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

Every time you launch Safari or press Command + T to open a new tab on macOS, the default Start Page presents you with an overview of your web life. However, out of the box, the Start Page can feel cluttered with excessive automated modules—Siri Suggestions, Reading List snippets, shared links from Messages, and a sprawling Privacy Report card competing for your attention.

Apple includes deep, native customization controls right inside the Safari Start Page. Without installing sluggish third-party new-tab extensions, you can upload personalized high-resolution wallpapers, toggle specific content modules on or off, and synchronize your curated layout across all your Macs. This guide details how to personalize your Safari Start Page.

Accessing the Start Page Customisation Panel

Customizing your start screen requires only a single click directly from an open browser tab:

1. Open Safari on your Mac and open a new tab by pressing Command + T.
2. Look at the very bottom-right corner of the window.
3. Click the Sliders / Settings icon (represented by three horizontal sliders with adjusters).
4. A clean configuration menu will pop up directly over the Start Page background.

Selecting and Curating Content Sections

In the pop-up options menu, you will see a checklist of available content sections. Check or uncheck each module according to your browsing style:

• Favorites: Displays your top pinned website bookmarks for quick one-click launching.
• Frequently Visited: Algorithmic suggestions based on your recent browsing history.
• Shared with You: Displays web articles and video links sent to you by friends and family via Apple Messages.
• Privacy Report: A live card displaying how many cross-site trackers Safari has blocked over the last 30 days.
• Reading List: Quick glanceable cards of bookmarked articles saved for offline reading.
• iCloud Tabs: Shows open tabs currently active on your iPhone or iPad.

Setting a Custom Background Wallpaper

To replace the stark plain grey background with stunning imagery:

1. In the bottom-right customization menu, ensure the Background Image checkbox is checked.
2. Browse through Apple’s curated preset wallpapers—including abstract gradients, geometric patterns, and landscape photography.
3. To Use Your Own Image: Click the large + (Plus) tile at the beginning of the wallpaper row.
4. Browse your Mac’s storage, select any high-resolution JPEG, PNG, or WebP wallpaper, and click Choose.
5. Safari will immediately scale and apply your photograph as the full-window background.

Synchronising Start Page Layout Across Devices

If you use multiple Macs (such as a MacBook Air for travel and an iMac for your desk):

1. In the Start Page customization panel, look at the very top option labelled Use Start Page on All Devices.
2. Check the box.
3. Your selected wallpaper, section toggles, and favorites layout will automatically sync via your Apple Account to your other Mac workstations.