Safari

Apple will allow alternative browser defaults and engines in EU

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Screenshot of default browser screen in iOS.
EU users are about to get a lot more choice for their default browser and browser engines.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple is further opening up iOS to alternative browsers and browser engines, as part of Cupertino’s plan to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act.

In iOS 17.4 — launched Thursday as a beta — iPhone users in the EU will have a lot more choice over the default browser and browser engines.

The biggest change will be the ability to use alternative browser engines, like Google’s Blink renderer instead of Apple’s WebKit.

Today in Apple history: OS X Panther claws its way onto Macs

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Mac OS X Panther brings Exposé and other new features.
OS X Panther brought cool new features to Macs.
Screenshot: Gudebookgallery/Apple

October 25 Today in Apple history: Mac OS X Panther arrives on Macs October 25, 2003: Mac OS X Panther arrives on Macintosh computers, bringing several useful new features and making Safari Apple’s default web browser for the first time.

The new Exposé feature in OS X Panther lets Mac users instantly view all open windows at once. And the new iChat AV allows people to talk with audio and video as well as text.

EU Digital Markets Act will open iPhone to sideloading of apps

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European Union
The European Union takes another step toward tough regulations on tech giants like Apple.
Photo: Freestocks.org

Now that iOS and the App Store have been labeled “gatekeepers” by the European Commission, the EU’s Digital Markets Act requires Apple to allow users to install applications directly onto iPhones. And sideloading is just one of the sweeping changes resulting from the DMA. Users apparently will be able to replace Siri with one of its rivals, for example. Other services, like iMessage, might require modification later.

One thing’s clear: The iPhone won’t be the same after the Digital Markets Act goes into effect in spring 2024.

iOS 17 beta 7: All the new features and changes

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iOS 17 preview
The fourth iOS 17 developer beta is here with some minor changes.
Photo: Apple

Apple continues beta testing iOS 17, with the seventh beta dropping on August 22nd. As the beta program has progressed, the company has made fewer and fewer user-facing changes to new builds.

It’s the same story with iOS 17 beta 7, which hardly packs any meaningful changes or improvements. Below is everything new in the latest iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 beta.

5 reasons to use Safari instead of Chrome

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Chrome isn't as good as you think
You should reconsider using Safari
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

A lot of Mac owners use Google Chrome as their web browser, and personally, I don’t get it. For Apple fans, it seems like a total disconnect not to use Safari instead of Chrome.

For starters, Apple markets its products as privacy-forward and seamlessly integrated with each other. And the web browser is an essential component of your computer, whether we’re talking Mac, iPhone or iPad. You have a lot to gain by using Safari on all your devices.

But look at the numbers: Although the Mac has 20% market share, second to Windows, Apple’s web browser Safari only captures 8.9% of the market.

Here’s my attempt to sway it the other way — the top five reasons I use Safari instead of Google Chrome.

10 more sweet tweaks and changes in iOS 17

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Text:
These are smaller features, but they’re no less awesome.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

iOS 17 has a lot of great headlining features — and many more features Apple didn’t have time to mention during the WWDC23 keynote. Today, I’m going one level deeper: Here are 10 more tweaks and smaller changes that could have a big impact on daily life with your iPhone after you update to iOS 17.

Today in Apple history: Safari lands on Windows with a ‘meh’

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Safari on Windows
Safari on Windows wasn't quite the smash hit Apple hoped for.
Photo: Apple

June 11: Today in Apple history: Safari lands on Windows with a meh June 11, 2007: At WWDC, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils Safari 3 for Windows, bringing the company’s web browser to PCs for the first time.

Apple pitches Safari as the world’s fastest and easiest-to-use web browser, capable of rendering web pages up to twice as fast as Internet Explorer and 1.6 times faster than Firefox. Safari for Windows lasts until 2012, but never becomes a major player on Microsoft’s dominant operating system.

Hands on with Safari Profiles, Apple’s latest attempt to curb tab clutter

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Hands on with Safari Profiles
Safari Profiles make it easier to keep work and personal browsing separate. But the upcoming feature can also simplify sharing an iPad.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

With Safari Profiles, Apple takes another swing at helping us organize all the browser tabs we have open. The new feature lets users put tabs and tab groups into separate areas, helping keep work and our personal lives from interfering.

Beyond that, Safari Profiles also could enable two or more people to more easily share the web browser, which can be a huge benefit for iPad users.

I’ve been testing the new feature in the first betas of iOS 17, macOS Sonoma and iPadOS 17, all of which Apple unveiled at WWDC23 this week.

How to improve security in Safari Private Browsing with iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma

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How to make Safari Private Browsing much more private
Safari Private Browsing mode will soon get multiple new features to prevent online tracking.
Photo: Killian Bell/Ed Hardy
WWDC23

Private Browsing mode in Apple Safari will soon get even more secure. It’ll be locked against someone else accessing it, and incorporate new tools to prevent websites from tracking users.

The additional privacy features are coming in iOS 17, macOS Sonoma and iPadOS 17, all of which were unveiled at WWDC23 this week.

Safari 17 in macOS Sonoma beefs up user privacy

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Enhanced Private Browsing helps protect against online trackers as well as folks who gain access to your computer.
Enhanced Private Browsing helps protect against online trackers as well as folks who gain access to your computer.
Photo: Apple
WWDC23

Along with macOS Sonoma and its new features will come Safari 17, the new iteration of Apple’s web browser. It brings an enhanced browsing experience with an even greater emphasis than before on privacy, and most changes will probably apply to iOS and iPadOS, as well.

The changes aren’t terribly glamorous, but beefed-up Private Browsing protects against prying eyes online and off, in addition to some other security enhancements.

And in terms of organization, the new Profiles feature helps you keep separate parts of your life separate and website apps keep your favorite sites at your fingertips.

How to manage browser tabs so they don’t stress you out

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How to manage browser tabs so they don't stress you out
Browser clutter can be stressful, no matter what device it happens on.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A recent study found that web browser clutter is a source of stress for many people. It’s a result of keeping large numbers of tabs open and disorganized.

Here are some tips for managing the number of browser tabs you keep open, including using Safari’s system for organizing them.

Apple fixes security vulnerabilities and bugs with iOS and macOS updates [Updated]

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Apple goes on bug hunt with new iOS 16.4.1 update
iOS 16.4.1 is ready for your iPhone. And there are macOS and iPadOS updates, too.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

iPhone, Mac and iPad users got fresh operating system updates on Friday. iOS 16.4.1, macOS 13.3.1 and iPadOS 16.4.1 fix a smattering of bugs on the devices — including some security vulnerabilities that Apple admits may have been exploited — but there are no new features.

At this time, there are no equivalent updates for Apple Watch or Apple TV.

5 secret tips and tricks in Safari on iPhone

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5 Safari Tricks & Secrets
Get the most out of the browser in your pocket.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

I spend a lot of time in Safari, and odds are, you do too. For an app that’s absolutely instrumental to my iPhone, any new tips and tricks I learn can feel life-changing.

Here are a few of my favorite hidden features. These will help you browse the web faster, clean up your experience and restore tabs you accidentally close. I also have a handy Shortcut you can download at the end.

Keep your Private Browsing secret with this one smart Safari move [Pro Tip]

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Secretly switch out of private browsing.
You can quickly and secretly switch out of Private Browsing without anyone noticing.
Image: Dosso Dossi/Public domain

Pro tip bug So, you’ve been using Safari’s Private Browsing mode on your iPhone or iPad, for whatever reason, but you forget to close out of the tab. The next time you open Safari, you’ll be thrown into whatever unscrupulous web page you had open last time — and the result can range from unfortunate to embarrassing, depending upon what you were looking at and where you are when you unexpectedly resume the Private Browsing session.

Luckily, iOS offers a foolproof way to avoid reopening a Private Browsing mode session. Let me show you how.

Ted Lasso star puts human face on privacy in new Apple video

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Actor Nick Muhammed -- aka Nate on
Actor Nick Muhammed -- aka Nate on "Ted Lasso" -- makes learning about iPhone privacy features fun.
Photo: Apple

Marking Data Privacy Day on Tuesday, Apple introduced new educational resources meant to help users take better control of their data, including a whimsical short film starring one of Ted Lasso‘s popular cast members.

The video, a new Today at Apple Session and Cupertino’s added statements on its ongoing security efforts come amid ever-rising cyberattacks and about a month after the company released Advanced Data Protection.

20 years of Safari: A visual history

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Safari @ 20: Visual history.
Safari, the web browser of choice for Mac users since 2003.
Image: Cult of Mac

Over the past 20 years, Apple’s Safari web browser grew from a speedy young upstart to a polished professional. Released on this day in 2003 as a free download, Safari has been bundled with every version of the Mac operating system since.

Take a trip down memory lane as we look at how Safari has evolved over the years.

Happy 20th birthday to Safari, Apple’s browser that blossomed late

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The original logo for Apple's Safari web browser with the headline,
The first version of Safari, running on Mac OS X Panther. At launch, Apple's browser was fast but buggy.
Image: Cult of Mac

The Safari browser turns 20 years old today, and I remember excitedly firing it up for the first time.

When Steve Jobs introduced Safari at Macworld 2003, he described the brand-new browser as a speed demon and way easier to use than competitors.

“Buckle up,” he said with a smile. “We have done our own browser and it’s hot … it’s sweet.”

A few weeks later, I deleted it in disgust. Safari wasn’t sweet. It sucked!

macOS users need to update to Safari 15.6.1 to close a security hole

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Safari now has more than 1 billion users.
macOS Big Sur or macOS Catalina users really need Safari 15.6.1.
Photo: Apple

A recent macOS Monterey update deals with a nasty security problem in WebKit. But Apple is aware many users don’t upgrade to the latest operating system versions, so it also released Safari 15.6.1. The web browser update allows anyone using older macOS versions to avoid the vulnerability.

The browser update is free and available now.

Safari becomes second browser to surpass 1 billion users

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Safari now has more than 1 billion users.
Safari now has more than 1 billion users.
Photo: Apple
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

Apple’s Safari web browser recently topped 1 billion users, a new study indicates, making it the second browser to do so. Even so, it still lags well behind Google Chrome in popularity.

“1,006,232,879 internet users (19.16% of all internet users) now use the Safari browser, making it the second browser with over a billion users,” the Atlas VPN report said.

Get the most battery life out of your MacBook

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Get the most battery life out of your Mac.
Get the most battery life out of your Mac.
Image: Apple

How do you kill that which cannot die? The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro boast industry-leading battery life. In the PC world, the high power consumption of Intel processors means you generally must choose between battery life and performance.

The latest MacBooks use Apple’s own custom chips, cut from the same cloth as the iPhone and iPad chips Apple has been designing since 2010 (and, in a roundabout way, the one they made for the Apple Newton in 1994). This is what powers them to last all day at full speed.

If you want to take your M1 Max MacBook Pro to the coffee shop to get work done, and you leave your power cable at home — even if you’re editing 8K ProRes video streams in Final Cut Pro — you still might be ordering lunch and staying through dinner. How could one possibly need more battery life, and how do you get it?

Devs come together to fight Apple’s ‘anti-competitive’ browser restrictions

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iPadOS 15 review
It's about time!
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

A group of software engineers have joined forces to form the Open Web Advocacy (OWA), which will fight Apple’s “anti-competitive” web browser restrictions on iPhone and iPad.

The OWA says that Apple’s tight controls, which prevent third-party browsers from using their own engines on iOS, has stalled innovation for the past 10 years and “prevented web apps from taking off on mobile.”