How to Enable the Safari Developer Menu
Enable Safari’s Develop menu on Mac from Safari Settings > Advanced. Find the current setting, confirm it worked, and learn what to try if it’s missing.
On a Mac, open Safari > Settings > Advanced, then select Show features for web developers. The Develop menu should appear in Safari’s menu bar. These instructions are for Safari on Mac.
Enable the Develop menu on Mac
- Open Safari.
- In the macOS menu bar at the top of the screen, choose Safari > Settings.
- Click Advanced.
- Select Show features for web developers.
- Look in the menu bar for Develop.
Apple’s current setting reveals the Develop menu and also makes Developer and Feature Flags settings available in Safari Settings. See Apple’s guide to developer tools in Safari on Mac and its Advanced settings guide.
Confirm it is enabled
Once enabled, Develop appears in the macOS menu bar while Safari is active. Open it to see Safari’s developer tools. Apple describes these tools as a way for web developers to check that websites work with standards-based browsers.
If the Develop menu is still missing
- Check that you changed Safari’s settings. The menu path begins with Safari in the macOS menu bar, then Settings, then Advanced.
- Confirm the exact checkbox. The current label is Show features for web developers; it is not a checkbox named “Show Develop menu.”
- Make sure Safari is the active app. The Develop menu is in the Mac menu bar, not inside the webpage or Safari toolbar.
- Check the platform. The documented steps apply to Safari on Mac. They should not be followed as instructions for iPhone or iPad.
- Account for older interface wording. The current Apple guide says “Settings.” If your Safari version shows different wording, the current documentation does not establish the exact path for that older version.
What the menu is for
The Develop menu provides access to Safari’s web developer tools. It is useful when inspecting or debugging a site in Safari and checking browser compatibility. Enabling the menu is a Safari setting; there is no need to install an extension for the documented procedure.
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FAQ
Is “Develop” the same as “Show features for web developers”?
The checkbox is labeled “Show features for web developers.” Selecting it reveals the Develop menu in the menu bar.
Does this enable developer tools on iPhone or iPad?
The cited Apple instructions are specifically for Safari on Mac and do not document an equivalent menu setup for iPhone or iPad.
Do I need to restart Safari?
Apple’s documented steps do not specify a restart. After selecting the checkbox, check the menu bar for Develop.


