Safari
Apple's WebKit browser optimized for macOS, iPhone, and iPad integration.
Published by Apple (United States) · Verified
Runs on
- macOSmacOS: Available
- WindowsWindows: Unavailable
- LinuxLinux: Unavailable
- AndroidAndroid: Unavailable
- iOSiOS: Available
Choose it when
Choose Safari if you are invested in Apple hardware and want tight platform integration, low-friction sync, and WebKit privacy controls.
Avoid it when
Avoid it when you need Windows or Linux desktop support, the broadest extension catalog, or Chromium-specific tooling.
Quick answers
Read straight off the verified record - every one of these is expanded with its source below.
- Which platforms does Safari run on?
- Documented on macOS and iOS. Not available on Windows, Linux, and Android.
- Can I install Chrome extensions?
- No - the Chrome Web Store is not supported.
- Does it block trackers out of the box?
- Yes - tracker or ad blocking is on by default. Intelligent Tracking Prevention limits cross-site tracking.
- Does it have built-in AI features?
- Yes - 7 of 9 documented AI capabilities are built in.
- Is it open source?
- WebKit open source with Apple proprietary browser and platform integration
- Is it still being developed?
- Active - Actively developed as Apple's platform browser.
What Safari does
Open any row for the wording and the source behind it
Privacy and tracking
3 built in · 1 not available
Blocks trackers by defaultBlocks trackers by default: Built in
Intelligent Tracking Prevention limits cross-site tracking.
Anti-fingerprintingAnti-fingerprinting: Built in
Safari documents fingerprinting defenses such as reducing identifying configuration detail.
Telemetry postureTelemetry posture: Built in
Apple documents privacy-preserving product analytics and settings separately from website protection.
Built-in VPN or proxyBuilt-in VPN or proxy: Unavailable
No general VPN is included in Safari itself.
Private windowsPrivate Browsing limits local history and adds privacy protections; it is not anonymity.
Private Browsing limits local history and adds privacy protections; it is not anonymity.
- Default search engineGoogle
Extensions and blocking
1 built in · 1 partial · 2 not available · 1 undocumented
- Chrome Web StoreChrome Web Store: Unsupported
- Firefox Add-onsFirefox Add-ons: Unsupported
Native content blockingNative content blocking: Built in
Safari supports native content-blocking rule lists and tracking prevention.
Manifest V3Manifest V3: Available by extension
Safari Web Extensions support selected Chromium-compatible APIs with platform differences.
Manifest V2Manifest V2: Unknown
Safari does not use Chrome's extension distribution contract.
Known limitationsSafari extensions are distributed through the App Store and have WebKit-specific API and entitlement constraints.
Safari extensions are distributed through the App Store and have WebKit-specific API and entitlement constraints.
Workflow
7 built in · 4 not available
Vertical tabsVertical tabs: Unavailable
The sidebar lists tab groups vertically, but the tab strip itself has no vertical layout mode.
- Tab treesTab trees: Unavailable
Workspaces or spacesWorkspaces or spaces: Built in
Tab Groups provide a workspace-like grouping model.
ProfilesProfiles: Built in
Profiles or equivalent browser identities are available.
Split viewSplit view: Unavailable
macOS Safari has no in-window page tiling; iPad Split View is an OS windowing feature, not a Safari tab tile.
SidebarSidebar: Built in
The sidebar provides tab groups, bookmarks, and reading list.
Reader modeReader mode: Built in
Safari Reader is built in.
- Command paletteCommand palette: Unavailable
Sync across devicesSync across devices: Built in
iCloud sync covers supported Safari data.
TranslationTranslation: Built in
Safari offers translation for supported pages and languages.
Progressive web appsProgressive web apps: Built in
Progressive web apps are supported by the Chromium install flow.
AI features
7 built in · 2 not available
Built-in assistantBuilt-in assistant: Built in
Apple Intelligence provides a built-in assistant surface.
Page summarisationPage summarisation: Built in
Apple Intelligence documents page or multi-tab summarisation.
Acts on pages for youActs on pages for you: Built in
Apple Intelligence documents multi-step actions taken on the user's behalf.
AI answer engineAI answer engine: Unavailable
An AI answer engine is not documented.
Works across open tabsWorks across open tabs: Built in
Apple Intelligence documents awareness of multiple tabs or history.
Text or image generationText or image generation: Built in
Apple Intelligence documents text or image generation.
Choice of modelChoice of model: Unavailable
Model selection is not documented.
Retention or training controlsRetention or training controls: Built in
Apple Intelligence documents retention, training or kill-switch controls.
Voice or image inputVoice or image input: Built in
Apple Intelligence documents voice or image interaction.
On a phone
4 built in · 1 partial · 5 undocumented
Undocumented is not the same as absent - it means the publisher does not state it.
Extensions on mobileExtensions on mobile: Built in
Safari extensions install on iOS and are managed in Settings.
Can be the phone defaultCan be the phone default: Not applicable
Safari is the platform default; the setting lives in iOS rather than in the browser.
Biometric lockBiometric lock: Built in
Private Browsing can require Face ID, Touch ID, or the passcode to unlock.
Offline readingOffline reading: Built in
Reading List items can be saved automatically for offline reading.
Desktop-site modeDesktop-site mode: Built in
Request Desktop Website is documented in the iPhone user guide.
Download managerDownload manager: Minimal or opt-in
A downloads location setting is documented; no separate manager screen is named.
Background playbackBackground playback: Unknown
Background or picture-in-picture playback is not documented.
Web pushWeb push: Unknown
Web push support is not documented.
- Data saverData saver: Unknown
Address-bar placementAddress-bar placement: Unknown
Address-bar placement is not documented.
Under the hood
- Rendering engine
- WebKit
- JavaScript engine
- JavaScriptCore
- Upstream project
- WebKit
- Release channel
- stable
- Code and licence
- WebKit open source with Apple proprietary browser and platform integration
- Install method
- Included with Apple operating systems.
- Hardware support
- Current releases follow supported Apple hardware and OS versions.
Active. Actively developed as Apple's platform browser.
Editorial view
Safari is a platform decision, not a browser comparison you win on features. It comes with macOS and iOS, updates with the operating system, and does not exist in any current form on Windows, Linux, or Android. If your hardware is Apple, it is already installed, already syncing through iCloud, and already the most battery-efficient option on a MacBook. If your hardware is mixed, it cannot follow you, and that usually ends the discussion.
The engine
WebKit with JavaScriptCore. WebKit itself is open source; the Safari product around it is Apple's. On iPhone this distinction barely matters, because Apple's rules keep every iOS browser on WebKit anyway, so Safari on iOS mostly competes on integration rather than engine.
Privacy, the quiet strength
Intelligent Tracking Prevention limits cross-site tracking by default, fingerprinting defences reduce what sites can read about your configuration, and native content-blocker rule lists support ad blocking without a full extension runtime. Analytics telemetry exists with Apple's usual controls. Private Browsing clears local traces and can lock behind Face ID, and it is still not anonymity. There is no VPN in Safari itself; iCloud Private Relay is a separate iCloud+ proxy, not a Safari feature, and Apple does not call it a VPN either. Search defaults to Google, an arrangement Apple is paid handsomely for.
Extensions and workflow
Extensions are the weak spot: App Store distribution only, WebKit API limits, and a catalogue that is a fraction of Chrome's or Firefox's. Workflow is native where it counts on Apple platforms, with two corrections to common assumptions:
- Tab Groups, profiles, sidebar, Reader, iCloud sync, translation, and Add to Dock web apps are all built in.
- The tab strip has no vertical layout mode. The sidebar lists tab groups vertically, but that is not vertical tabs.
- There is no in-window split view on macOS. Tiling two pages means two windows.
Apple Intelligence adds summaries, writing tools, and assistant features on supported devices.
The verdict
Choose Safari if you are all-in on Apple hardware and want integration, battery life, and solid tracking protection without setup. Look elsewhere for cross-platform continuity, a deep extension catalogue, or vertical-tab and split-view workflows, because Apple has shown no urgency about shipping those.
Where these facts come from
Every capability above is read from a primary source and dated. 1 of 30 fields stay recorded as unknown rather than assumed.
- Apple Safari product pageVerified
Product and platform scope.
Alternatives to Safari
OrionKagiWebKitActiveA WebKit browser for Apple platforms with a low-telemetry position and support for selected web extensions.
View profile- FirefoxMozillaGeckoActive
Mozilla's independent Gecko browser with strong customization, privacy controls, and a separate extension ecosystem.
View profile - ChromeGoogleChromiumActive
Google's mainstream Chromium browser with broad compatibility, sync, and web-app support.
View profile
Reviewed comparisons featuring Safari
- Orion vs Safari
Choose Safari for Apple's deepest platform integration; choose Orion for a lower-telemetry, more customizable WebKit experience with selective extension compatibility.
Compare head-to-head - Chrome vs Safari
Choose Safari on Apple hardware for platform integration and battery behaviour; choose Chrome for cross-platform continuity and the larger extension library.
Compare head-to-head