Safari: Everything you need to know!

Safari on Mac
Safari on Mac (Image credit: iMore)

Safari is Apple's browser for all of its devices. It's optimized for Apple devices and is only for Apple devices, making a great browsing experience rather exclusive to the platform.

What is Safari?

At its simplest, it's a web browser, like Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or Firefox. You can use it on your Apple devices to access the internet, i.e. visit website, check email, access iCloud, etc.

It comes in app form for iPhone and iPad and in desktop form for Mac. It's also the default browser for these three platforms, and you can't change that on iPhone or iPad, so if you try to open a link from an email or text message, it'll automatically open in Safari.

How is Safari different from other web browsers?

To be honest, it's not. Not in the grand scheme of things anyway. What separates Safari from browsers like Chrome or Firefox is its exclusivity to Apple devices. It's also considered the fastest browser around, outdoing all of the others in just about every benchmark there is.

What are some of Safari's best features?

For one, Safari's Reading Lists allow you to save websites for later, so that you can collect your reading material without having to go back and look for it again.

In app form, Safari also gives you Reader View, which lets you unclutter each web page so that you can read in peace without being distracted by adds and other superfluous stuff.

Another excellent feature coming with macOS High Sierra is Safari's ability to prevent web tracking, so that your online activities aren't being monitored by advertisers and those who might wish you digital harm.

What's new in Safari?

Safari 11 is coming with macOS High Sierra, and Macworld recently did some benchmark testing, confirming that Safari is indeed the fastest desktop browser.

Safari in macOS High Sierra will also employ intelligent tracking prevention, make autoplay a thing of the past, allow you to better customize your experience, and use automatic Reader View.

What's new with Safari in macOS High Sierra

Need some help with Safari?

Check out our guide:

Safari: The Ultimate Guide

Mick Symons

Mick is a staff writer who's as frugal as they come, so he always does extensive research (much to the exhaustion of his wife) before making a purchase. If it's not worth the price, Mick ain't buying.

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