One of the best things about Apple’s ecosystem is continuity. If you have multiple Apple devices say a Mac, iPad, and iPhone, you can sync your data and files and use them from one device to another.
You can also use iCloud sync to get your media files from your iPhone to your Mac and your iPad. Besides that, you can also use iCloud to sync your Safari tabs.
This allows you to see and access tabs you have used from one device to the other.
While this is a convenient feature, some users experienced issues closing tabs from their other devices on Safari.
Due to this, their browser gets cluttered with old tabs that are no longer needed.
Most of the time, this is a sync issue with iCloud that can be resolved with a simple reset. However, it might also be a problem with your account data, incorrect settings, or wrong iCloud preference.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps on how to fix stuck Safari iCloud tabs on your device.
Restart Your Device
Before changing your configurations, we suggest restarting your device first when you encounter issues with Safari. This way, you can rule out any temporary bugs and glitches that may have occurred on your system.
On Mac:
First, access the Apple Menu by clicking on the “Apple icon” in the upper left corner of your screen. Now, choose the “Restart” option from the drop-down window.
Wait for the prompt to show up and click “Restart” again.
On iPad:
Locate the “Volume Down button and Top button” on your iPad.
After that, hold both keys at the same time and wait for the “Slide to Power Off” screen to appear.
Now, drag the slider to the right until your screen shuts off. After several seconds, press the “Top button” again to restart your device.
On iOS:
Tap on the “Assistive Touch” on your display to access the menu. Next, go to the “Device” tab and tap on “More”.
Lastly, tap on “Restart” to reboot your device.
After restarting your devices, go back to Safari and check if you still have stuck iCloud tabs.
Close Stuck Tabs on Main Device
Most of the time stuck iCloud tabs on Safari can be closed from the main device you have used to access them. If opened a Google tab on your iPhone, try closing it using your iPhone and not from other devices synced with iCloud.
While this should not be how Safari tabs syncing work, there might be an ongoing issue on Apple’s end that is currently being addressed.
Get the main device you’ve used to open the tabs and close them from there.
Related: How to Use Private Browsing on Safari
Update Your Device
Outdated versions of iOS, macOS, and iPadOS could be the reason you are experiencing issues with iCloud tabs syncing. One or more of the devices you’re using might not be compatible with one another which explains the issue.
Updating your device to the latest build should resolve the problem.
To update your Mac, access the Apple Menu by clicking on the “Apple icon” in the upper left corner of your display. From there, go to “System Preferences” and click on “Software Update”. Lastly, follow the on-screen prompts if there are available updates.
To update your iPad and iPhone, go to your home screen and access the “Settings app”. After that, go to General > Software Updates and see if there are pending updates for your device.
Go back to Safari after the update to check if the problem is solved.
Change Date and Time
Some users confirmed that they’ve managed to remove stuck Safari iCloud tabs by advancing their device’s date and time settings by 14 days. As it turns out, synced tabs on Safari only stay for 14 days since they were last used, and advancing your date and time removes the stuck tabs.
If you really need to remove stuck Safari iCloud tabs on your device, try changing your current date and time settings and advance it by 14 days.
Give your device a restart afterward and confirm if the workaround was effective. Once the tabs are gone, you can go ahead and correct your device’s date and time settings.
Contact Apple Support
If none of the solutions above worked, the best thing to do is let the professionals handle the situation. Go to Apple’s Support page and get in touch with their team to ask for assistance regarding your account.
When reporting an issue, make sure to provide all the necessary details that can help Apple’s team assess and understand the situation faster.
