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User profile for user: betaneptune
betaneptune Author
User level: Level 2
185 points

How to stop Safari from sharing bookmarks across user accounts?

I discovered today that I have the same Safari bookmarks in two different user accounts. Adding to or deleting from one does the same to the other. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I do NOT want this to happen. I want them to be totally independent. Adding or removing from one should NOT affect the other; yet it does. Kinda defeats the purpose of having separate accounts, no? Is there some secret setting I'm missing? TIA.


macOS 12.6.3

Safari 16.4

24" M1 Mac

iMac 24″

Posted on Mar 30, 2023 3:09 PM

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User profile for user: Jeff_W.
Jeff_W.
User level: Community Specialist

Posted on Apr 3, 2023 1:09 PM

Hi betaneptune,


It sounds like you are likely using iCloud for Safari and it's syncing your bookmarks. You can disable this feature using these instructions if you'd like to keep your bookmarks separate on your user accounts. Just turn off Safari rather than turning it on:


"Set up iCloud for Safari on your Mac

  1. On your Mac, do one of the following:
    • macOS Ventura 13.3 or later: Choose Apple menu  > System Settings, click [your name] at the top of the sidebar, then click iCloud on the right. Below Apps Using iCloud, click Show All, then turn on Safari.
    • macOS Ventura 13 to 13.2: Choose Apple menu  > System Settings, click [your name] at the top of the sidebar, click iCloud on the right, then turn on Safari.
    • macOS 12 or earlier: Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Apple ID, click iCloud, then select Safari.
  1. To see your bookmarks, Reading List, Tab Groups, and tabs open on your other devices, open Safari.

For more information on how to use bookmarks, a Reading List, and tabs on your Mac, see Bookmark websites that you want to revisit in Safari on Mac, Keep a Reading List in Safari on Mac, and Use tabs for webpages in Safari on Mac in the Safari User Guide for Mac."


Set up iCloud for Safari on all your devices - Apple Support


Cheers!

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User profile for user: Jeff_W.
Jeff_W.
User level: Community Specialist

Apr 3, 2023 1:09 PM in response to betaneptune

Hi betaneptune,


It sounds like you are likely using iCloud for Safari and it's syncing your bookmarks. You can disable this feature using these instructions if you'd like to keep your bookmarks separate on your user accounts. Just turn off Safari rather than turning it on:


"Set up iCloud for Safari on your Mac

  1. On your Mac, do one of the following:
    • macOS Ventura 13.3 or later: Choose Apple menu  > System Settings, click [your name] at the top of the sidebar, then click iCloud on the right. Below Apps Using iCloud, click Show All, then turn on Safari.
    • macOS Ventura 13 to 13.2: Choose Apple menu  > System Settings, click [your name] at the top of the sidebar, click iCloud on the right, then turn on Safari.
    • macOS 12 or earlier: Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Apple ID, click iCloud, then select Safari.
  1. To see your bookmarks, Reading List, Tab Groups, and tabs open on your other devices, open Safari.

For more information on how to use bookmarks, a Reading List, and tabs on your Mac, see Bookmark websites that you want to revisit in Safari on Mac, Keep a Reading List in Safari on Mac, and Use tabs for webpages in Safari on Mac in the Safari User Guide for Mac."


Set up iCloud for Safari on all your devices - Apple Support


Cheers!

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User profile for user: betaneptune
betaneptune Author
User level: Level 2
185 points

Apr 3, 2023 2:05 PM in response to Jeff_W.

The .png links took me to a tiny Apple logo. that's it!

This one:

Set up iCloud features on Mac - Apple Support

had what I needed.

I disabled Safari on the Apple ID panel of the account whose bookmarks I did not want to share, and it seems to have worked! Now, we'll have to see if it survives a reboot. Oh, I deleted the unwanted ones on the main account. Yikes! I'll definitely have to see if it still works after a reboot.


BTW, I had to "set up" iCloud on that side account and had to type in several passwords. All that security and still it shared bookmarks between users, which is something I don't want and would think no one would want. All the apps should be unchecked by default. Why would anyone want their bookmarks cluttered up by someone else's?


Anyway, thanks! I had almost given up that someone would have the answer. Thanks again.



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How to stop Safari from sharing bookmarks across user accounts?

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