Most of the time the default site pop-up blocker on Mac's Safari is useful. It can save you from unwanted advertisements, protect you from potential scams and phishing attempts, or just reduce distractions.
Other times, pop-up blockers have the ability to hinder workflow and various other tasks. Many banks, universities, and retail sites, like Amazon, use pop-ups to open customer service chats, for example.
If you'd like to allow pop-ups on your Mac when using Safari, you can do so by accessing Safari's Preferences menu. Here's how to do it.
How to allow pop-ups on Mac in a Safari browser
1. Launch Safari.
2. In your menu bar at the top of the screen, click "Safari." Find and click "Preferences" in the drop-down menu.
3. Once in Preferences, click on "Websites" — the icon that looks like a globe.
4. On the left menu, click "Pop-up Windows."
5. Where it says "When visiting other websites:," there will be a dropdown menu with two blue arrows. Click on it.
6. Here you can select "Allow" and it will automatically save this setting. You can also select "Block and Notify" if you'd like to choose to allow or block a pop-up when it appears.
How to change the default settings for pop-ups on individual websites in Safari
To change default settings for individual sites, make sure the website is open in Safari when you access "Preferences."
1. In the menu bar up at the top of the page, select Safari > Preferences.
2. Click "Websites," and find "Pop-up Windows" on the left.
3. Here you'll see the URL of the site you have open in Safari and a drop-down menu with two blue arrows.
4. Select "Allow" to allow pop-ups on this individual website.
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