Is there a way to force Safari into single-window mode?

[it wasnt me]

Whenever I click a link in a different application, Safari will open a new window instead of a new tab. Is there a way to make that stop?

 

[chown33]

I think it's configurable in Safari's Settings / Preferences window.

Change settings in Safari on Mac

In Safari on your Mac, change settings to make browsing the internet work best for you.

support.apple.com

It's probably in the General or Tabs pane.

Be sure to choose the correct version of your macOS in the popup near the top.

Found that user guide with search terms: mac safari user guide

 

[it wasnt me]

It is not. The only things I can change there are:

• what to open when Safari starts (a new window, all prior windows, ...),
• how to open new tabs from inside the same window.

There is no option to open new tabs from another window.

 

[Nermal]

Is this with a specific app, or all apps? I've tried three different apps (Messages, Teams, Element) on my machine and all of them open a new tab in the existing Safari window.

I have "Open pages in tabs instead of windows" set to "Automatically".

 

[bogdanw]

With “Open pages in tabs instead of windows” set to “Always: Open webpages in tabs.”, Safari will always create new tabs, regardless of the application the link is coming from.
The only instance where it will open a new window is when you have the Smart Search field selected in the current window.
https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/tabs-ibrw1045/16.1/mac/13.0

 

[it wasnt me]

Is this with a specific app, or all apps?

I primarily found this to happen with Emacs, weirdly enough. I’ll try to find a pattern.