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How to Enable Safari' s Debug Menu to Gain Added Capabilities

Find Safari's hidden menu

By Tom Nelson Tom Nelson Writer Tom Nelson is an engineer, programmer, network manager, and computer network and systems designer who has written for Other World Computing,and others. Tom is also president of Coyote Moon, Inc., a Macintosh and Windows consulting firm. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 12, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Browsers Safari Chrome Firefox Microsoft

What to Know

Enable debug menu by inputting defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeInternalDebugMenu 1 into Terminal.Disable debug menu by inputting defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeInternalDebugMenu 0 into Terminal.Relaunch Safari after turning the debug menu on or off. Safari long had a hidden Debug menu that contained useful capabilities. Originally intended to assist developers in debugging web pages and the JavaScript code that runs on them, the debug menu was hidden away because the commands that were included in the menu could wreak havoc on web pages. Information in this article applies to Macs running OS X El Capitan (10.11) or earlier.

Safari Debug Menu in OS X El Capitan and Earlier

With the release of Safari 4 in the summer of 2008, many useful menu items in the Debug menu were moved to the new Develop menu. However, the hidden Debug menu remained and even picked up a command or two as Safari development continued. It was removed completely from OS X Sierra and later releases of the operating system. Apple made accessing the hidden Develop menu an easy process, only requiring a trip to the Safari's preferences. Accessing the Debug menu, on the other hand, was a bit more complicated. Enabling the Safari debug window requires the use of Terminal, a powerful tool for accessing hidden features of the Mac operating system and its many apps. Terminal is the secret to turning on Safari’s Debug menu.

Enable Safari' s Debug Menu

Close Safari if you have it open and then: Go to Applications > Utilities and launch Terminal. Enter the following command line into Terminal by typing it or using copy and paste. Enter the command as a single line in Terminal, even though your browser may break it into multiple lines. defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeInternalDebugMenu 1
Press Enter or Return. Relaunch Safari. The new Debug menu is available.

Disable Safari s Debug Menu

If you want to disable the Debug menu, you can do so at any time, again using Terminal. Close Safari if it is open and then: Launch Terminal. Enter the following command line into Terminal by typing it or using copy and paste. Enter the command as a single line in Terminal, even though your browser may break it into multiple lines. defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeInternalDebugMenu 0
Press Enter or Return. Relaunch Safari. The Debug menu is gone.

Favorite Safari Debug Menu Items

With the Debug menu under your control, you can try out various menu items. Not all of the menu items are usable because many are designed to be used in a development environment where you have control over the web server. Nevertheless, useful items include: Force RepaintShow Frame Rate Meter, which displays CPU load, page frame rate speed, and updates being made to the page, all in the form of analog speedometers.Various flag options.Sync iCloud History.Depending on the version of Safari, the option to reset and recompute Top Sites. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Add More Features by Turning on Safari's Develop Menu Make a Bootable USB Installer for OS X El Capitan How to Make a Bootable Flash Installer of OS X or macOS How to Activate and Use Responsive Design Mode in Safari How to Activate the iPhone Debug Console or Web Inspector Viewing the HTML Source Code in Safari How to Delete a File in Terminal on Your Mac How to Turn off Incognito Mode How to Show or Hide Hidden Files and Folders on Mac How to Turn off Mouse Acceleration on Mac Enabling Disk Utility's Debug Menu How to Send a Web Page With the Mac's Email Program How to View Internet Explorer Sites on a Mac View Hidden Files and Folders on Your Mac With Terminal How to Change Your Homepage in Safari How to Save Web Pages in Safari for OS X Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies