Description: Use Safari’s General preferences to choose some common browser options.

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# Using Safari General preferences

Use the information here to set the Safari General preferences.

| Preference | Explanation |
--- | --- | --- | ---
| Default Web Browser | The default browser opens when you click a link in an email or other application. |
| New windows open with | When you choose File > New Window, Safari opens a new window. This option specifies what should be in that window. (“Same Page” refers to the webpage you’ve most recently viewed.) |
| Home page | You can specify any webpage as your Home page. The easiest way is to go to the page you want to use and then click "Set to Current Page." |
| Remove history items | Use the menu to specify how often you want Safari to clear the history list. |
| Save downloaded files to | Choose Desktop, or if you want to download to another location, choose Other and select a folder. |
| Remove download list items | Safari keeps a list of the items you have downloaded. If you want this list cleared automatically, choose When Safari Quits or Upon Successful Download. Otherwise, to clear the list manually, choose Window > Downloads and click Clear. |
| Open “safe” files after downloading | If this is selected, Safari automatically opens files like the ones listed, but it won’t open software programs. |
| Open links from applications | Sometimes you open links you find in email, iChat sessions, or other applications. This option specifies whether the link should open in a new window or in a new tab in the current window. |

### Related Topics

Setting up tabbed browsing