Introduced in macOS Monterey, “Shared with You” is a system-wide feature designed to integrate the Messages app with the rest of the operating system. If a friend texts you a web link via iMessage, macOS automatically extracts that URL and pins it to a dedicated “Shared with You” shelf directly on the Start Page of the Safari web browser.
While Apple intended this to be a convenient way to find links later, many users find it highly intrusive. If your friends frequently text you links to goofy Reddit posts or sensitive news articles, having those links automatically plastered across your Safari homepage every time you open a new tab is a massive privacy risk, especially if you screen-share during work meetings.
You can prevent macOS from surfacing your private text messages inside Safari.
How to Disable “Shared with You” in Safari
You can turn off this specific integration directly within Safari’s settings.
- Open the Safari browser on your Mac.
- Click on Safari in the top-left menu bar (next to the Apple logo).
- Select Settings (or Preferences) from the drop-down menu.
- Click on the General tab.
- Look for the section labeled “New windows open with” and “New tabs open with.” Ensure they are both set to Start Page.
- Close the settings window and open a new, blank tab (Cmd+T) to view the Start Page.
- In the bottom-right corner of the Start Page, click the small Options icon (it looks like three sliders).
- A customization menu will pop up. Locate the checkbox labeled Shared with You.
- Uncheck the box.
The “Shared with You” shelf will instantly vanish from your Safari Start Page. Any links sent to you via iMessage will now remain safely confined to the Messages app, keeping your browsing experience clean and professional.