If you use a Mac, chances are your default web browser is Safari. Apple's web browser, installed natively in macOS, has the advantage of benefiting from perfect integration with various features of Apple's OS. And it frankly has nothing to envy from the competition, led by Google Chrome.
Because even if Google's web browser is regularly updated with new features, Safari is no slouch. With each new macOS update, Apple introduces a salvo of new features that generally allow you to adopt new uses.
But Safari also contains many secrets that, when known and perfectly mastered, allow you to take full advantage of the power of Apple's web browser. Here's everything you need to know to master Safari on your Mac.
1. Create a link to a specific area of a page
You might not know this, but it's entirely possible to create a shareable link to a specific area of text on a long web page. To do this, select the text on a web page you want to direct someone to. Then right-click on it and select Copy as link and highlight.
The URL corresponding to the page and this part of the text is then automatically copied to the macOS clipboard. You will only have to paste it, in a message for example, to share it with a loved one who will then arrive directly on the text highlighted on the page.
2. Hide annoying elements
With the arrival of macOS Sequoia, Apple has introduced a new very practical tool: a web eraser capable of Hide annoying elements.
Concretely, this is capable of "erasing" certain annoying elements within a web page. This feature, when used on a page, freezes the page while keeping the elements you have deleted.
To use it on a web page, click on the icon representing a rectangle underlined by two lines, on the left in the address bar, and choose to Hide distracting elements.
Then hover over the page with the mouse pointer, and select the block(s) you want to remove. Then press the Finish button to save your changes.
The next time you visit this page, the elements that were hidden will remain hidden. To make them appear again, you will need to click on the button on the left in the address bar, then choose Show hidden items.
3. View any video in Picture-in-Picture
If you're watching a long video online, you might sometimes want to go somewhere else on the web while you're watching. However, while you can still listen to the video, you'll miss the picture. To keep you watching a video while you're surfing, Safari can display some videos in "Picture-in-Picture" mode.
To do this, while a video is playing, right-click first, then right-click again to display the context menu options. Then select Enable picture-in-picture mode.
The video should then detach from the main window and sit in a corner of your screen. You can resize this window, but also move it wherever you want, by holding down the Command key and moving the window with the mouse or trackpad.
4. Test experimental features
All web browsers have their share of experimental features. On Chrome, Google hides them in a page accessible at chrome://flags. On Firefox, Mozilla hides them in the about:config page.
On Safari, Apple offers them directly in the browser settings. To find them, open the settings (using the keyboard shortcut Command + ,) and select the Feature Flags tab. You will then access the complete list of available experimental features, along with their development status. You can then simply check the ones you need to test them directly in the browser.
5. Create usage profiles
Since macOS 14.0, the aptly named Sonoma, Safari has included a profile system to differentiate your uses. You can create a dedicated profile for work, and another for your personal use, for example. A way to keep two separate histories, and above all to not mix apples and oranges.
To create a profile in Safari, open Settings (from the Safari > Settings menu, or via the keyboard shortcut [Command + ,] and select the Profiles tab.
Then click on Start using profiles, then in the pop-up that appears, enter the name of your profile, choose a symbol and customize its color. By default, this new profile will also create a new folder for your favorites. Then confirm by clicking on the Create a profile button.
To switch from one user profile to another, you will then just have to select the one of your choice from the dedicated drop-down menu grafted to the top left of the Safari window, next to the previous / next navigation buttons.
6. Change the tab display mode
On Safari, the tabs are generally all displayed below the address bar. But you can also opt for another, more modern display mode. To do this, open Safari Settings (via the Command + , shortcut) and click on Tabs.
Then select Compact Tab Layout. Each of your tabs will be independent, with its own address bar.
7. Use Apple Intelligence's writing tools
Whether you're publishing an article online or writing an email, there will inevitably come a time when you'll need to write a text in Safari. Rest assured, if you're lacking inspiration, you can count on Apple Intelligence's help. It is indeed possible to use Apple's AI Writing Tools.
To access it in Safari, right-click in a field where you can enter text, and select Show Writing Tools. You can then use the tools offered by Apple, or directly call ChatGTP if you have activated it in the Apple Intelligence Settings on your Mac.
8. Access your open tabs on iPhone
If you started browsing with Safari on your iPhone and have kept several tabs open, you can easily find them in Safari on your Mac. To do this, open a new tab using the keyboard shortcut Command + T, then in the empty page that appears, locate iCloud Tabs.
It is in this section that tabs open on your other devices (iOS, iPadOS and macOS) can be reopened on your Mac. If the iCloud Tabs section is not displayed, click the Edit button in the bottom right corner of the window and check the iCloud Tabs option.
9. Organize your tabs
Opening a multitude of tabs in Safari can quickly turn into chaos when it comes to finding your little ones. There are several options available to avoid these problems. The first is to organize your tabs by sites. To do this, right-click on one of the open tabs, then in the Organize tabs by menu, select website. All tabs on the same website will then be automatically grouped together.
The second is to organize tabs by group. To do this, right-click on a tab, select Move to Tab Group, and click New Tab Group. You can then manage your tab groups by clicking the Manage Profiles button in the top left corner of the Safari window.
10. Lock Private Browsing with Touch ID
If you happen to use Private Browsing in Safari, you can lock it using Touch ID to prevent anyone from accessing it without your consent. To do this, go to Safari's Settings, then in the Privacy tab, check the option Require Touch ID to show locked tabs.
From now on, every time you access Safari's private browsing after unlocking your Mac, you'll be asked to authenticate with Touch ID.
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