macOS · Mac · Speed & performance

Give Safari a proper clean-out

Safari accumulates website data, extensions and cache that quietly slow every page down. A five-minute pass brings back the speed you had in January.

DifficultyEasy
Time5 min
RiskLow
ReversibleYes
PlatformmacOS
UpdatedAug 18, 2026

Written and tested by emdottech

What that means

Low risk. This fix only checks things, or changes settings you can switch back in the same place. This change is reversible — you can return to the previous state without professional help or data loss.

Safari's clean-out pass — website data removed, unused extensions off, hoarded tabs closed, with Develop → Empty Caches as the still-slow fallback

Steps

01
- SafariSettings(or Preferences)PrivacyManage Website DataRemove All— this clears cookies and cached files for every site
02
- Same settings window → Extensions tab → disable anything you haven't used in months; each one runs on every page load
03
- Close the tabs you've been hoarding — Safari keeps a live process per tab, and 40 tabs is 40 mini-apps
04
- Still sluggish? Settings → Advanced → tick 'Show Develop menu in menu bar', close all windows,then use DevelopEmpty Caches

How to verify the fix

Safari loads pages at its old speed, and website data/extensions you removed no longer appear in Settings.

If this didn't fix it

Safari is still sluggish after the clean-out — close hoarded tabs (each runs a live process) before assuming hardware limits.

Next stop: the related fixes below, or start a guided diagnosis.

Still stuck? Diagnose my problem Browse all Mac fixes

Give Safari a proper clean-out

Steps

✓How to verify the fix

!If this didn't fix it

Related fixes

How to verify the fix

If this didn't fix it