I’ve been using Safari as my default browser for several months now and I can confidently say that Safari is a great browser, especially for users invested in the Apple ecosystem. In this blog post, I want to share why I think Safari is such a fantastic browser. Please note that this is solely my opinion and I don’t aim to convince you to switch to Safari.

  1. Sign in with Apple: One feature that I absolutely love is “Sign in with Apple.” Instead of going through the tedious process of creating an account with every app or website, this feature allows you to sign in with just a single click. It even provides the option to use a unique disposable email address for each app, giving you more control over your privacy.

  2. Apple Pay: Another awesome feature is Apple Pay. Rather than filling out lengthy checkout forms and entering your credit card details, you can simply click “Pay with Apple Pay” and complete your purchase hassle-free. This feature is available on all devices and is becoming increasingly supported by various services.

  3. Reading List: Have you ever come across an interesting article or webpage that you want to save for later? Safari’s Reading List feature allows you to easily save and access articles across all your devices. No need to clutter your bookmarks or make notes elsewhere.

  4. Shared History and Tabs: Safari keeps your browsing experience seamless across devices. Whether you start reading an article on your Mac and want to continue on your iPhone on the go, Safari allows you to effortlessly open tabs and view your shared history without the need for additional sync tools.

  5. Performance and Power Efficiency: Safari is known for its excellent performance and power efficiency. Unlike other browsers that can consume excessive memory or CPU resources, Safari is designed to be power-efficient, ultimately extending your device’s battery life.

  6. Privacy: Safari prioritizes user privacy, contrasting with other browser makers that rely on ad revenue as their primary business model. Safari is developed by a company that profits from selling devices and cloud services, rather than gathering personal data for targeted advertising. This commitment to privacy is evident in Safari’s features and recent privacy-related updates.

  7. Reader Mode: Reading articles without distractions is made easy with Safari’s Reader Mode. You can enjoy an ad-free and distraction-free reading experience, and even switch to dark mode when websites don’t support it.

  8. Clean and Minimalist Design: Safari boasts a clean and minimalist design, with the right buttons placed intuitively. The interface takes a backseat, allowing the website content to shine.

While Safari may not always be the first browser to implement every new CSS or JavaScript feature, this is rarely a problem for the majority of websites. In fact, relying too heavily on new features without considering backward compatibility can lead to a poor user experience. Safari ensures compatibility with most websites, except for those relying heavily on Chrome-specific features, which is generally not considered best practice.

Now, you might be curious about Safari’s capabilities as a development browser. As a senior developer, I can confidently say that Safari is my go-to browser for development. While Chrome Dev Tools and Firefox Dev Tools offer robust features, Safari’s dev tools are more minimalistic. For frontend development, you’ll typically find yourself using CSS properties, the network panel, the inspector, and the console across all browsers. Occasionally, I do switch to other browsers for specific tasks, such as CSS grid debugging, but this is a rare occurrence. The majority of the time, Safari is more than sufficient for my development needs.

In conclusion, Safari shines as a browser, especially for Apple users. Its seamless integration with Apple devices, focus on privacy, excellent performance, and solid development capabilities make it a top choice for many. Give it a try and see if it fits your browsing needs!

Tags: Safari, Apple, browser, Sign in with Apple, Apple Pay, Reading List, shared history, performance, power efficiency, privacy, Reader mode, development browser