Use Distraction Control in Safari to hide items on a webpage
If a webpage regularly shows one or more items that you find distracting, you can use the Distraction Control feature to hide those items until you choose to see them again.
Hide distracting items in Safari
Hide distracting items in Safari
Distraction Control works best with items that don’t regularly change. When you first use Distraction Control, an alert reminds you that this feature doesn't permanently hide ads or other items that update frequently.
On Mac
Requires macOS Sequoia or later
From the Smart Search field in Safari, click the Page Menu button
, then choose Hide Distracting Items.
As you move the pointer around the page, Safari shows a border around each item that you can hide.
Click an item to hide it. You can click to hide additional items as well.
Click Done in the Smart Search field to confirm your changes. Or click Cancel.
On iPhone or iPad
Requires iOS 18 or later, or iPadOS 18 or later
From the Smart Search field in Safari, tap the Page Menu button
, then tap Hide Distracting Items.Tap to select the item that you want to hide. Safari shows a border around the selected item.
Tap anywhere within the item to hide it. You can tap to hide additional items as well.
Tap Done in the Smart Search field to confirm your changes. Or tap Cancel.
Show hidden items in Safari
When viewing a webpage that has hidden items, an eye with a line through it
appears next to the Page Menu button. Tap or click the Page Menu button, then select Show Hidden Items. If you’ve hidden more than one item on the page, you’re asked to confirm your choice before hidden items are shown.
Find out more
If other pages on the same website use the same items in the same way, they’re hidden on those pages as well. Items hidden in one Safari profile are also hidden in other Safari profiles on the same device. Items hidden in a private browsing window are hidden only in private browsing windows and don’t remain hidden after quitting Safari.
On Mac, if you installed a Safari extension that blocks content, Distraction Control may work best when the Content Blockers setting is turned on for the website. From the menu bar in Safari, choose Safari > Settings, click the Websites tab, then click Content Blockers in the sidebar. Find the website listed on the right and make sure the setting is turned on.
If you use Clear History on Mac or Clear History and Website Data on your iPhone or iPad when using the default Safari profile, you also clear all hidden items on that device.
For a distraction-free experience when reading articles, use Reader on Mac or Reader on iPhone or Reader on iPad.
