Most Visited Pages - Remove
Safari handles this through its main Preferences menu rather than the new tab page itself.
To disable Frequently Visited sites:
Use a browser extension like New Tab Redirect (Chrome) or Custom New Tab Page (Firefox) to tell your browser to open a local HTML file on your computer. remove most visited pages
Create a simple text file called blank.html, write <html><body bgcolor="white"></body></html> inside it, and point your browser to open that file every time you hit "New Tab." This completely bypasses the browser's default page.
If you followed the steps above and the thumbnails keep coming back, check these three scenarios: Safari handles this through its main Preferences menu
Scenario A: You are signed into a sync profile. If you remove a tile on your laptop, but you are signed into Chrome with your Google account, the tile might return from your desktop computer. You must remove the tile on ALL synced devices or pause sync temporarily.
Scenario B: Corporate/School Managed Device. If your computer was issued by an employer or university, the administrator may have locked the "Most Visited" feature via Group Policy. In this case, you cannot remove it without admin privileges. Use a browser extension like New Tab Redirect
Scenario C: Malware or Adware. Sometimes, a browser hijacker forces "Most Visited" pages to remain visible so they can inject paid links. If your thumbnails keep reappearing instantly, run a malware scan (Malwarebytes or Windows Defender).
Why this is useful: browsers and start pages expose frequently visited sites that can leak sensitive information (shared devices, work contexts). A focused paper can evaluate threats, user needs, and design/technical mitigations and provide practical recommendations.