Sequioa 15.7 Safari bookmark issues

FitzItEng wrote:

I re-installed macOS Sequoia from the app store on top of the running macOS Sequoia 15.7, this process replaced Safari 26.0.1 with Safari 18.6 and keeps Sequoia 15.7. So far no issues.

when I saw your reply, I was sceptical. I thought for sure that a system wipe and reinstall would have been required to get backwards to safari 18.6. but I figured "what can it hurt to try?". so I laid sequoia over my sequoia with safari 26.0.1. and I do indeed have sequoia with safari 18.6 now, without a complete wipe and reinstall.

thank you for providing your solution. :)

I reinstalled Sequoia over Sequoia, and it reinstalls Safari 18.6. Bookmarks in the sidebar are back and fully functional.

You have to go into recovery via startup options. Shut computer down.  Hold power button until startup options appear. Click Options, macOS recovery. When in recovery, select reinstall macOS and then select your hard drive to install on. And just make sure your Mac doesn't go to sleep. It took about ten minutes.

This also worked great for me, thanks for the solution!

Yes, with Tahoe you get a small "..." menu in the side bar top. In that you click on compact and uncheck the show folders at top and then the bookmarks will be like you want before 15.7 Sequoia.

Same problem here, for I didnt want to reinstall Sequoia (and maybe risk more damage than repair) I went for the Safari technology preview version Apple offers for free:

Safari Technology Preview - Safari - Apple Developer

It works properly (although it doesnt support other languages than english), but I am fine with it by now. Lets hope Apple unrolls a proper regular solution soon.

I reinstalled Sequoia over Sequoia, and it reinstalls Safari 18.6. Bookmarks in the sidebar are back and fully functional.

You have to go into recovery via startup options. Shut computer down.  Hold power button until startup options appear. Click Options, macOS recovery. When in recovery, select reinstall macOS and then select your hard drive to install on. And just make sure your Mac doesn't go to sleep. It took about ten minutes.

(macOS 15.7 on macbook pro).

As indicated in this session, many people find the MacOS 15.7/safari bookmarks sidebar to be just dreadful, with its "huge" icons and unnecessary text. It makes finding the correct bookmark a painful operation, especially because I have lots of bookmarks. The only FIX I can find is to switch to chrome, where I can at least get the simple bookmark list in one window on screen.

To export bookmarks on macOS 15.7, you go to safari->file->export browsing data to file, and select from the resulting popup. You get a zip file which you can unzip with the apple accessory.

To get bookmarks into chrome, click on the three vertical dots on the top right of chrome window, select "bookmarks and lists", then "import bookmarks and settings".

Unfortunately, these bookmarks do not appear in the chrome bookmarks sidebar. (If anyone knows how to do this, I would appreciate it.) You must click on "imported" in upper left of chrome window. Still, for me, this is much much better, as I just get an undecorated list of names.

You canned a new bookmark to this list. (This is long snuff already.)

When apple decides to quit being so "cute", and to stop doing unsolicited favors, I will return to safari (maybe - I might get to like chrome).

That is because you also got Safari 26 which was also released for Tahoe. Safari 26 with Sequoia does not have the "..." menu that Tahoe does. I believe this is a bug. What I did was to boot to recovery, erase the drive and reinstall 15.7. This will leave out Safari 26 and keep the previous version so bookmarks are now OK. Just do not update later to safari 26 or the issue will return.

I have over 5000 bookmarks in folders and this stupidity is painful - literally - as I have to scroll for miles to select a saved bookmark. My Favourites folder contains 40 bookmarks but the 'new' layout means that I can just about see 12 of them on a full screen. I would suggest that this must be a nightmare for anyone who is disabled. I am not going to mess around with reinstallation or upgrade just to resolve this problem as past experience suggests that will create more problems. I would like Apple to know that I despair about their priorities which do not appear to be faithful customers. The best tip here is to export the bookmarks to a better browser, in my case it will be Mozilla Firefox, it may take a while to get used to but at least I have more control of layout.

Dailydb wrote:

Apart from no longer having control to place a bookmark where you want it, or move it, its barely possible to add one at all.

things have kind of changed since my Oct 5 reply. 2 other users ( Allan Jones and Brian mck) pointed me in this direction:

I have always used the apple menu to access my bookmarks. I only ever opened my sidebar to rearrange them. (drag and drop) but since upgrading to safari 26, I could no longer use the sidebar to rearrange bookmarks. then I was pointed to "edit bookmarks" from the apple menu, where I CAN still drag and drop.

so basically, to me, the safari sidebar is now obsolete. :)

Terrible. just saying...... !

I agree, but you are not addressing apple here. if you want them to hear you, please visit Feedback - Safari - Apple.

You can highlight the description under each link and delete. Also go to the "..." menu and check compact and uncheck show folders at top. This should make your bookmarks look as before the upgrade but the reading list squares will remain I'm afraid.

See my other response. The "..." menu only with Safari 26 and Tahoe. They are missing with Safari 26 in Sequoia. Probably a bug on Apple's part. You can revert back to previous Safari with 15.7 but need to go to recovery, erase and reinstall the OS 15.7 (it will not include safari 26).

Me too. I didn't really think that downloading macOS Sequoia 15.7.1 from the App Store would be any different from the updating process via my mac's System Software Update, but it IS, thank goodness! The Sequoia 15.7.1 download from the App Store contains Safari 18.6 (not Safari 26.0.1). I'm so relieved! I hate Apple for doing this to us. So rotten and evil. Thank you so much FitzItEng for figuring this out for us and letting us know about it! Apple should put this information on their Support page, so the many people out there who depend on the sidebar bookmarks don't have to waste a huge amount of time and get a giant headache like I did, trying to find a solution for the mess they caused.

I just went to the App Store and downloaded the update again from there. Bookmarks back to what they were, thank goodness, and so far everything OK. Took a risk and didn't do a back up first.. It did take an hour rather than the 10 mins people said takes going via recovery but I was able to continue working. Thanks so much to whoever it was who suggested that.

UPDATE:

Thanks to brian mck for pointing this out:  

on sequoia, You can use Apple Menu > Safari > Bookmarks and choose “Edit Bookmarks”. Then you can drag and drop bookmarks there to rearrange them.

Apparently that option has been there over many versions of safari.

[Edited by Moderator]

abermant wrote:

Hope they eventually simplify or return to the previous style.

unfortunately, apple does not live on memory lane. the only hope that they would consider "going back" would be if enough people send them feedback. please visit Feedback - Safari - Apple, because if they don't hear from us, how will they know there is an issue?