If your iCloud or Safari bookmarks aren't syncing

Find out what to do if you're experiencing issues using iCloud Bookmarks or Reading List. For example, if you need to access a bookmark that you've accidentally deleted or if you make changes in your web browser that don't update on your other devices, we can help.

Before you get started

  • Check the System Status page to see if there are known issues affecting iCloud Bookmarks, as your device may not be the cause of your issue.

  • Make sure your date and time settings on your iOS device or Mac are correct. You can easily fix issues caused by incorrect date and time settings by entering the right information.

  • To help make sure you don't lose important information, make copies of your Bookmarks.

  • If your bookmarks aren't displaying in the same order across all of your devices, check how many bookmarks are in the folder. If the folder contains more than 500 bookmarks, the order the bookmarks appear in may not be the same on all devices.

If you need to access a bookmark that you've deleted within the last 30 days, you can recover it from iCloud.com. Click Settings, then under Advanced, click Restore Bookmarks.

Learn more if you need help using iCloud Tabs.

Follow the steps for your device:

iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

After each step, check if the issue still persists.

Turn on Bookmarks and update your device

Check your internet connection

  1. Open Safari and go to www.apple.com. If you can't connect to the internet, your iCloud Bookmarks and Reading List* won't update in the Safari app. Get help with your internet connection.

  2. Open a secure website from your iOS device to see if you can access ports 80 and 443. Safari requires access to port 443 to push updates between iCloud and your devices.

* Reading List is only supported on iOS and macOS devices.

Check your account details

Make sure you're signed in with the same Apple ID that you're using on your other supported devices. Tap Settings > [your name].

Restart Safari

Close and restart the Safari app on your iOS device. If you don't know how to close Safari, follow these steps.

Turn off iCloud Bookmarks and turn it back on

  1. Tap Settings > [your name] > iCloud.

  2. Turn off Safari.

  3. You can choose Delete from My [device] if your data exists on one or more of your computers. Otherwise, choose Keep on My [device].

  4. Wait a few minutes, then turn on Safari again.

Restart your device

Restart your device. If you're not sure how to do this, follow these steps.

Mac

After each step, check if the issue still persists.

Turn on iCloud Bookmarks and upgrade your software

Check your internet connection

  1. Close Safari, then reopen Safari.

  2. Try to go to www.apple.com If you can't connect to the internet, your iCloud Bookmarks and Reading List won't update in the Safari app. Get help with your internet connection.

  3. Open a secure website from your Mac to see if you can access ports 80 and 443. Safari requires access to port 443 to push updates between iCloud and your devices.

Check your account details

Choose Apple menu  and click iCloud. Make sure you're signed in with the same Apple ID that you're using on your other supported devices.

Turn off iCloud Bookmarks and turn it back on

  1. Quit Safari.

  2. Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences. If you're using macOS Catalina, click Apple ID. Click iCloud.

  3. Deselect Safari.

  4. Close System Preferences and wait about a minute.

  5. Open System Preferences and click iCloud.

  6. Select Safari.

  7. Open Safari.

Restart your computer

Restart your computer and see if the issue still persists.

Microsoft Windows

After each step, check if the issue still persists.

Check the system requirements

Make sure your PC and your browser meet the iCloud system requirements.

Check your internet connection

  1. Try to go to www.apple.com. If you can't connect to the internet, your iCloud Bookmarks won't update. Get help with your internet connection.

  2. Open a secure website to see if you can access ports 80 and 443. Safari and Internet Explorer require access to port 443 to push updates between iCloud and your devices.

Close and reopen iCloud for Windows

If you install a browser when iCloud for Windows is open, you'll need to close and reopen iCloud for Windows. Then the new browser will appear in the Bookmarks Options list in iCloud for Windows preferences.

Check your settings

Open iCloud for Windows and make sure you're signed in with the same Apple ID that you're using on your other supported devices.

Refresh your browser

Sometimes recent changes you've made in your web browser may not be updated on your other devices (or the reverse may happen). Close and reopen your web browser to refresh your changes.

Bookmarks in Google Chrome may not be updated as quickly as in Internet Explorer* or Firefox.

*If you use iCloud for Windows 10 or later in Internet Explorer, your bookmarks may appear out of order.

Check your bookmarks in another browser

If you can't use iCloud Bookmarks with one browser, try using them in a different browser.

Microsoft Edge browser in Windows 10 doesn't support iCloud Bookmarks. If you want to use iCloud Bookmarks in Windows 10, use a supported browser, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer. Find out more about the system requirements for iCloud.

For example, if you typically use Internet Explorer, try using Firefox. If you only experience the issue in a particular browser, follow the browser-specific steps in this section. If the issue affects more than one browser, check for issues with your computer and network settings and connections.

Check the location of your Internet Explorer Favourites folder

If you've changed the location where you save your Internet Explorer Favourites (bookmarks), your Favourites won't be updated automatically on your other devices. To fix this issue:

  1. Open iCloud for Windows.

  2. Untick Bookmarks and click Apply.

  3. Change the location of your favourites folder back to the default location (usually C:\Users\username\Favourites).

  4. Return to iCloud for Windows, select Bookmarks and click Apply.

Put Internet Explorer 10 or Google Chrome in Desktop mode

To make Desktop mode the default in Internet Explorer 10:

  1. Open Internet Explorer.

  2. Click Tools > Internet Options, then click the Programs tab.

  3. Select Always in Internet Explorer on the Desktop. Click OK.

  4. Tick the Open Internet Explorer tiles on the desktop tickbox. Click OK.

To make Desktop mode the default in Google Chrome:

  1. Open Chrome.

  2. Click Chrome, then select Relaunch Chrome on the desktop.

    • If you see an option called Relaunch Chrome in Windows 8 mode, you're already running in desktop mode by default.

Activate the iCloud Bookmark extension or add-on in Google Chrome or Firefox

Google Chrome:

  1. Open Chrome.

  2. Click the Chrome menu in the top right-hand corner, then choose More tools > Extensions.

  3. Tick the Enable box next to iCloud Bookmarks.

Firefox:

  1. Open Firefox

  2. Click the Firefox menu in the top right-hand corner, then choose Add-ons.

  3. Click Extensions.

  4. Click Enable next to iCloud Bookmarks.

Turn off iCloud Bookmarks and turn it back on

  1. Close your browser.

  2. Open iCloud for Windows.

  3. Untick the Bookmarks box and click Apply.

  4. Wait a few seconds, select Bookmarks and click Apply.

  5. Open your browser.

Restart your computer

After you've restarted your computer, see if the issue still persists.

Stop automatic bookmark updates in Google Chrome or Firefox

To stop automatically updating bookmarks in Google Chrome or Firefox, disable the iCloud extension or browser add-on:

  1. Open iCloud for Windows.

  2. Click Options next to Bookmarks.

  3. Untick the Chrome or Firefox box. Click OK.

  4. Click Apply, then click Remove.

  • If you've turned off Chrome in iCloud for Windows, the Extensions tab will be opened in Chrome. To disable the extension, untick the Enable box next to the iCloud Bookmarks extension, or click the bin icon to remove the extension.

  • If you've turned off Firefox in iCloud for Windows, the Firefox Add-ons Manager will be opened. Click Disable next to the iCloud Bookmarks add-on to disable the add-on, or click Remove to remove the add-on.

Find out more

See how to use iCloud Bookmarks with Firefox or Google Chrome for Windows.

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

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