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I started using tab groups in Safari on Mac but now every time I click a link in another app it opens a completely new Safari window. Is it possible to get it to use the same window?

Edit: Just to clarify, if I click a link in some app it opens a new window with a single tab in it. If I click a new link it will open a tab in that window. What I want is the first link to open in any already open Safari windows.

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    My question exactly. This can result in a real mess (losing all of your previous "N Tabs" tabs) too. It works correctly on iOS, but for some reason (rushing out the M1 chips and leaving software in chaos, perhaps) it works differently (and clearly wrong) on macOS.
    – orome
    Commented Nov 2, 2021 at 15:01
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    A similar question here.
    – orome
    Commented Nov 2, 2021 at 15:03
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    This happens when a tab group is selected in the tab panel. When the first row (X Tabs) is selected, the external links are correctly opening in the same window. Clearly looks like a bug.
    – floch69
    Commented Nov 8, 2021 at 16:34
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    It's 2023 and Apple still hasn't done a thing about this.
    – James
    Commented Apr 28, 2023 at 15:31

5 Answers 5

Reset to default
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The focus mode filter in macOS 14 allows opening external links in selected Focus Tab Group or Profile in Safari.

System Settings > Focus > SELECTED_FOCUS_MODE > Focus Filters > Safari > Allow opening external links in your Focus Tab Group - On

enter image description here

It could be better, such as opening in the same tab group on default, but it's Apple.

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  • This looks promising! I haven't tested it yet myself but look forward to giving it a spin.
    – fiskeben
    Commented Aug 11, 2023 at 12:46
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    Fantastic! Thanks, it helped me
    – Anton Danilchenko
    Commented Sep 5, 2023 at 9:11
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Workaround: drag the link from the external application onto the "new tab" (+ icon) at the top of the preferred Safari window. The link will open in a new tab in this (tab group or other) window.

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    This is a decent suggestion but if you're using Spaces this is hard to do without going mad. I just want to click the link.
    – fiskeben
    Commented Jan 21, 2022 at 8:43
  • Same to me. I'd like to have some sort of rules: if URL == "this.server.com" than open only in tab group ... Dragging the links manually is absolutely not desirable.
    – Jan
    Commented Jan 25, 2022 at 10:35
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I managed to improve the situation slightly by using Keyboard Maestro. I made a macro that move the newly opened window to my already opened tab group.

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  • Great suggestion, I just done the exact same following your answer but using BetterTouchTool, thanks.
    – Des
    Commented Jun 16, 2023 at 15:50
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This appears to be the expected behavior, unfortunately! From Apple community's Why do links from outside Safari open in new windows when I'm in a Tab Group?

Why do links from outside Safari open in new windows when I'm in a Tab Group? When I have a Tab Group focused and click on a link outside Safari (ex. in Slack), it opens in a new window instead of as a tab in the existing window. This is only an issue when I'm in a tab group.

If I'm in the ungrouped tabs I have open and click an external link, it opens in that existing window as expected. Links within Safari also work as expected (i.e. cmd+click opens in a new tab within whatever Group I'm in).

Is there any way to force links from outside Safari to open as ungrouped tabs in the existing window? I keep realizing I have like four Safari windows open after clicking multiple links from Slack, email etc.

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    Could you edit and quote the relevant part of the post?
    – Greenonline
    Commented Oct 30, 2023 at 11:11
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Safari > Preferences > Tabs

Open pages in tabs instead of windows: Always

Preference

I also searched for a long time how to solve the problem.

It works for me!

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    This does not work for me. Clicking links in other apps still opens a new window.
    – fiskeben
    Commented Jan 31, 2022 at 11:35
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    This has nothing to do with tab groups and does not answer the OP's question.
    – James
    Commented Apr 28, 2023 at 15:28

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