By default, Apple Safari on macOS determines whether to open a link in a new tab or a new window based on how the underlying website is coded. However, this inconsistent behaviour can quickly clutter your workspace with dozens of separate browser windows. Fortunately, you can configure Safari to force all external links to open as new tabs within your current window, keeping your browsing session unified and organised.
How to Force Safari to Always Use Tabs Instead of Windows
You can change Safari’s default window management behaviour directly through the application preferences. This setting applies globally to all websites.
- Launch Safari on your Mac.
- In the top menu bar, click on Safari and select Settings (or Preferences on older versions of macOS).
- Click on the Tabs icon located in the top navigation row of the Settings window.
- Locate the dropdown menu labelled Open pages in tabs instead of windows.
- Change the selection from Automatically to Always.
Once this setting is applied, any link that is designed to spawn a new browser window will be intercepted by Safari and opened as a new tab in your active window instead.
Keyboard Shortcuts for Tab Management in Safari
While the global setting ensures new windows are blocked, you can also use modifier keys to manually control exactly how links open on a case-by-case basis without relying on website code.
- Command (⌘) + Click: Opens the target link in a new tab in the background, allowing you to continue reading the current page without interruption.
- Command (⌘) + Shift + Click: Opens the target link in a new tab and immediately switches your focus to that new tab.
- Option (⌥) + Click: Downloads the linked file or web page directly to your Mac without opening it.
Combining the global tab preference with these keyboard shortcuts provides complete control over your Safari workspace, preventing unwanted window proliferation while researching.