs on your iPhone or iPad, clear the Safari cache of website data. This approach is the sledgehammer way to close tabs and should only be done when you cannot close tabs through the web browser. Clearing this data erases all the cookies stored on your device, which means you will need to log back in to websites that ordinarily keep you logged in between visits. 

From in the iPhone or iPad Settings app, browse to the Safari section and select Clear History and Website Data. Confirm your selection in the pop-up screen.

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How to delete open pages on ipad

If you have dozens of tabs open in Safari on iPhone or iPad and need to clear them out quickly, it can be tedious to “X” them out one at a time. Luckily, there are two ways to close all your Safari tabs at once, and they also work in Private Browsing mode. Here’s how.

First, open “Safari” on your iPhone or iPad. While on any page, locate the tab switcher button, which looks like two overlapping squares. On the iPad, you’ll find it in the upper-right corner of the screen.

How to delete open pages on ipad

On the iPhone, it’s in the lower-right corner of the screen.

How to delete open pages on ipad

Place your finger on the tab switcher button and hold it there for a moment, preforming a “long press.” In the menu that pops up, select “Close All Tabs.” (There will be a number in the choice that lists the number of open tabs.)

How to delete open pages on ipad

When Safari asks you to confirm with another pop-up, tap “Close All Tabs” again. After that, all of your browser tabs will close.

How to Close All Safari Tabs on the Tab Switcher Screen

There’s another way to quickly close all tabs in Safari on iPhone and iPad. First, open “Safari,” then tap the tab switcher button once.

How to delete open pages on ipad

On the tab switcher screen, locate the “Done” button, which is located in the upper-right corner of the screen on the iPad and in the lower-right corner of the screen on the iPhone.

Long-press the “Done” button—place and hold your finger there for a moment until a pop-up appears.

How to delete open pages on ipad

In the pop-up, select “Close All Tabs.” The exact name of the pop-up action will vary, depending on the number of tabs you have open.

How to delete open pages on ipad

Safari will ask you to confirm closing all the tabs with another pop-up message. Select “Close All Tabs” again. Then all of your Safari tabs will close instantly. The same action works in Private Browsing mode. Pretty handy!

How to Reopen Recently Closed Tabs

If you accidentally closed all of your tabs and would like to get them back, you can retrieve them one at a time as long as you aren’t in Private Browsing mode. Just tap the tab switcher button, then long-press the “+” button until a “Recently Closed Tabs” list appears. From there you can tap on entries in the list to open them again in Safari. Good luck!

RELATED: How to Reopen Closed Tabs on an iPhone or iPad

READ NEXT

  • › How to Hide the Tab Bar on Safari for iPad (or Show It)
  • › 8 Tips for Keeping iPhone Safari Tabs Under Control
  • › How to Switch Between Tabs in Safari on iPhone
  • › How to Close a Website Tab in Safari on iPhone
  • › How to Delete Specific Website History From Safari on iPhone or iPad
  • › How to Copy URLs of All Open Tabs in Safari
  • › Why Do TV Speakers Sound So Bad?
  • › What Does “DM” Mean?

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How do I get rid of multiple Safari open pages on iPad?

Click merge windows. You should have all windows showing and then click the X in the corner to eliminate them. You might have to open safari and select another window and re. The open windows should start to disappear until you have just 1.

How do I close out open pages?

Close a tab.
At the top right of the tab, click Close ..
Choose a keyboard shortcut: On Windows & Linux, press Ctrl + w. On a Mac, press ⌘ + w..