Effective Methods for Removing Unwanted Bookmarks

You are not the first if you suddenly feel the urge to declutter your browser. While many may not think you need to declutter your digital workspace as you would your home, decluttering your browser has a significant impact. It is beneficial to your computer’s efficiency and productivity.

However, simply knowing that you must declutter your browser isn’t enough. You also need to learn how to remove the bookmarks; you no longer need as this is key to decluttering your browser. In this blog, our team at My Computer Works has provided the steps you need to take to remove a bookmark on any of the popular browsers you may be using. Armed with this information, you’ll have a computer that functions better in no time. 

What Are Browser Bookmarks? 

Browser bookmarks are nifty tools that act as a placeholder for websites you have chosen to remember. They function like physical bookmarks but in a digital format. This means they will provide a shortcut to access the page you want to remember whenever needed. 

Adding a bookmark removes the extra step of repeatedly typing in and searching for the web page. It also eliminates the hassle of remembering where on a webpage you found the information you wanted to save for later. 

Bookmarks are shown differently depending on the browser, but they can usually be found in the bar below the address bar at the top of your screen.

The Impact Of Cluttered Bookmarks On Browser Performance And User Productivity

It might be difficult to believe, but having countless bookmarks cluttering your computer can cause PC performance and user productivity issues. Fortunately, there are obvious signs to alert you to the fact that your device and browser are experiencing performance and productivity issues because of cluttered bookmarks. 

Often, the main problems involve the user experiencing severe lag during use, slow browsing speed, and a long waiting period during start-up. Unfortunately, too many unused bookmarks also place an unnecessary load on the CPU and device memory, causing your computer to struggle, eventually leading to crashes, blue screen issues, and lost data. 

Additionally, from a user’s perspective, all the cluttered bookmarks hinder your ability to find links efficiently, slowing productivity, wasting time, and causing a lot of unnecessary frustration. 

It might not seem like it, but you can resolve all these issues simply by deleting no longer-used bookmarks and having a clear strategy for decluttering your digital workspace. 

Step-By-Step Instructions For Manually Deleting Bookmarks From Popular Browsers 

Chrome

If you have chosen to use and install Chrome on a desktop device, your bookmarks are below the address bar at the top of a webpage. Should Chrome not show the bookmark bar, you can do the following: 

• Click on the three dots and scroll down to the drop-down menu to select the “Settings Button.” 
• Then click on “Appearance” and find “Show bookmarks Bar.” 
• Use the slider to enable it. 

Alternatively, you can use a simple keyboard shortcut by pressing “Ctrl+Shift+B” to quickly add or remove the bookmark bar to your page.

Once you’ve found the bookmarks, you can remove the unnecessary ones. To remove a bookmark on Chrome, do the following: 

• Hover the mouse over the bookmark you want to delete. 
• Right-click and select the delete option. This also works for the folders you’ve created for bookmarks. 
• Alternatively, you can also click on the bookmark, select the blue star symbol at the end of the address, and then click “Remove” to delete it.

However, it’s important to remember that Chrome will not confirm if you wish to delete the bookmark, so once you have clicked “Delete” or “Remove,” it will be permanently deleted. If you have synced Chrome on all your devices, then the bookmark is deleted from all those devices. 

Safari

According to recent statistics, Safari currently holds 18.56% of the internet browsing market. If you’re a Safari user, you likely belong to this statistic. 

If you want to delete your cluttered bookmarks, this is what you need to do as a Safari user: 

• Click on the sidebar button in the toolbox. 
• Then, locate and select the “Bookmarks” option. This will then open a bookmarks manager.
• You will then control-click and select the “Delete” option on the chosen bookmark. Another way to do this is to select the bookmark and press the backspace key to delete the bookmark without confirmation.

If you wish to use a shortcut for this process, try “Command + Option + B,” which should immediately open your bookmarks manager.

Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge is the intuitive default browser on all Windows devices and has a slightly different name for its bookmarking tool. Instead of calling them ‘Bookmarks,’ Edge calls them ‘Favourites.’ So, instead, you will learn how to delete or remove Favorites. 

• Click the icon with a star and three stacked horizontal bars to start. This icon is usually located on the right next to the address bar. 
• You can then scroll through your favorites and find the one you wish to remove.
• Right-click on the favorite and select the “Delete” option. 

Firefox

Firefox is a popular browser often used as an alternative to Chrome because of the additional privacy features it offers. 

To delete a bookmark from Firefox, do the following: 

• Hover the mouse over the bookmark you want to delete. 
• Then, right-click and select the delete option. 
• Alternatively, Click on the icon with three stacked horizontal lines, which acts as your “Application Menu.” Scroll down to select “Bookmarks,” then click “Manage bookmarks” at the bottom. Once in this management menu, you can delete cluttered bookmarks.

For quick access to the bookmarks, you can use the shortcut key “Ctrl + Shift + O.” This will open the “Library” pop-up box, which will let you manage and delete your bookmarks and folders.

Steps For Selecting Multiple Bookmarks For Simultaneous Deletion

Sometimes, you will have multiple bookmarks that you want to delete simultaneously. Depending on your browsing system, you can use the steps we’ve provided below that will effectively delete multiple bookmarks at once: 

Chrome

• Press “Ctrl+Shift+O” to open your Bookmark Manager.
• For Windows, hold “Ctrl,” and for Mac, Hold “Cmd.” While holding these buttons, select the bookmarks you wish to delete. It will select them all. 
• Lastly, right-click and select the “Delete” option.

Microsoft Edge

• Press “Ctrl+Shift+O” to open the Favorites Manager.
• For Windows, hold “Ctrl,” and for Mac, Hold “Cmd.” While holding these buttons, select the favorites you wish to delete.
• Lastly, right-click and select the “Delete” option.

Safari

• Open your Bookmark Menu.
• Hold “Cmd” on your Mac and select the favorites you wish to delete while holding this button.
• Lastly, right-click and select the “Delete” Option or press the “Delete” button on your keyboard.

Firefox

• Press “Ctrl+Shift+B” to open your Firefox Library.
• For Windows, hold “Ctrl,” and for Mac, Hold “Cmd.” While holding these buttons, select the bookmarks you wish to delete.
• Lastly, right-click and select the “Delete” option.

The Wrap-Up On Decluttering Your Browser By Removing Unneeded Bookmarks

You would be surprised by how quickly things like your bookmarks, cache, and search history deplete your storage creating somewhat of a digital hoard. Decluttering and organizing any space you use often—even in the digital realm—is always beneficial to improving productivity and time efficiency. 

Armed with the information shared in this article, you’ll now know how to manage your bookmarks to declutter and keep only what is necessary. However, should you still struggle with deleting bookmarks, a friendly specialist at My Computer Works is ready to help. 

Our computer technicians often help clients declutter their browsers by removing unnecessary bookmarks. Contact us here to learn more about how we can assist you in this area.