How to Customise the Safari Start Page on iPhone and iPad with Wallpapers and Sections

Whenever you open a new tab in Safari on your iPhone or iPad, you are greeted by the Safari Start Page. By default, this landing interface presents a generic grid of pre-installed bookmarks, uncurated Siri suggestions, and a plain background. However, Apple allows users to transform this screen into a tailored dashboard featuring personal wallpapers, essential reading lists, cross-device iCloud tabs, and privacy tracking summaries.

Understanding Available Safari Start Page Sections

Tapping into Safari’s start page settings allows you to toggle and reorganise seven distinct content modules:

• Favourites: Displays pinned websites, bookmarked folders, and frequently referenced portals.
• Frequently Visited: Automatically populates tiles based on your recent browsing frequency.
• Shared with You: Aggregates web links sent to you by friends and family inside the Messages app.
• Privacy Report: Highlights real-time statistics detailing how many cross-site trackers Intelligent Tracking Prevention blocked over the past 30 days.
• Siri Suggestions: Predictive links surfaced from Mail, Messages, Calendar events, and browsing habits.
• Reading List: Offers direct access to saved articles formatted for offline reading.
• iCloud Tabs: Lists tabs currently open on your other Apple devices, including your Mac or iPad.

Step-by-Step Guide: Customising the Start Page Layout

You can customise sections and layout order directly from within the browser interface on iOS and iPadOS.

1. Access the Start Page Editor

1. Launch Safari on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap the Tabs icon (overlapping squares) in the toolbar.
3. Tap the + (Plus) icon to open a fresh, blank tab.
4. Scroll down to the very bottom of the Start Page and tap the Edit button.

2. Toggle and Reorder Content Modules

1. Review the list of sections in the Customise Start Page sheet.
2. Use the toggle switches to turn off modules you find distracting (such as Siri Suggestions or Frequently Visited).
3. To reorder how sections appear from top to bottom, touch and hold the three horizontal lines (reorder handles) on the right edge of any item and drag it up or down.

Adding Custom Background Images and Wallpapers

You can replace the neutral background with curated artwork or your own photography:

1. While inside the Customise Start Page editor, toggle on Background Image.
2. Scroll through Apple’s pre-installed wallpaper library and tap a pattern to apply it immediately.
3. To use a personal photograph (such as a landscape or minimalist pattern), tap the large + (Add) tile at the beginning of the gallery.
4. Select any image from your Photos library. Safari will set it as the background for all new tabs.

Synchronising Start Page Settings via iCloud

If you own multiple Apple devices (such as an iPhone and iPad), you can maintain an identical start page experience across hardware:

• At the top of the Edit sheet, toggle on Use Start Page on All Devices.
• When enabled, changes to your section ordering and background selection synchronise via iCloud across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac signed in to the same Apple Account.

Assigning Distinct Start Pages to Safari Profiles

If you use Safari Profiles (e.g., Work vs Personal) in iOS 17 or iOS 18, each profile maintains an independent Start Page:

1. Switch to your desired profile via the central tab bar menu.
2. Open a new tab and tap Edit.
3. Customise the background and sections specifically for that profile. For instance, assign a corporate logo background and pin client bookmarks to your Work profile, while keeping family reading lists on your Personal profile.