Safari (web browser)

Safari is a graphical web browser developed by Apple. It is primarily based on open-source software, and mainly WebKit. It succeeded Netscape Navigator, Cyberdog and Internet Explorer for Mac as the default web browser for Macintosh computers. It is supported on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS; a Windows version was offered from 2007 to 2010.

Safari was introduced within Mac OS X Panther in January 2003, and as of 2021, has progressed through fifteen major versions. The third generation (January 2007) brought compatibility to the iPhone via iPhone OS 1, while the Macintosh edition was topped with the fastest browser performance at that time. The fifth version (June 2010) introduced a less distracted page reader, extension and developer tools; it was also the final version for Windows. In the eleventh version (September 2017), it added support for Intelligent Tracking Prevention. The thirteenth version included various privacy and application updates such as the FIDO2 USB security key authentication and web Apple Pay support. The fourteenth version, released in November 2020, was 50% faster than Google Chrome, and consumed less battery than other standard competitors. The fifteenth version (July 2021) is the current revision, featuring a redesigned interface.

Apple used a remotely updated plug-in blacklist license to prevent potentially dangerous or vulnerable plugins from running on Safari. In the Pwn2Own contest at the 2008 CanSecWest security conference, Safari caused Mac OS X to be the first OS to fall in a hacking competition. It received criticism for its approach to software distribution and its past limitations of ad blockers. The Safari Developer Program, which granted members the privilege to develop extensions for the browser was available for $USD 99 per year. As of September 2021, it was ranked as the second most-used web browser after Google Chrome, with an approximate 18.43% of market share worldwide, and 38.88% in the US.

Safari is a graphical web browser developed by Apple. It is primarily based on open-source software, and mainly WebKit. It succeeded Netscape Navigator, Cyberdog and Internet Explorer for Mac as the default web browser for Macintosh computers. It is supported on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS; a Windows version was offered from 2007 to 2010.

Safari was introduced within Mac OS X Panther in January 2003, and as of 2021, has progressed through fifteen major versions. The third generation (January 2007) brought compatibility to the iPhone via iPhone OS 1, while the Macintosh edition was topped with the fastest browser performance at that time. The fifth version (June 2010) introduced a less distracted page reader, extension and developer tools; it was also the final version for Windows. In the eleventh version (September 2017), it added support for Intelligent Tracking Prevention. The thirteenth version included various privacy and application updates such as the FIDO2 USB security key authentication and web Apple Pay support. The fourteenth version, released in November 2020, was 50% faster than Google Chrome, and consumed less battery than other standard competitors. The fifteenth version (July 2021) is the current revision, featuring a redesigned interface.

Apple used a remotely updated plug-in blacklist license to prevent potentially dangerous or vulnerable plugins from running on Safari. In the Pwn2Own contest at the 2008 CanSecWest security conference, Safari caused Mac OS X to be the first OS to fall in a hacking competition. It received criticism for its approach to software distribution and its past limitations of ad blockers. The Safari Developer Program, which granted members the privilege to develop extensions for the browser was available for $USD 99 per year. As of September 2021, it was ranked as the second most-used web browser after Google Chrome, with an approximate 18.43% of market share worldwide, and 38.88% in the US.