# Home Tab for Safari — The Most Customizable New Tab

> Customizable Safari new tab page with backgrounds, time, date, and shortcuts. (iPhone/iPad app by Stefan Van Damme.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/home-tab-for-safari/id1585512140 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Stefan Van Damme](https://appshunter.io/developer/1043724055)
- Category: Utilities, Productivity
- Price: $1.99
- Rating: 3.40/5 from 14 App Store ratings · 16 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 18.0 · 103 MB
- Languages: American English, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French (France), German (Germany), Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian and 13 more
- Released: 2021-09-21
- Data updated: 2026-08-28
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/home-tab-for-safari/id1585512140/reviews.md

## What is Home Tab for Safari?

Sets your new tab page to a beautiful and inspiring background scene that personally greets you, tailored to the time of day. That will brighten up your day when you open a new page in your Safari web browser. The Home Tab for Safari is a simple and elegant dashboard. It provides options to display the current time and date, a warm greeting, a search box, and a speed dial of shortcuts. Additionally, you can toggle everything off, allowing Safari to open a dark blank page. This customization empowers you to define your authentic personal style in your new tab and transform it into the perfect place to be – your home sweet home.

The Safari extension is designed for users who aim to enhance their productivity on the internet and easily access the information they want with a quick glance. It offers customizable backgrounds, allowing you to select from a variety of built-in nature backgrounds or use your own inspiring photo. This extension provides a more relaxed and tranquil browsing experience, featuring unique elements such as a realistic rain effect on the home page, making the Home Tab the ideal start page for Safari.

Open the Home tab using this custom URL, which is ideal for the Apple Shortcuts app:
hometab://newtab

This premium Safari extension works across macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS, making it a versatile tool for your desktop or mobile device. Transform your device into a mobile dashboard for seamless browsing. Do not hesitate. Get it now!

The unique features of this Safari extension:
◆ See a landscape as the background in your new tab page, featuring 5 immersive backgrounds: Forest, Sea, Sky, Port, and Lake
◆ Choose your own custom background color or load your own background image from your personal device
◆ Or opt for the video background layer, including Forest, Sea, and Sky
◆ And with the option to load your own custom video loop background
◆ Adjust the brightness using a slider for both image and video backgrounds
◆ Apply a frost layer on top of your background for added visual effect
◆ Experience a realistic rain or snow layer on top of your background
◆ Toggle the display of the current Date & Time
◆ Choose between 24h or 12h clock format
◆ Choose your preferred font family for the text elements
◆ Customize the Date Today colors to suit your preferences
◆ Show or hide the search box
◆ Choose your default search engine (Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Baidu, or Yandex)
◆ When the search box is active, it dims the content around it for better visibility
◆ Show or hide the greeting text (Good morning, Good afternoon, Good evening, and Good night)
◆ Change the greeting text color
◆ Customize the greeting text to your name or any other text you want to see
◆ Show or hide the shortcut, edit the links, and drag-drop the location of that shortcut
◆ Add, edit, and delete shortcuts according to your personal preference
◆ Load your own custom shortcut icon
◆ Enable an accessibility option that vocalizes the current time and date
◆ Show a countdown timer to your chosen day.
◆ Support for Dark Mode

## Key features

- Customizable backgrounds (built-in or personal photos/videos)
- Display current time and date
- Customizable greeting text
- Search box with choice of search engine
- Editable shortcut speed dial
- Realistic rain or snow effects
- Accessibility option for time/date vocalization

## Recent user reviews (10 of 16)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/home-tab-for-safari/id1585512140/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Would work great if

*2026-02-20*

Every time I try and delete a saved tab doesn’t work. Had to delete the app every time I wanted to remove a pinned website.
The program also crashes if I try and open several new tabs in one go. I might as well do without the app in its current state unfortunately :(
Wish it could also pin my existing favourites list, or be able to import them all in, that would be very useful
Hope one day this gets fixed, but till then, 1 star unfortunately

**Developer response:** Hi Tnahdifndhdud, You can check that you are using the latest iOS 26 and the latest Home Tab for Safari extension version. Please let me know if you need any further assistance, I am happy to help you at https://www.stefanvd.net/support Thanks,

### 5/5 — Exactly what I wanted

*2025-04-16, version 1.11*

With no real way to see what time it is whilst browsing I’ve tried a few things and this actually WORKS. It’s got loads of customisation options and once I figured out how to get it started in Safari (Safari > Preferences) it works great. Thank you.

### 5/5 — Love this app

*2025-03-07*

Helps with organisation and is simple to use

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work. At all. Tried all troubleshooting.

*2024-01-17*

Using latest macOS Sonoma. The new start page flat out doesn’t appear. Apple won’t let me refund and I’m not a happy customer now.

**Developer response:** Hi mohrbius, 

If you install this for the first time on your Mac computer, open your Safari web browser, and navigate in the Apple menubar to Safari -> Settings. And open the Extensions tab. Check if you have enabled the "Home Tab for Safari" checkbox.
Then, when you open a new tab, it should show this new tab.

Please let me know if you need any further assistance, I am happy to help you at https://www.stefanvd.net/support Thanks,

### 2/5 — Customize does not work

*2023-07-19*

Cannot upload my image

### 1/5 — Absolutely Worthless!

*2023-06-09*

First, figuring out how it works is complex. Second and most important their tech support BOT is Anti Intelligence - useless!

I finally figured out how it works. I got it started but after a restart of Safari my picture was blank. OK I added my photo again. Closed Safari and the same thing. I go to the tech support and nothing!??! I couldn't find an emai so I'm stuck. I turned it off in settings. 

Feedback to Apple: Don't allow anyone to sell an app or extension without a tech support email!

**Developer response:** Hi 843c,

You rated 1 star. Do you still need any help?

When you install for the first time my Home Tab for Safari, you must open the iOS Settings app -> navigate to Safari and tap on "Extensions". Here you see "Home Tab for Safari" in the list and can choose to replace it as your default new tab page.
This information is also visible when you open my "Home Tab" app, the first page is guide page.
Apple designed this method to enable a Safari extension on mobile. There is no other easy and fast solution for enabling Safari extensions.

Please let me know if you need any further assistance, I am happy to help you at https://www.stefanvd.net/support
The contact form is visible as a big blue button "email support".

Thanks,

### 2/5 — Useless Due To Major Flaw

*2023-01-07*

You cannot copy and paste URLs into this app when you set up a new tab. This means that if tehe URL you want is 27 characters long you have to type it in and hope you don't fat finger anything. This renders the app useless for me. Why such an obvious defect?

### 1/5 — not working

*2022-08-17*

app is not working on macbook air M2!

### 5/5 — Das Safairi Erlebnis verschönern

*2022-08-12*

Eine sehr schöne App um sein Safari aufzuhübschen. Ich nutze sie aufm Iphone, Ipad wie auch aufm Macbook. Überall funktioniert sie perfekt. Mann kann seine Startseite mit vorgefertigten Wallpaper wie auch eigenen Aufhübschen. Am Ipad und Iphone stehen sogar Live Bilder zur verfügung. Zum einfachen zugreifen auf verschiedene Webseiten kann man einfach Shortcuts einrichten und auch löschen. Für den Preis eine echte empfehlung.

### 4/5 — Custom video doesn't work

*2022-02-07, version 1.7.1*

Custom videos don't work beyond the first tab when updating the settings. If you close and reopen it shows as blank.

**Developer response:** Hi deesnider,

Sorry you have had this bad experience. And that is why you rated 4 stars.

Did you use the default videos in the Home Tab Safari extension?
Or did you choose the video upload function?
I would love to hear more about this problem situation. Please contact me at https://www.stefanvd.net/support
And use the contact form.

Thanks,

## Frequently asked questions about Home Tab for Safari

### What is Home Tab for Safari?

Home Tab for Safari is a paid Safari extension that allows you to customize your new tab page with personalized backgrounds, time, date, greetings, and shortcuts. It aims to enhance productivity and create a more tranquil browsing experience.

### How much does Home Tab for Safari cost?

Home Tab for Safari is a paid application priced at $1.99. There are no in-app purchases or subscriptions required beyond this one-time purchase.

### Does Home Tab for Safari have ads?

No, Home Tab for Safari does not contain advertisements. As a paid application, it offers an ad-free experience for users.

### What devices does Home Tab for Safari support?

Home Tab for Safari is compatible with macOS, iOS, and iPadOS devices, as well as the visionOS. This allows for a consistent personalized experience across your Apple ecosystem.

### How often is Home Tab for Safari updated?

The latest version of Home Tab for Safari is 1.13, last updated on December 1, 2025. Updates typically focus on adding new features, improving performance, and ensuring compatibility with the latest operating systems.

### What is the age rating for Home Tab for Safari?

Home Tab for Safari has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for users of all ages, with no mature content.

### Can I use my own images or videos as backgrounds?

Yes, you can use your own inspiring photos or video loops as backgrounds for your new tab page. You can also choose from built-in nature scenes or custom background colors.

### What search engines can I use with Home Tab for Safari?

You can choose your default search engine from a list including Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Baidu, and Yandex. The search box dims surrounding content for better visibility when active.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.14 — 2026-06-23

+ Added option to fill the icon in the shortcut box
+ Translation update

If you like Home Tab, the best way to support the app is by sharing it with others, so please consider telling your friends and family about Home Tab!

### 1.13 — 2025-12-01

+ Support for iOS 26
+ Translation update

If you like Home Tab, the best way to support the app is by sharing it with others, so please consider telling your friends and family about Home Tab!

To learn more about the Home Tab for Safari or do you have any questions go to https://www.stefanvd.net/support

### 1.12.1 — 2025-09-03

+ Fixed opening in a new tab

If you like Home Tab, the best way to support the app is by sharing it with others, so please consider telling your friends and family about Home Tab!

To learn more about the Home Tab for Safari or do you have any questions go to https://www.stefanvd.net/support

### 1.12 — 2025-05-12

+ Added option to choose your shortcut custom icon

If you like Home Tab, the best way to support the app is by sharing it with others, so please consider telling your friends and family about Home Tab!

To learn more about the Home Tab for Safari or do you have any questions go to https://www.stefanvd.net/support

### 1.11 — 2023-12-26

+ Added iOS widget
+ Added hometab://newtab to open the new tab page
+ Improved Home Tab for Safari extension Manifest V3

If you like Home Tab, the best way to support the app is by sharing it with others, so please consider telling your friends and family about Home Tab!

To learn more about the Home Tab for Safari or do you have any questions go to https://www.stefanvd.net/support

## Apps similar to Home Tab for Safari

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| --- | --- | --- | --- |
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## More apps by Stefan Van Damme

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All apps by Stefan Van Damme: https://appshunter.io/developer/1043724055

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-28.*
