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Safari 14.0. Missing Top Sites!

Bksansoo

Bksansoo

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 18, 2020
2
7
I absolutely hate that there is no longer Top Sites for the new Safari. I will not be updated on MacBook Air for this reason. It is stupid to have Favorites on the Home Screen when Favorites is also listed on the top bar. Come on Apple! Why did you do this?
 
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Is there any way to restore this at all? Or rollback to previous Safari version? I had like 20 of them and they were not bookmarked... had them for years, not sure what to do now... They should have at least converted them into something, not take down just like that! Basically, they destroyed my information and really upset my setup. And why? Just a change for the sake of change? :mad:
 
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Come on Apple, at least give us the Option to use Top Sites. You could have at least informed us you were deleting the Top Sites option prior to the release of the update. I have NO USE for the crap you put on Start Page. The icon is still in the Favorites Bar but it only goes to this New Crappier Start Page. Like Tim0 said above, I had 8 or 9 links that I hadn't book marked and now no way to get them back as they appear to be lost. Give me back Safari 13.0!!!!!!
 
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Well as I mentioned earlier I think it was a very bad idea and will either try to find a way to roll back to a previous version......or as I am doing now, just use Google chrome and bye bye Safari

“Come on Apple let people at least have an option”
 
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I did some research last night and the Top Sites file is still there if anyone needs their links:

~/Library/Safari/TopSites.plist

It may look a bit confusing at first (my file starts with lots of "banned URLs", but the links that you need are located towards the end of the file. They are marked with TopSiteIsPinned key.

Still hopeful they will restore TopSites in future updates. Is there any way to send Apple feedback for the new versions?
 
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It's just re-labeled 'Frequently Visited' on mine. They just changed the name. Works about the same; all the sites that were in Top Sites are still there. It's like when iTunes got renamed Apple Music. It's still the same app!

Screen Shot 2020-09-19 at 7.29.30 PM.png
 
I had my Top sites bookmarked so I am still able to access them, but this Frequently Visited Sites does not work the same and I do not think I can arrange the icons like I want. It also throws stuff in there that I do not want. I hope Apple returns the Top Sites as well.
 
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I guess I lucked out. I still had the same stuff that was in Top Sites show up under Frequently Visited.

The view is a bit cluttered but oh well. I never did get access to the 'siri suggested' sites that was supposed to be a hallmark feature in Catalina...It just never worked.
 
Tim0 said:
I did some research last night and the Top Sites file is still there if anyone needs their links:

~/Library/Safari/TopSites.plist

It may look a bit confusing at first (my file starts with lots of "banned URLs", but the links that you need are located towards the end of the file. They are marked with TopSiteIsPinned key.

Still hopeful they will restore TopSites in future updates. Is there any way to send Apple feedback for the new versions?
Click to expand...

Can't find the ~/Library/Safari/TopSites.plist location. Where is it?
 
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I'm aggravated about Top Sites too, but I've found an okay — not great — solution. If you open Safari preferences and click on the General tab, you'll see "Favorite shows." It allows you to create a folder where you manually add your Top Site URLs. Then choose that new folder for "Favorite shows" and at least you'll have the icons there. It pales in comparison to Top Sites, but it's way better than nothing, at least for me. (I've attached a screenshot.)
 

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Reactions: Judit Juhasz
Man I'm glad I read this - I live and die by Safari, I'm planning on sticking with Catalina for a while, and jumped on the forum to check out some of the feedback, I'll stick with 13 for now.
 
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jonnysods said:
Man I'm glad I read this - I live and die by Safari, I'm planning on sticking with Catalina for a while, and jumped on the forum to check out some of the feedback, I'll stick with 13 for now.
Click to expand...

I feel bamboozled by this Safari update. I expect these dramatic changes in OS updates, not a Safari update :-( I haven't updated my iMac, and if I could roll back my laptop, I would!
 
I was upset at first, but after watching this video I was able to configure my Home Page with the same information I had prior to losing my top Sites layout. I realize this may not help people who did not have their Top sites bookmarked as well, but for me it was a good workaround:

 
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springmil said:
I'm aggravated about Top Sites too, but I've found an okay — not great — solution. If you open Safari preferences and click on the General tab, you'll see "Favorite shows." It allows you to create a folder where you manually add your Top Site URLs. Then choose that new folder for "Favorite shows" and at least you'll have the icons there. It pales in comparison to Top Sites, but it's way better than nothing, at least for me. (I've attached a screenshot.)
Click to expand...

This is the solution I came up with. I removed Frequently Visited and use Favorits to house my old Top Sites links. Don't get the nice thumbnail of the websites, but it otherwise works fine. I miss Top Sites, but I'm quickly getting used to this.
 
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For those who aren't aware (like me) - how to get Frequently Visited --- right click in the blank space to get:

1600910280321.png
when on a new tab.
 
BrtHrt said:
I miss Top Sites - there is a new functionality to replace it though - Pinned Sites:

Pin frequently visited websites in Safari on Mac

In Safari on your Mac, if you use tabs, save frequently visited websites as icons in the tab bar.
support.apple.com
Click to expand...

It's NOT the same thing... not even close. I had 24 sites on my Top Sites page that were there when I opened a new tab... what a royal PITA. I wish Apple would leave my cheese alone.
 
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So why did they do this and who do you complain to? Woke up this morning with a completely different computer. I'm very unhappy. I'm not technologically savvy and this is ridiculous for me. I have favorites of things I'd like to get back to - not that any of those were frequently used. This is shameful.
 
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nickdalzell1 said:
It's just re-labeled 'Frequently Visited' on mine. They just changed the name. Works about the same; all the sites that were in Top Sites are still there. It's like when iTunes got renamed Apple Music. It's still the same app!

View attachment 956046
Click to expand...

I hate the new Safari. Missing the Top Sites. Nothing ever shows up in the Frequently Visited, and have no idea how to add anything manually to the Frequently Visited. If I know this I would never upgrade Safari.
 
dwfaust said:
It's NOT the same thing... not even close. I had 24 sites on my Top Sites page that were there when I opened a new tab... what a royal PITA. I wish Apple would leave my cheese alone.
Click to expand...

The pinned tab is waaaay not the same. It's too small to read. I hate the new Safari. If they don't change it very - very soon, I'm switching to Chrome.
 
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