Safari (web browser) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Safari

Safari 17 running on macOS Sonoma
Developer(s)	Apple Inc.
Initial release	January 7, 2003; 22 years ago (2003-01-07)
Stable release(s)
macOS 18.0  / 16 September 2024 iOS Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). / 16 September 2024
Preview release(s) [±]
Non
Written in	C++, C, assembly language, Objective-C, alphabet, JavaScript
Operating system	macOS iOS iPadOS Windows (2007–2012) VisionOS
Included with	macOS iOS iPadOS VisionOS
Type	Web browser
License	Freeware (pre-installed on Apple devices); some components (especially engine) GNU LGPL

Safari 15 on iPadOS 15

Safari is a web browser made by Apple. It is built into many of Apple's operating systems. These include macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS. Safari uses Apple's open-source browser engine called WebKit. This engine was created from another engine called KHTML.

Safari first appeared in Mac OS X Panther in January 2003. It has been on the iPhone since the very first iPhone came out in 2007. Back then, Safari was the fastest browser for Mac computers. Between 2007 and 2012, Apple also made a version for Windows. However, they stopped making it because not many people used it. In 2010, Safari 5 added a reader mode, extensions, and tools for developers. Safari 11, released in 2017, brought Intelligent Tracking Prevention. This uses artificial intelligence to stop websites from tracking you. Safari 13 added support for Apple Pay and using FIDO2 security keys to log in. Safari's look was updated in Safari 15.

How Safari Was Made

Early Browsers for Mac

Netscape Navigator quickly became the most popular browser for Mac computers after it came out in 1994. It even came with Mac OS. In 1996, Microsoft released Internet Explorer for Mac. Apple also released its own internet tools called Cyberdog, which had a web browser. In 1997, Apple stopped working on Cyberdog. They made a deal with Microsoft to make Internet Explorer the main browser on Mac, starting with Mac OS 8.1. Microsoft kept updating Internet Explorer for Mac.

The Idea for Safari

When Safari was being made, it had different secret names. Some of these were "Freedom", "iBrowse", and "Alexander". "Alexander" was a nod to Alexander the Great, and also to the Konqueror web browser.

Safari 1: The Beginning

On January 7, 2003, at an event called Macworld San Francisco, Apple's CEO Steve Jobs announced Safari. It was built using WebKit, Apple's own version of the KHTML browser engine. Apple released the first test version for Mac OS X that same day. After more test versions, Safari 1.0 came out on June 23, 2003. With Mac OS X v10.3, Safari became the default browser. This meant you didn't have to download it yourself anymore. Internet Explorer for Mac was still included as another choice.

Safari 2: Faster and Open Source

In April 2005, an engineer named Dave Hyatt fixed many bugs in Safari. His test version was the first browser to pass the Acid2 test on April 27, 2005. This test checks how well a browser shows web pages. Safari 2.0 was released on April 29, 2005. It was the only browser that came with Mac OS X 10.4. Apple said this version was 1.8 times faster than version 1.2.4.

In June 2005, Apple made parts of WebKit open source. This meant that other developers could see and use the code. The final stable version of Safari 2, version 2.0.4, came out on January 10, 2006. It fixed problems with how pages looked and how much power the computer used.

Safari 3: Going Mobile and Windows

On January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs announced that Safari 3 was coming to the new iPhone. This mobile version could show full websites, just like on a desktop computer. At WWDC 2007, Jobs also announced Safari 3 for Mac OS X 10.5, Windows XP, and Windows Vista. He claimed it was the fastest browser on Windows.

A test version of Safari 3 for Windows had some problems at first. Apple fixed these quickly. The iPhone came out on June 29, 2007, with a special version of Safari. It used the same WebKit engine but was made for mobile devices. Safari 3.1, the first stable version for Windows, was released on March 18, 2008. Safari 3.2, released in November 2008, added features to protect against fake websites.

Safari 4: New Look and HTML5

Safari 4 was the first version to fully pass the Acid3 test, checking how well it displayed web pages.

Safari 4 came out on June 8, 2009. It was the first version to fully pass the Acid3 test. It also supported HTML5, which is a key part of how websites are built. This version made JavaScript run much faster. A public test version of Safari 4 was available in February 2009.

Safari 4 used a feature called Cover Flow for history and bookmarks. It could also guess which parts of a website you might visit next and load them early. The most visited websites were shown as small pictures when you opened a new tab. Safari 4 for desktop computers looked similar to the iPhone version. It also added many tools for web developers.

Safari 5: Reader Mode and Extensions

Safari 5 was the last version supported on Windows computers.

Safari 5 was released on June 7, 2010. This was the last version (5.1.7) available for Windows. It introduced a Reader view that made web pages easier to read by removing ads and extra stuff. It also made JavaScript run even faster. This version brought many improvements for web developers, including better HTML5 support and secure extensions. The progress bar returned to the address bar.

Safari 5 added support for many HTML5 features. These included full-screen video and location services. It also added Bing as a search engine option. Safari 5 supported Extensions, which are small programs that add new features to the browser.

Safari 6: Mac Only

Safari 6 stopped supporting Windows users. It was removed from Microsoft's browser-choice menu.

Safari 6.0 came out with OS X Mountain Lion on July 25, 2012. It was no longer available for Windows users. Apple also removed links to the Windows version of Safari from its website.

Safari 6 added iCloud Tabs, which lets you see open tabs from your other Apple devices. It also had new privacy features, like an option to ask websites not to track you. However, it removed support for RSS feeds. Safari 6 also allowed sharing pages to email, Messages, Twitter, and Facebook. The separate search field and address bar were combined into one "smart search field".

Safari 7: Performance Boosts

Craig Federighi announced Safari 7 at WWDC 2013.

Safari 7 was announced at WWDC 2013. It brought many improvements to how fast JavaScript runs. It also improved Top Sites and Sidebar features. A Power Saver feature paused plugins that weren't being used. Safari 7 was released with OS X Mavericks on October 22, 2013.

Safari 8: Better Privacy and iCloud

Safari 8 was announced at WWDC 2014 and released for OS X Yosemite. It included WebGL for better graphics and stronger privacy settings. It also had improved iCloud integration and a new look. It was faster and more efficient.

Safari 9: Muting Audio

Safari 9 was announced at WWDC 2015 and came with OS X El Capitan. New features included the ability to mute audio from tabs. It also offered more choices for Safari Reader and better autofill.

Safari 10: HTML5 Focus

Safari 10 allowed extensions to be saved directly to Pocket and Dic Go.

Safari 10 came with macOS Sierra and was released for older macOS versions on September 20, 2016. It had updated Bookmark and History views. It also redirected Safari extensions to be saved directly to services like Pocket. This version focused on using HTML5 versions of websites instead of older plugins. Recently closed tabs could be reopened easily. Safari 10 also included several security updates.

Safari 11: Smart Tracking Prevention

Safari 11 was released on September 19, 2017. It came with macOS High Sierra. A key new feature was Intelligent Tracking Prevention. This aimed to stop websites from tracking you across different sites. It limited how long cookies used for tracking could last.

Safari 12: Icons and Strong Passwords

Safari 12 in dark mode.

Safari 12 was released for macOS Mojave on September 24, 2018. It also came to older macOS versions. New features included icons in tabs and Automatic Strong Passwords. This version also had Intelligent Tracking Prevention 2.0. Safari 12 stopped supporting older Safari Extensions.

Safari 13: Security Keys and Apple Pay

Safari 13 was announced at WWDC 2019 on June 3, 2019. It added features like suggesting strong passwords and support for FIDO2 USB security keys for logging in. It also supported Sign in with Apple and Apple Pay on the web. Safari 13 was released on September 20, 2019.

Safari 14: Privacy Report and Translation

In June 2020, it was announced that macOS Big Sur would include Safari 14. Apple said Safari 14 was much faster than Google Chrome. It brought new privacy features, like a Privacy Report. This report shows what content and trackers Safari has blocked on web pages. Users also get a monthly report on blocked trackers. Safari 14 also added a built-in translation service for web pages. Support for Adobe Flash Player was removed. Safari 14 was released as a separate update on September 16, 2020.

Safari 15: New Look and Tab Groups

Safari 15 was released for iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Big Sur, and macOS Catalina on September 20, 2021. It later came with macOS Monterey. It had a new design and tab groups. These groups blended into the background better. There was also a new home page and extension support on iOS and iPadOS. From this update, Safari versions for iOS and iPadOS would get the same features as the macOS version.

Safari 16: Shared Tab Groups and AVIF

Safari 16 was released for iOS 16, macOS Monterey, and macOS Big Sur on September 12, 2022. It later came with macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16. Safari 16 added support for non-moving AVIF images. It also included shared tab groups and vertical tab support. Website settings could now sync between devices using the same iCloud account. New options were added for editing strong passwords.

Safari 17: Profiles and Web Apps

Safari 17 was released in September 2023 with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma. It introduced Profiles. This lets users separate their browsing for different uses, like work or school. Each profile has its own favorites, history, extensions, and tab groups. Safari 17 also brought web apps that can be added to the dock. New privacy features included locked private browsing and tracking-free URLs. Safari was also adapted for Apple Vision Pro with a new look.

Safari 18: AI Highlights and Redesign

Safari 18 was released in September 2024 with iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and for the first time, visionOS 2. Like Safari 15, it redesigned the look, including the start page and reader mode (now called Reader). A new feature called AI-powered Highlights was added. This automatically finds important information on a page and highlights it. Other new features include a redesigned menu and faster loading times.

iOS Safari Features

Starting with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, Safari on these devices now shares the same features and update names as the macOS version. Before this, iOS Safari had its own specific updates. Some features added over the years include:

• iOS 4: A "Find" feature and the ability to print web pages using AirPrint.
• iOS 4.3: Faster page loading with the Nitro JavaScript engine.
• iOS 5: True tabbed browsing for iPads, a Reading List to save pages for later, and a Reader mode to remove ads. It also added Private Browsing.
• iOS 6: iCloud Tabs to sync open tabs across devices, and Offline Reading Lists to read pages without internet.
• iOS 7: A new icon, 64-bit support, iCloud Keychain to remember passwords, and a Password Generator.
• iOS 8: A search function for open tabs, WebGL support for graphics, and the option to request the desktop version of a site.
• iOS 9: Support for content blocking extensions to block ads.
• iOS 10: Apple Pay in Safari and the ability to view two pages at once on iPad.
• iOS 11: A more rounded search bar and a redesigned video player.
• iOS 12: Better strong password suggestions and auto-fill for two-factor authentication codes.
• iOS 13: Desktop browsing mode by default, a new Start Page, and a download manager.
• iOS 14: Faster JavaScript, built-in translation, and a Privacy Report.

Key Features of Safari

Safari's Web Inspector in macOS Sonoma helps web developers.

Safari has many useful features. It used to have a built-in tool for RSS and Atom feeds until Safari 6.0. Current features include:

• Private Browsing: This mode does not save your browsing history or cookies.
• WebArchive: You can save entire web pages to view later, even offline.
• Email Pages: You can easily email full web pages from the browser menu.
• Search Bookmarks: You can search through your saved bookmarks.
• Shared Tabs: You can share tabs between all your Mac and iOS devices using an iCloud account.

Web Compatibility

In its early years, Safari helped create many HTML5 features that are now standard across the web. However, in 2015, some people said Safari was not keeping up with newer web technologies.

Intelligent Tracking Prevention

In September 2017, Apple announced that Safari would use artificial intelligence (AI) to make it harder for advertisers to track users. Cookies used for tracking are allowed for 24 hours. After that, they are disabled unless the AI thinks you want to keep them. This change was praised by privacy experts.

Plugin Support

Apple uses a list to block plugins that might be dangerous or have security problems. Safari 12 stopped supporting most older plugins. Safari 14 finally removed support for Adobe Flash Player completely.

WebExtension Support

Starting in 2018, Apple made some changes to how content blockers work in Safari. This caused some ad-blocking extensions to stop working as well as they used to. Apple encouraged developers to switch to a new type of extension.

iCloud Sync

Safari can sync your bookmarks, history, reading list, and open tabs using iCloud. This happens automatically if your Apple devices are signed into iCloud. You can turn this off in your device settings.

iCloud Tabs lets you see a list of tabs open on your other Apple devices. On iPhones and iPads, these tabs show up below your current open tabs. On Mac, they are at the bottom of the Tab Overview.

Tab Groups

Safari 15 added Tab Groups. These groups let you organize your tabs and sync them across all your devices. If you open a tab in a group on one device, it appears in that group on all your other devices. macOS Ventura added Shared Tab Groups, which you can share with friends through iMessage.

Handoff

Safari supports the Handoff feature. This lets you start browsing on one Apple device and then easily continue exactly where you left off on another device.

Sidebar

The Safari sidebar was added in Safari 8. It gives you quick access to your Bookmarks, Reading List, and Shared Tabs. In Safari 16, the sidebar got a big update. It added support for vertical tabs, letting you see your tabs arranged up and down instead of across the top.

Visual Look Up

This feature helps you learn more about things in images, like famous places or art. You can select an image or photo and get more information. You can also easily take the main subject out of an image in Safari and paste it into other apps.

Live Text

Live Text lets you interact with text found inside any image or paused video. You can copy, translate, or look up text without leaving Safari.

Translation

Safari's translation tool can now instantly translate entire web pages. It also works with text found in images and paused videos.

Quick Note

The Quick Note feature lets you write down ideas or thoughts while you are browsing. These notes are saved directly into the Notes app.

Passkeys

Safari now supports Passkeys. This is a way to log in without needing a password. Passkeys are very secure and sync safely across your devices using iCloud Keychain. They help protect you from fake websites and data leaks.

Highlights

Highlights is a new feature that uses machine learning. It automatically finds important information on a page. It can show you summaries, quick links, and related content. This makes it easier to find more information without leaving the page you are on.

Distraction Control

Distraction Control lets you hide parts of a web page that might bother you. This helps you focus better on the main content.

Link Tracking Protection

Safari now removes special parts from shared web links that websites use to track you. This stops third-party sites from knowing where you have been browsing. This feature is on by default in Messages, Mail, and Private Browsing mode.

NameDrop

NameDrop is part of Safari's connection with AirDrop. It lets you easily share your contact information with nearby devices. You just hold your iPhone close to another device. You can choose exactly what details you want to share.

Sensitive Content Warning

The Sensitive Content Warning uses your device to find and warn you about inappropriate or sensitive images. This feature works in Messages, AirDrop, and other Apple apps. It helps keep your privacy safe because no data is shared with Apple.

How Safari Works

On macOS, Safari is a Cocoa application. It uses Apple's WebKit to show web pages and run JavaScript. WebKit has two main parts: WebCore and JavaScriptCore. WebCore is based on Konqueror's KHTML engine, and JavaScriptCore is based on KDE's JavaScript engine, KJS. Both WebCore and JavaScriptCore are free software. Apple has also shared some other parts of its code as open source. Safari for Mac OS X v10.6 and later versions are built for 64-bit computers. Apple said this makes Safari run up to 50% faster.

WebKit2 is a newer version of WebKit that keeps the web content separate from the browser application. Apple announced WebKit2 in April 2010. Safari for OS X started using WebKit2 with version 5.1. Safari for iOS switched to WebKit2 with iOS 8.

Safari on Other Devices

iOS and iPadOS

Safari for iPhone came out with the first iPhone. People really liked it back then, saying it was much better than other mobile browsers.

Safari has also been available for iPadOS since it became its own operating system. With iPadOS 13, Safari on iPad started telling websites it was Safari for Mac. This made websites show their desktop versions, which are usually more complete. Apple made changes to WebKit to make desktop websites work better with touch. The iPadOS version also got a download manager and support for Netflix in Safari.

The browser continues to get updates with new iOS versions. For example, iOS 17 added browsing profiles. iOS 15 added support for third-party browser extensions, which you can download from the App Store.

visionOS

A version of Safari for visionOS was released with the Apple Vision Pro headset in 2024. It has features made for virtual reality, like moving browser windows around in virtual space. Some people called it the headset's "killer app" because it was so useful.

Windows

Safari for Windows was introduced with version 3.0 for Mac at Apple's WWDC conference in 2007. Apple wanted more people to use Safari. It worked on Windows XP and Vista. Wired magazine praised its speed but noted some bugs when it first came out.

Apple Software Update, a program that came with QuickTime and iTunes for Windows, used to automatically suggest installing Safari. Some people, like John Lilly from Mozilla, criticized this. They said it was too pushy. Later, Apple Software Update stopped installing new software by default. Safari for Windows was stopped after version 5.1.7 in 2010.

How Many People Use Safari

Market share data of Safari

In 2009, Safari had a market share of 3.85%. This means 3.85% of people using the internet used Safari. It stayed around that level for five years. By 2014, it caught up with Firefox. In 2015, Safari became the second most-used web browser worldwide, after Google Chrome. It had a market share of 13.01%. From 2015 to 2020, its share grew to 19.25%. As of November 2021^[update], Google Chrome was still the most popular browser, with Safari (19.22%) in second place.

In May 2022, Safari dropped to the third most popular desktop browser. Microsoft's Edge overtook it. Safari was used by 9.61% of desktop computers worldwide. However, one year later, Safari moved back into second place.

Images for kids

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  Netscape Navigator icon

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  Internet Explorer for Mac icon

See Also

In Spanish: Safari (navegador) para niños