How to instantly close all the open Safari tabs on your iPhone (and iPad)

Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff.

I don’t know when it started, but I’m a tab fiend. My computer browser is overflowing with sites I keep open just in case, one day far into the future, I might need them. And my iPhone? Well, that’s even worse.

Because so many links from chat applications automatically open in Safari, I have a ridiculous number of tabs open on my mobile. Normally, this doesn’t bother me. But every now and then I get that Marie Kondo urge and just want to simplify my digital life. And that means, finally, closing down all the tabs on my mobile browser.

Previously, I used to literally press that little cross on the top left of the tabs again and again, but then I saw the light. And, by the light, I mean I discovered a way to quickly close all the Safari tabs I’ve got open on my iPhone and iPad.

TNW Conference FLASH SALE is LIVE

Meet investors from Sequoia, Walden Catalyst Ventures, and more. Take advantage of our 50% our Startup, Scaleup and Investor Programs. Ends 21 February.

This, friends, is how.

Step #1: Open Safari

We’ve all got to start somewhere, right?

Step #2: Hold down on the tab viewer button

Step #3: CLOSE ALL THE SAFARI TABS

Click on that button and you’ll find joy in a new world.

ALTERNATIVE METHOD

There is… another way to close all the Safari tabs though. At Step #2, rather than holding on that icon, click on it, and you’ll get taken to a screen like this:

These tabs are a bleak representation of my life

As the image suggests, hold down on the “Done” button. When you do that, you’ll be greeted by this screen:

So, there you have it! A simple way to close all the Safari tabs on your iPhone. With these tricks you’ll no longer live in a world of too much information, and can return your mobile browser to a state of minimalism.

Story by Callum Booth

Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting (show all) Callum Booth is a freelance journalist with over a decade of experience. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of TNW, where his reporting was cited widely, including in VICE, the FT, and the BBC. Callum’s writing has appeared in The Verge, The Daily Telegraph, Time Out, and many more. He covers the full spectrum of technology, with a particular focus on how it shapes our daily lives. And a lot of regulation stuff too. Outside of work, Callum’s an avid bookworm, a Fisherman’s Friends addict, and resolutely unshaven. Follow him on Twitter @CallumBooth or visit www.callumbooth.net.