safari mobile version iphone

How to Tell What Version of Safari Is on My iPhone

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The Safari app is part of iOS, so Apple keeps this mobile browser up to date with your phone's operating system. For the past several iOS releases, the Safari version number has been consistent with the iOS version number: If your iPhone runs iOS 12, you have Safari 12 installed. Look at your iPhone's settings for a general idea of which Safari version you have. If you want more detailed information about your version number and features, use an online tool to detect your browser's version number.

About Safari Versions and Updates

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Apple usually references Safari versions in general with a whole number, such as Safari 11 or Safari 12. However, as with the macOS version of Safari, the full version number of mobile Safari can contain periods and sets of numbers that semantically identify minor changes and bug fixes. For example, your computer's version might say Safari 12.01, while your phone might run Safari 12.0.

Because the mobile Safari app is native to iOS, whenever you update iOS, the browser is updated. Often, these updates offer security fixes to keep you safe while browsing, but they can also add new functionality. For example, Safari 12 added features that include an augmented reality model viewer and strong password generator for your iPhone.

Check Safari Version on iPhone

You can check your phone's version of iOS to get a general idea of which version of Safari it runs, although this won't tell you the extended version number of Safari you have. Open your iPhone's Settings app, tap "General" and then "About." The phone's iOS version is listed beside "Version" Pay attention specifically to the number before the decimal point. For example, if your phone runs iOS 12.1, then you have Safari 12. Likewise, if you have iOS 11.4, then you're running Safari 11.

Another way to check the iOS version is to connect your phone to your computer. Open iTunes and select your phone in the list of devices to see the version in the information pane on the right.

Check Safari Version Online

If you'd rather not dig through your iPhone's menus and want to know the extended version number, there's a way to check your Safari version with the help of websites such as Spiderip and WhatIsMyBrowser. Use your phone's Safari app to visit the home page of one of these sites to see information about your version of Safari, your iOS version and other browser details.

Some sites immediately list the browser version on top to make it easy to find. For others, you need to do some extra work to look for a string of text called the "user agent." This string can be long and is separated with forward slashes. Look for the browser version information near the end, where you see a version identified like "12.0 Mobile" followed by text that mentions Safari. This example means you're running Safari 12.0.

These online tools work because they get information from your browser's user agent, which is a string of text identifying your device that is sent in the request made when you visit a website. Some of these tools can inform you if your browser or iOS version is outdated or whether your browser settings can cause some sites not to work properly.

Keep Safari Up to Date

Getting the latest iOS Safari version is as easy as updating your iPhone to the latest version of iOS. If you set your iPhone to install updates automatically, the phone notifies you when an update is ready and prompts you to install it. Otherwise, open the iPhone's Settings app, tap "General" and then select "Software Update." If you see a "Download and Install" button, tap it to start updating your phone's version of iOS.

If you prefer to use a computer and iTunes for the update process, use your iPhone's USB cable to connect the phone to your computer. After you launch iTunes, click the phone's name under "Devices" in the left pane and then click "Check for Update" in the right pane. If there's an update, iTunes prompts you to download and install it.

Apple: Update Your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch
Spiderip: What Is My IP?
WhatIsMyBrowser: What's the Latest Version of Safari?
iMyFone: What’s New of Safari in iOS 12?
Apple: New Features Available With iOS 12
Apple: Find the Software Version on Your iPhone, iPad or iPod
Apple Developer: What’s New in Safari
Apple: Apple Security Updates
WhatIsMyBrowser: Safari 11 on iOS 11
Praxent: A Complete Guide to Understanding Software Version Numbers

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What Safari Version Do I Have On IPhone

Software & Applications
Browsers & Extensions

Introduction

Safari, the default web browser on iPhones, is a gateway to the vast expanse of the internet. It serves as a digital compass, guiding users through the virtual landscape of websites, online services, and information. Understanding the version of Safari installed on your iPhone is crucial for ensuring a seamless and secure browsing experience. Whether you're an avid internet surfer, a casual user, or a professional navigating the digital realm, knowing your Safari version is essential.

The Safari browser , developed by Apple, is renowned for its user-friendly interface, robust security features, and seamless integration with the iOS ecosystem. With each new version, Apple introduces enhancements, bug fixes, and security updates to improve the browsing experience and protect users from online threats. As such, staying informed about the Safari version on your iPhone is paramount for leveraging the latest features and safeguarding your digital presence.

In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the methods for checking the Safari version on your iPhone, elucidate the significance of staying updated, and provide insights into the process of updating Safari to the latest version. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a business professional, or a casual iPhone user, this guide will equip you with the knowledge to navigate the digital realm with confidence and stay abreast of the latest developments in Safari browsing technology. Let's embark on this enlightening journey to unravel the mysteries of Safari versions and empower ourselves with the knowledge to harness the full potential of our iPhone browsing experience.

Checking Safari Version on iPhone

Checking the Safari version on your iPhone is a straightforward process that allows you to ascertain the current iteration of the browser. This information is invaluable for understanding the capabilities and security features available to you as you navigate the digital landscape. Here's how you can easily determine the Safari version on your iPhone:

Method 1: Using the Settings App

Navigate to Settings : Unlock your iPhone and locate the "Settings" app on the home screen. The Settings app is represented by a gear icon and serves as a centralized hub for configuring various aspects of your device.

Scroll Down and Select Safari : Within the Settings app, scroll down until you find the list of installed apps. Tap on "Safari" to access the browser's specific settings and information.

View Safari Version : Once inside the Safari settings, scroll down to the bottom of the screen. The version number of the installed Safari browser will be displayed here, providing you with a clear indication of the current iteration.

Method 2: Using the Safari Browser

Launch Safari : Locate the Safari icon on your iPhone's home screen and tap on it to launch the browser.

Access the Settings Menu : In the bottom right corner of the Safari browser, you will find an icon that resembles an open book. Tap on this icon to access the settings menu.

View Safari Version : Within the settings menu, scroll down until you reach the "Safari" section. The version number of the installed Safari browser will be displayed here, allowing you to easily identify the current iteration.

By utilizing these simple methods, you can promptly determine the Safari version on your iPhone. Armed with this knowledge, you can make informed decisions about your browsing experience and stay abreast of the latest developments in Safari technology. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a business professional, or a casual user, understanding your Safari version empowers you to harness the full potential of your iPhone's browsing capabilities.

Understanding the Importance of Safari Version

The Safari version installed on your iPhone holds significant relevance in shaping your browsing experience and safeguarding your digital presence. Understanding the importance of staying informed about the Safari version transcends mere technical knowledge; it directly impacts the security, performance, and feature set available to users. Let's delve into the multifaceted significance of the Safari version and unravel its implications for iPhone users.

Security and Privacy

Each iteration of Safari introduces enhanced security features and privacy enhancements designed to fortify users against online threats and protect their sensitive information. By staying updated with the latest Safari version, users benefit from critical security patches, vulnerability fixes, and privacy-focused innovations. This proactive approach to security empowers users to browse the internet with confidence, knowing that their digital footprint is shielded from malicious entities and privacy infringements.

Performance and Compatibility

The Safari version plays a pivotal role in determining the performance and compatibility of the browser with evolving web standards and technologies. With each new iteration, Apple introduces optimizations, performance enhancements, and support for cutting-edge web features. By keeping Safari up to date , users ensure seamless compatibility with modern websites, improved rendering speeds, and a responsive browsing experience that aligns with the latest web standards.

Feature Set and User Experience

New Safari versions often bring forth a myriad of features and functionalities aimed at enriching the browsing experience. These may include improved tab management, advanced privacy controls, augmented media playback capabilities, and seamless integration with other Apple devices and services. By embracing the latest Safari version, users gain access to a wealth of innovative features that elevate their browsing experience and streamline their interaction with the digital realm.

Compatibility with Web Services and Applications

As web services and applications evolve, they often leverage the latest web technologies and standards to deliver enhanced functionality and user experiences. Staying abreast of the current Safari version ensures seamless compatibility with a diverse array of web services, online applications, and interactive content. This compatibility fosters a harmonious digital ecosystem where users can effortlessly engage with a myriad of online platforms without encountering compatibility issues or performance bottlenecks.

In essence, the Safari version on your iPhone serves as a gateway to a secure, performant, and feature-rich browsing experience. By understanding the importance of staying informed about the Safari version and proactively updating it, users can harness the full potential of their iPhone's browsing capabilities while fortifying their digital security and privacy. This awareness empowers users to navigate the digital realm with confidence, knowing that they are equipped with the latest advancements in Safari browsing technology.

Updating Safari on iPhone

Updating Safari on your iPhone is a pivotal step in ensuring that you have access to the latest features, security enhancements, and performance optimizations offered by Apple. By keeping Safari up to date, you can navigate the digital landscape with confidence, knowing that you are equipped with the most advanced browsing capabilities. Here's a comprehensive guide to updating Safari on your iPhone, empowering you to harness the full potential of your browsing experience.

Method 1: Updating via App Store

Access the App Store : Unlock your iPhone and locate the App Store icon on the home screen. The App Store serves as a centralized platform for discovering, downloading, and updating applications, including Safari.

Navigate to Updates : Within the App Store, tap on the "Updates" tab located at the bottom of the screen. This tab displays a list of available updates for your installed applications, including Safari.

Locate Safari Update : Scroll through the list of available updates to locate the Safari browser. If an update is available for Safari, you will find it listed here alongside other applications with pending updates.

Initiate the Update : Tap the "Update" button next to Safari to commence the updating process. Depending on your device settings, you may be prompted to enter your Apple ID password or use Touch ID/Face ID to authorize the update.

Monitor the Update Progress : Once the update is initiated, the App Store will commence downloading and installing the latest version of Safari . You can monitor the progress of the update from the Updates tab.

Method 2: Automatic Updates

Apple provides the option for automatic app updates, including Safari, which streamlines the process by ensuring that your applications are always up to date without manual intervention. To enable automatic updates for Safari and other applications, follow these steps:

Access Settings : Navigate to the "Settings" app on your iPhone's home screen.

Select App Store Settings : Scroll down and tap on "App Store" to access the settings related to app downloads and updates.

Enable Automatic Updates : Within the App Store settings, toggle the "App Updates" option to enable automatic updates. When this feature is activated, your iPhone will automatically download and install updates for Safari and other applications in the background, ensuring that you are always equipped with the latest versions.

By leveraging these methods, you can seamlessly update Safari on your iPhone, unlocking a wealth of new features, security enhancements, and performance optimizations. This proactive approach to updating Safari empowers you to navigate the digital realm with confidence, knowing that you are leveraging the latest advancements in browsing technology. Stay informed, stay updated, and embark on a seamless browsing journey with Safari on your iPhone.

In conclusion, the Safari browser on your iPhone serves as a gateway to the vast digital landscape, offering a seamless and secure browsing experience. By understanding the methods for checking the Safari version, recognizing the importance of staying informed about the version, and mastering the process of updating Safari, you are empowered to navigate the digital realm with confidence and efficiency.

The ability to check the Safari version on your iPhone through the Settings app or within the Safari browser itself provides you with valuable insights into the current iteration of the browser. This knowledge equips you to make informed decisions about your browsing experience and ensures that you are aware of the features and security enhancements available to you.

Understanding the importance of the Safari version transcends technical knowledge; it directly impacts your digital security, browsing performance, and compatibility with evolving web standards. By staying updated with the latest Safari version, you fortify your digital presence, ensure seamless compatibility with modern websites, and gain access to a wealth of innovative features that enrich your browsing experience.

Updating Safari on your iPhone is a pivotal step in harnessing the full potential of your browsing capabilities. Whether you opt for manual updates via the App Store or leverage the convenience of automatic updates, staying abreast of the latest Safari version ensures that you are equipped with the most advanced features, security enhancements, and performance optimizations offered by Apple.

As you embark on your digital journey with Safari on your iPhone, remember that knowledge is your greatest ally. By staying informed about the Safari version and proactively updating it, you elevate your browsing experience, fortify your digital security, and embrace the latest advancements in browsing technology. Empowered with this knowledge, you can confidently navigate the digital realm, explore new horizons, and unlock the full potential of your iPhone's browsing capabilities.

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How to Check the Version Number of Apple Safari Browser

When you need to know which Safari you're running

What To Know

Choose Safari from the top menu, and About Safari . The version number will be on the window that pops up.
On iOS, go to Settings > General > Software Update . Your iOS version and Safari version are the same. (Example: iOS 11 = Safari 11)

This article explains how to find the version of Safari that you're running on a Mac and an iOS device.

Find the Safari Version Number on a Mac

To determine which version of Safari is installed on a Mac computer:

Go to the dock and select the Safari icon to open the Safari browser.

Choose About Safari under the Safari menu.

A small window appears with the browser version number.

The first number, located before the parenthesis, is the current version of Safari. The longer second number (located inside the parentheses) is the WebKit/Safari Build version. For example, if the dialog box displays Version 11.0.3 (13604.5.6), the Safari version number is 11.0.3.

Find the Safari Version Number on an IOS Device

Because Safari is part of the iOS operating system, its version is the same as the current version of iOS that you have.

To see the iOS version currently installed on an iPhone or iPad, follow the instructions below.

Open Settings .

Select General .

Select Software Update . The number that appears at the top of the screen next to iOS is the version number. For example, if your iPhone or iPad is running iOS 11.2.6, then it is running Safari 11. If your device is running iOS 12.1.2, it is running Safari 12, and so on.

Underneath the version number, you'll either see "Your software is up to date" or a prompt to update to the latest version.

As of October, 2022, the current version of Safari on Mac, iPad, and iPhone is 16.0.

First, turn off automatic updates by opening System Preferences and selecting Software Update , then turning off Automatically keep my Mac up to date . After that, either restore a Time Machine backup that included an older version of Safari, or downgrade to an earlier version of macOS .

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Five Ways To Really Master Mobile Safari On Your iPhone And iPad [Feature]

By Rob LeFebvre • 8:00 am, May 4, 2013

Somehow, Apple managed to cram in a ton of web browsing functionality into a teeny, tiny package called Safari. To distinguish the mobile web browser from the one of the same name on OS X, we’ll call it Mobile Safari and be done with it.

Regardless of the name, the mobile version of Safari is chock full of features both subtle and hidden. Here are five great tips and tricks to help you master Mobile Safari on your own iOS device, whether that be an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Clear Your Browsing History And Web Data

With all the sites we visit on a daily basis on our iPhones and iPads, we are capturing and storing where we visit in the background of every web page we see. You may want to clear your browsing history or other stored web data from your iPhone from time to time, if you’re of a security or privacy turn of mind.

iOS makes it fairly simple to do so, luckily.

First, head into your Settings app with a tap, and then scroll down to the Safari settings. Tap into it, and then scroll down to the section that has Clear History and Clear Cookies and Data. Tap the Clear History button to get rid of the list of sites you’ve visited since the last time you cleared your history file, if at all. You’ll get a message that says, “are you sure you want to clear history? This cannot be undone.” If you’re cool with that, tap Clear History. If not, hit the black Cancel button.

Similarly, when you tap the Clear Cookies and Data button, you’ll get a confirmation message. This one says, “This will clear data that could be used for tracking, but is also used by websites to preserve login information and to speed up browsing. All open pages will be closed.” If you’re good with doing so, tap the gray Clear Cookies and Data button. Hit the Cancel button to do just that.

To get even more fine-grained, scroll to the bottom of the Safari preferences page and tap the Advanced area. Tap again on the Website Data button to see all the other data various sites are keeping on your iPhone or iPad, along with the file size of this data. Tap the Edit button in the upper right to reveal the delete button next to each entry; tap the red circle to delete individual entries. Alternately, you can swipe to the left, just like you can in the Mail app, to reveal a red Delete button.

If you’d like to delete all this web data in one fell swoop, scroll to the very bottom of the list and tap the red Remove All Website Data button. You’ll get the same confirmation message as for the Clear Cookies and Data button. Tap Remove Now if you want to get rid of it all, or Cancel to belay that order.

Open Links In The Background

One of the limitations of the iPhone and iPod touch version of Safari has always been a lack of tabbed browsing. Granted, there’s only so much space on the smaller mobile screen, but all the same – tabbed browsing is great.

So is being able to open tabs in the background, so that you can continue reading Cult oF Mac posts, but still save an interesting link in another tab, just like you can on the Mac with a Command-click.

When you tap and hold on any link on a web page, Safari’s default behavior on the iPhone is to ask if you want to open the link, open it in a new page, Add to Reading List, or Copy it. Choosing Open in New Page will do just that, but in the foreground, taking you away from your current web page.

Luckily, with a simple Settings tweak, you can change this default behavior.

To open links in a background window in the mobile version of Safari, open your Settings app. Scroll down to Safari, and tap through to the Safari settings. Tap on the Open Links button and then choose In Background. Now, when you are in Safari, tapping and holding on a link will give you the option to Open in Background.

Now you can browse the way you want to, without having to interrupt your flow too much to open links in Safari for later browsing. Aren’t you lucky you’re reading this tip?

Via: CarryPad

Turn Off AutoFill For Better Privacy

One of the more useful features of modern browsing, the AutoFill function started on the desktop, then made its way to the iPhone and iPad a while ago. It lets your iOS device hold all the form data, populating the oft-repeated fields with your personal info like your name and address. That way, you don’t have to type it all in all the time, which is brilliant on a mobile device with a small touch-keyboard.

When you share a device like an iPAd, like I do with my kids at home, you may not want to share this personal data. Until a proper multi-user experience comes to iOS, the best way to get around this is to clear out your personal info, and then turn off AutoFill.

Turn on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and launch the Settings app with a tap. Tap on the Safari button in the left-hand pane, and then tap on AutoFill, the second item in the list on the right.

Tap the Clear All button at the very bottom, first, to clear out any lingering data that might be on the device. You’ll need to confirm the deletion when a badge pops up to make sure you really want to do this. Then, tap the toggle buttons next to Use Contact Info and Names and Passwords, setting these to OFF.

And that’s it. Simple, right? If you want a middle-of-the-road approach, just disable Names and Passwords, leaving Contact Info ON, and you’ll have the benefit of AutoFill without the security risk of your iPhone storing sensitive passwords to web sites.

While this preference is disabled by default, you never know if someone has messed about with them when you weren’t looking, so it’s worth a quick peek to make sure you’re not saving data that you’d rather not.

Via: OS X Daily

Use The Gmail App To Share Links

Mobile Safari has a great sharing feature, letting you send a web page to anyone via iMessage, Twitter, Facebook, or email. The bummer thing is, though, that if you hit Mail, your iPhone will wrest control from you and make you send via the built-in iOS Mail App.

But you don’t want to use Mail. You prefer the Gmail app, right? Of course you do. How the heck, then, can you send that adorable picture of a cute pug puppy via email using the Gmail app? With a secret bookmark, of course.

First, launch Safari, and load a webpage. This one is fine. Now, tap on the Share button at the bottom of the screen, the icon that looks like a square with a curved arrow pointing up and out to the right. Tap on Bookmark, and then hit the X to delete whatever page title is auto-populated there. Type in something like Send To Gmail, then replace the URL in the next box down with the following code. I recommend you copying and pasting it to make sure it’s right, and all one line.

javascript:window.location='googlegmail:///co?subject='+encodeURIComponent(document.title)+'&body='+encodeURIComponent(location.href);

Hit Save at the top to get out of the bookmark creation screen. You’ll end up back in Safari.

Now, whenever you’re humming along the information superhighway using your iOS device and hit the Share button at the bottom, you just tap on the Bookmarks icon at the bottom instead of the Mail button, select Send to Gmail, and–if your Gmail app is running in the background–set up an email to send with the URL of the webpage you wanted to share and a subject that’s set to the title of that same webpage. Slick, huh?

You might get a dialog badge like the one in the screenshot above, but that’s ok. Hit the Open button there and you’ll go right to Gmail on your iPhone. It works on the iPad and iPod touch, as well.

Source: Mac Stories Via: Macworld Hints

Skip The Domain Suffix And Prefix To Get To Websites Faster

Want to get to websites faster using mobile Safari? No, I’m not talking about upgrading your internet or data plan to LTE or something, though that will obviously help. No, I’m more interested in showing you how to get to most major websites with just a bit less typing involved.

It’s pretty simple and straightforward, to be honest. Skip typing “www.” Also? Stop typing in “.com.”

Easy, right? This doesn’t work in the mobile version of Chrome, as that browser takes whatever you type into its unified browser field as a search term if it doesn’t contain the .com (or .org, or .edu, etc.) part of a web address.

The iOS version of Safari, however, doesn’t have a unified search/web address field at the top, so if you’re typing an address directly into the address bar at the top (that’s the one to the left), then you can leave off the first three “w” letters, as well as the .com part, if you’re trying to get to a .com site, of course.

For example, launch Safari on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, and type “apple” into the address bar. Safari will bring you right to the Apple website, complete with www and .com, without any extra weirdness or search page wackiness. Have fun!

Via: OS X Daily Image: Apple

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Blazing fast. Incredibly private.

Safari is the best way to experience the internet on all your Apple devices. It brings robust customization options, powerful privacy protections, and optimizes battery life — so you can browse how you like, when you like. And when it comes to speed, it’s the world’s fastest browser. 1

Performance

More with the battery. less with the loading..

With a blazing-fast JavaScript engine, Safari is the world’s fastest browser. 1 It’s developed to run specifically on Apple devices, so it’s geared to make the most out of your battery life and deliver long-lasting power.

Increased performance

We’re always working to make the fastest desktop browser on the planet even faster.

Improved power efficiency

Safari lets you do more online on a single charge.

Up to 4 hours more streaming videos compared with Chrome 3

Up to 17 hours of video streaming 3

Best-in-class browsing

Safari outperforms both Mac and PC browsers in benchmark after benchmark on the same Mac. 4

JetStream /
MotionMark /
Speedometer /

JavaScript performance on advanced web applications. 4

Safari vs. other Mac browsers

Safari on macOS

Chrome on macOS

Edge on macOS

Firefox on macOS

Safari vs. Windows 11 browsers

Chrome on Windows 11

Edge on Windows 11

Firefox on Windows 11

Rendering performance of animated content. 4

Web application responsiveness. 4

4K video streaming

See your favorite shows and films in their best light. Safari supports in-browser 4K HDR video playback for YouTube, Netflix, and Apple TV+. 5 And it runs efficiently for longer-lasting battery life.

Privacy is built in.

Online privacy isn’t just something you should hope for — it’s something you should expect. That’s why Safari comes with industry-leading privacy protection technology built in, including Intelligent Tracking Prevention that identifies trackers and helps prevent them from profiling or following you across the web. Upgrading to iCloud+ gives you even more privacy protections, including the ability to sign up for websites and services without having to share your personal email address.

Intelligent Tracking Prevention

Safari stops trackers in their tracks.

What you browse is no one’s business but your own. Safari has built‑in protections to help stop websites and data-collection companies from watching and profiling you based on your browsing activity. Intelligent Tracking Prevention uses on‑device intelligence to help prevent cross‑site tracking and stops known trackers from using your IP address — making it incredibly difficult to learn who you are and what you’re interested in.

Privacy Report

Safari makes it simple to see how your privacy is protected on all the websites you visit. Click Privacy Report in the Safari menu for a snapshot of cross-site trackers currently prevented from profiling you on the website you’re visiting. Or view a weekly Privacy Report to see how Safari protects you as you browse over time.

Customization

Putting the you in url..

Safari is more customizable than ever. Organize your tabs into Tab Groups so it’s easy to go from one interest to the next. Set a custom background image and fine-tune your browser window with your favorite features — like Reading List, Favorites, iCloud Tabs, and Siri Suggestions. And third-party extensions for iPhone, iPad, and Mac let you do even more with Safari, so you can browse the way you want across all your devices.

Safari Profiles allow you to separate your history, extensions, Tab Groups, favorites, cookies, and more. Quickly switch between profiles for topics you create, like Personal and Work.

Web apps let you save your favorite websites to the Dock on Mac and to the Home Screen on iPhone and iPad. A simplified toolbar and separate settings give you an app-like experience.

Safari Extensions add functionality to your browser to help you explore the web the way you want. Find and add your favorite extensions in the dedicated Safari category on the App Store.

Save and organize your tabs in the way that works best for you. Name your Tab Groups, edit them, and switch among them across devices. You can also share Tab Groups — making planning your next family trip or group project easier and more collaborative.

Smart Tools

Designed to help your work flow..

Built-in tools create a browsing experience that’s far more immersive, intuitive, and immediate. Get detailed information about a subject in a photo with just a click, select text within any image, instantly translate an entire web page, and quickly take notes wherever you are on a site — without having to switch apps.

Notes is your go-to app to capture any thought. And with the Quick Note feature, you can instantly jot down ideas as you browse websites without having to leave Safari.

Translation

Translate entire web pages with a single click. You can also get translations for text in images and paused video without leaving Safari.

Interact with text in any image or paused video on the web using functions like copy and paste, translate, and lookup. 6

Visual Look Up

Quickly learn more about landmarks, works of art, breeds of dogs, and more with only a photo or an image you find online. And easily lift the subject of an image from Safari, remove its background, and paste it into Messages, Notes, or other apps.

Surf safe and sound.

Strong security protections in Safari help keep you safe. Passkeys introduce a safer way to sign in. iCloud Keychain securely stores and autofills passkeys and passwords across all your devices. Safari also notifies you when it encounters suspicious websites and prevents them from loading. Because it loads each web page in a separate process, any harmful code is always confined to a single browser tab so it won’t crash the entire application or access your data. And Safari automatically upgrades sites from HTTP to the more secure HTTPS when available.

Passkeys introduce a more secure and easier way to sign in. No passwords required.

Passkeys are end-to-end encrypted and safe from phishing and data leaks, and they are stronger than all common two-factor authentication types. Thanks to iCloud Keychain, they work across all your Apple devices, and they even work on non-Apple devices.

Learn more about passkeys

Apple Pay and Wallet make checkout as easy as lifting a finger.

Apple Pay is the easiest and most secure way to shop on Safari — allowing you to complete transactions with Face ID or Touch ID on your iPhone or iPad, with Touch ID on your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, or by double-clicking the side button on your Apple Watch.

Learn more about Apple Pay

With AutoFill, you can easily fill in your previously saved credit card information from the Wallet app during checkout. Your credit card details are never shared, and your transactions are protected with industry-leading security.

Same Safari. Different device.

Safari works seamlessly and syncs your passwords, bookmarks, history, tabs, and more across Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch. And when your Mac, iOS, or iPadOS devices are near each other, they can automatically pass what you’re doing in Safari from one device to another using Handoff. You can even copy images, video, or text from Safari on your iPhone or iPad, then paste into another app on your nearby Mac — or vice versa.

When you use Safari on multiple devices, your tabs carry over from one Apple device to another. So you can search, shop, work, or browse on your iPhone, then switch to your iPad or Mac and pick up right where you left off.

Save web pages you want to read later by adding them to your Reading List. Then view them on any of your iCloud-connected devices — even if you’re not connected to the internet.

iCloud Keychain securely stores your user names, passkeys, passwords, and credit card numbers and keeps them up to date on your trusted devices. So you can easily sign in to your favorite websites — as well as apps on iOS and iPadOS — and quickly make online purchases.

Designed for developers.

Deep WebKit integration between Mac hardware and macOS allows Safari to deliver the fastest performance and the longest battery life of any browser on the platform, while supporting modern web standards for rich experiences in the browser. WebKit in macOS Sonoma includes optimizations that enable even richer browsing experiences, and give developers more control over styling and layout — allowing for more engaging content.

Make Safari your default browser

Customize your start page, view your browsing privacy report, monitor your saved passwords, use apple pay in safari, view your tabs across all your devices, read the safari user guide, get safari support.

How to use Safari on an iPhone or iPad

The iPhone's always been great for surfing the web, and Apple 's mobile version of Safari just keeps getting better. The browser boasts a sleek, efficient interface, which goes almost fullscreen the second you scroll (flick downwards to get the toolbars back), and also makes it easy to find content, via powerful web and in-page searching.

Articles you don't have time to peruse can be stashed for later, favourite sites can be bookmarked and shared, and you can subscribe to sites you love, so that you never miss an update.

For sites you visit daily, shortcuts can be added to your Home Screen by tapping Share and selecting Add to Home Screen. Most sites provide an app-like icon, meaning the shortcuts look perfectly at home among your apps.

1. Visit websites

At the top of the screen is the Unified Smart Search Field, into which you can type a URL (such as www.techaradar.com) or a search term, then tap Go.

During searches, Safari will attempt to provide intelligent results for locations, iTunes content or Wikipedia articles. Also, try visiting a site and performing a search.

Then next time you'll be able to search directly from the Unified Smart Search Field: just type the URL, a space, then your search term, and tap Go.

2. Text searches

One neat trick that some people overlook is the ability to search through the text of a page using the Unified Smart Search field.

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Enter a word and scroll down to On This Page. Tap the Find "word" panel and Safari will highlight in yellow all instances of that word on the page.

You can move through matched words using the Next and Previous Match buttons in the bottom left, or enter a new search term in the search field in the bottom right of the screen.

3. Saving images

You can save images from Safari by tapping and holding on them until the menu appears; now choose Save Image and it'll be sent to the Photos app.

Return to your Home Screen and open Photos to view the image in your collection. You can share the image on Facebook, Twitter or Flickr by tapping Share.

4. Navigating web pages

Flick your finger up and down to scroll up and down through a web page. You can use the pinch-to-zoom gesture to zoom in on text and images, or double-tap a part of the screen to intelligently zoom to that element.

Simply tap on links to open them, and move back and forward using the icons at the left of the menu bar at the foot of the screen. Tap and hold on links to bring up a menu with options such as 'Open In A New Tab' or 'Add To Reading List'.

5. Adding bookmarks

To bookmark a page, tap the Share button and select Bookmark. By default, Bookmarks are added to Favourites (the grid of icons you see when opening a new tab), but you can select an alternative location.

Tap Save to bookmark the page. A faster way to add a page to your Favourites is to tap the URL, tap the clock, then tap Add to Favorites. Saved bookmarks can be browsed by tapping the Bookmarks icon, and managed/deleted using the Edit button.

6. Set up a Reading List

Safari Reading List is a great way to keep track of articles that you want to read at a later date. Tap the Share button, then Add to Reading List to add the page to your Reading List.

Now tap Bookmarks, then the Reading List icon (it looks like a pair of glasses). As you tap items in your reading list they'll disappear from the list; you can see items you've already read by tapping Show All at the bottom right of the screen.

7. Safari Reader

Safari Reader is a great way to view a web page without distractions (such as flashing adverts or animated graphics).

To view a page in Reader mode, tap on the Reader icon just to the left of the web address in the Unified Smart Search Field – the icon looks like four horizontal lines.

When you've finished, tap the Reader icon again to return to the standard page view.

8. iCloud Tabs

iCloud tabs show web pages open on other devices linked to your Apple ID. Tap the tabs button and then scroll down to see the list.

Tap anything in the list to open it. You can also remove an iCloud tab by swiping from right to left and tapping Delete.

9. Share via AirDrop

You can share pages wirelessly with other iOS 8 users using the AirDrop feature. Swipe your finger up from the bottom of the screen to open Control Centre, and tap AirDrop, then Everyone (or Contacts Only to be more selective).

Now in Safari tap the Share button, and anyone nearby with AirDrop turned on will appear in the Action sheet. Tap a person and they'll receive an invitation to view the page.

10. Shared Links

To access the Shared Links feature, tap on the Bookmarks icon in Safari and then tap the Shared Links tab (represented by the '@' symbol).

By default, the tab will show links shared via any Twitter accounts you've set up in Settings > Twitter. Very handy. But it goes further…

Visit any website that regularly updates, such as a blog, then return to the Shared Links tab and tap Subscriptions. If the site has a feed you can subscribe to, Add Current Site will be in blue.

Tap this to add the site to your list. Headlines will then be displayed; tap any entry to view the associated web page.

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Description.

Explore the web with lightning-fast speed, powerful privacy protections and robust customization options. With Safari you can browse sites, translate web pages, and access your tabs across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Features • Passwords, bookmarks, history, tabs and more seamlessly sync across iPhone, iPad and Mac • Private Browsing mode doesn’t save your history and keeps your browsing your business • Intelligent Tracking Prevention prevents trackers from following you across websites you visit • Tab Groups let you save and organize your tabs and access them across iOS, iPadOS and macOS • Profiles help keep your browsing history, website data, and more separate between topics like work and personal • Shared Tab Groups help you share tabs and collaborate with family and friends • Extensions allow you to personalize Safari and add even more functionality to the browser • Reader formats articles for easy reading without ads, navigation, or other distracting items • Privacy Report shows known trackers that have been blocked from tracking you • Reading List easily saves articles for you to read later • Voice Search lets you search the web using just your voice • Web page translation converts entire webpages into other languages right in the browser • Handoff effortlessly passes what you’re doing in Safari from one device to another • Add to Home Screen allows you to quickly launch a website or web app from your Home Screen

Ratings and Reviews

57.2K Ratings

To much scams…please READ!

So whenever I use this app/ Safari it get these trackers and scammers to get my location and this is making me nervous. I installed ad blocker I think it’s called and I blocked some trackers which made me feel better. Every time you search something you usually get a scam or tracker. I do not like when people track me down. I rarely use this app because of the scams and risks. I think it is an OK app in general because it’s the people making these small BAD websites. The reason I gave it 4 stars is because it could use work but it is pretty much like google. I use google way more because I feel like it is much safer than safari. I could be wrong… Safari could use some work with all these BAD websites. Can you block these bad websites? I would love to block these websites cause they are scary. Also watch out for nine anime/ 9anime websites… I searched up 9anime on safari and clicked a link. It looked safe but then these inappropriate pop ups kept coming. I immediately got off. I checked my ‘ How much trackers we have prevented’ or whatever it’s called it said that it had prevented 14 trackers from getting my IP address. This was good and bad news. I’m glad that safari and google can prevent these trackers but it is bad because this is dangerous. BE CAREFUL ON SAFARI!!!

Your Underrated Prince, Safari

In my humble opinion, Safari is the underrated king among multiple web browsers on the market. I was a PC devotee from ‘95 to ‘16, since then, it’s been all Tim Cook 🍎 all the time. My only regret is not purchasing a smartphone back in ‘07 from Steve Jobs. Presently, I own an iPhone 6s Plus in rose gold (2016), iPad Mini (2016), iPad Pro (2019) & MacBook (2018) in rose gold with matching Beats By Dre headphones. All four are set up with Safari, not Chrome, TOR, Brave, Edge, or DDGo. I love the ability to quickly save favorites, add to reading list & share content to other platforms. My favorites are alphabetized for quick reference & the reading list keeps all articles & pages in chronological order for quick recall. Also, I learned Safari quickly because it’s extremely user friendly. The browser helped my navigation of Apple when switching from PC. I’ll admit, learning MacBook isn’t easy, but, Safari keeps things familiar for me on the desktop. When lost, just go back to Safari & start over. It’s surprising no one in tech media mentions Safari more often as a go to source for navigating the internet. Chrome is the reigning king of, Land Of Browsers, without an heir apparent. I nominate Safari as the prince with future king potential. Citizens of Land Of Browsers don’t like their chrome-plated dirty laundry aired, sold or tracked.

Google sandbox

My wife went into google sandbox and put all my information on there under business add settings. I need all deleted and if there’s any copies sent to my email if not delete and I’m pressing charges and I’ll contact Google myself also she has taken my Apple IDs her and her new bow means boyfriend after 20 years of marriage with me. I gave her my whole life and she has done nothing but take from me. I’m heartbroken but mainly I suffer from PTSD social anxiety, agoraphobia shell shop and now I have a vascular disease in my left leg, wonder where that came from if you would please erase from my iPhone SE that was just bought. I have also another one sitting here that was just bought last year not even a year ago that is also tore up with my Apple ID locked reeving, but she retrieved one while ago. It was two hours after it said it was available. She uses Bluetooth devices to get past off of messenger to get into my phone, please fix everything and press charges with anything. My name has on it because I didn’t do it. I have two different iPhone sitting here that I can give you the serial numbers to that. I can’t even put on my phone on my app because it has been taken, plus the IMEI.

App Privacy

The developer, Apple , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

User Content
Identifiers

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

Browsing History
Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

English, Arabic, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese

Developer Website
App Support
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How-To Geek

How to view a desktop site on mobile safari.

Your iPhone or iPad running mobile Safari can access desktop versions of websites as well. Next time you're stuck with a stubborn mobile site, remember this feature.

Quick Links

How to view desktop site in safari.

Safari is fast and optimized for mobile devices. That's usually a good thing. But there are still a few websites that refuse to adapt to mobile Safari or provide an inferior experience on their mobile site. In times like these, you can switch to the desktop version of the website.

Like many iOS features, especially ones for Safari, the Request Desktop Site feature is hidden. With iOS 13, Apple has changed the placement of this option, which makes it a bit easier to find. As iPadOS 13 automatically loads desktop websites, iPad users won't need to look for this feature after updating.

Here's how this feature works on devices running iOS 12 and iOS 13.

Related: iPadOS Will Almost Make Your iPad a Real Computer

iOS 12 and Below

Open the Safari app on your iPhone or iPad and load a website. Now, tap and hold on the "Refresh" button next to the URL bar.

You'll see a popup at the bottom of the screen. From here, select "Request Desktop Site."

The website will reload, and you'll now see the desktop version of the site . To go back to the mobile version, tap and hold on the "Refresh" button again and select "Request Mobile Site."

iOS 13 and Above

With the iOS 13 update, Apple has improved the Safari browser in a couple of important ways. While most improvements are seen on the iPad version, iPhone users get access to the new Safari Download Manager as well as a new customization menu for websites.

Tap on the "Aa" icon to see a couple of new menu options. From here, select the "Request Desktop Website" button to open the desktop version of the website.

Come back to the same menu to switch back to the mobile version.

And that's it. You now know how to access desktop websites on your iPhone and iPad using mobile Safari.

How to Check the Latest Version of Safari on an iPhone

How to check for the latest version of Safari on an iPhone?

If you are an iPhone user, it is important to keep your Safari browser updated to ensure optimal performance and the best browsing experience. How to check for the latest version of Safari on an iPhone? Verifying that you are using the latest version of Safari on your device is easy and only takes a few steps. With this quick guide, you'll learn how to check if you're running the latest version of the Safari browser on your iPhone. Stay up to date with the latest updates and make the most of your online browsing experience.

– Step by step ➡️ How to check the latest version of Safari on an iPhone?

Step 1: Unlock your iPhone and go to the home screen.
Step 2: Find and select the “Settings” app on your iPhone.
Step 3: Scroll down and select “Safari” from the settings list.
Step 4: Within Safari settings, scroll down until you find the “Program Version” option.
Step 5: Tap “Program Version” and you will be shown the latest version of Safari installed on your iPhone. If an update is available, you'll see a button to download and install the update.
Step 6: If an update is available, select “Download and install” and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update process. If you already have the latest version, you will see a message indicating that you are up to date.

1. How can I check the current Safari version on my iPhone?

Open the “Settings” app on your iPhone.
Scroll down and select “Safari”.
Look for the “Software Version” option.
The current version of Safari will be displayed in this section.

2. Where can I find information about the version of Safari on my iPhone?

Safari version information will be located in this section.

3. What should I do to Get the latest version of Safari on my iPhone?

Open the App Store on your iPhone.
Tap the “Updates” icon in the bottom right corner.
Look for the Safari update in the list of applications.
If an update is available for Safari, select “Update” next to the app.

4. How can I tell if my iPhone has the latest version of Safari?

If the version that appears is the most recent, it means that you have the latest version of Safari installed on your iPhone.

5. Can I check the Safari version on my iPhone without an Internet connection?

Yes, Safari version information is located in your iPhone settings and does not require an Internet connection to check.

6. Is there a way to receive a notification when a new version of Safari is available for my iPhone?

Yes, you can activate update notifications in the App Store.
Tap your profile in the top right corner.
Select “Settings” and turn on notifications for “Updates available.”

7. What is the importance of having the latest version of Safari on my iPhone?

Having the latest version of Safari on your iPhone ensures that you are using the most secure version with the latest improvements and features.

8. How do I know if my iPhone is compatible with the latest version of Safari?

Support for the latest version of Safari is tied to the operating system version of your iPhone.
To check compatibility, you can go to “Settings” > “General” > “Software Update” on your iPhone to see if new iOS updates are available.

9. Do I need to update Safari on my iPhone? What happens if I don't?

It is advisable to update Safari on your iPhone to maintain the security and functionality of the browser.
If you don't update Safari, you could expose yourself to security vulnerabilities and be unable to access the latest browser features and improvements.

10. Should I be concerned about privacy when checking the Safari version on my iPhone?

No, checking the version of Safari on your iPhone does not compromise your privacy.
Safari version information is located in your device settings and is not shared with third parties.

You may also be interested in this related content:

How to put any image as wallpaper in iOS 14?
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How to remove my play store card

I am Sebastián Vidal, a computer engineer passionate about technology and DIY. Additionally, I am the creator of tecnobits.com, where I share tutorials to make technology more accessible and understandable for everyone.

Safari Support

Get to know safari.

Safari profiles

Create separate profiles for things like home and work, so you can keep your browsing activities organized.

Watch the video about profiles

Use passkeys

Passkeys replace passwords for an easier and more secure way to sign in to your accounts. And you can find them right on your device.

On your iPhone
On your Mac

Add your favorite websites to the Dock for an app-like experience.

Learn how to use web apps

Customize your start page

Choose a background image and other options such as Favorites, Siri Suggestions, iCloud Tabs, and Reading List.

Personalize your start page

Add extensions

Safari extensions add functionality and are a great way to personalize and enhance your browsing experience.

Learn how to install extensions

Privacy Report

See a list of known trackers who’ve been blocked from tracking you across all the websites you’ve visited.

View your Privacy Report
Manage your privacy

Autofill passwords

Use the AutoFill feature to easily fill in saved user names and passwords, and suggest strong passwords when you sign up for websites.

Learn about Autofill

Import bookmarks

You can import your bookmarks, history, and saved passwords from Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, and pick up right where you left off.

Import from other browsers

Increase your online security

Learn how to identify and avoid phishing and other scams , and how to get a warning if the site you’re visiting is a suspected phishing website.

Update Safari Security preferences for Mac

Learn about features and discover all that Safari can do.

Browse the guide

Set up iCloud

Select and set up the iCloud features you want to use like Photos, Contacts, Calendars, and more.

Search for more topics

Apple Communities

Find answers, ask questions, and connect with other Apple users.

Ask or search now

Get Support

We can help you find the best support options.

Support app

Get personalized access to solutions for your Apple products.

Download the Apple Support app

iOS 18 could bring three big upgrades to Safari on iPhone

AI-enhanced browsing and more

An image of an iPhone screen showing the Safari app icon in the center

iOS 18 could give you more reasons to move out of Chrome, as AppleInsider claims that the next version of Apple's Safari browser for the iPhone will feature some tasty AI upgrades.

Safari 18, as the new version will be known according to the report, looks set for several changes including a small interface refresh. But the meat of the upgrades begins with an Intelligent Search feature, which is thought to use on-device AI to generate a summary of your web page for quickly getting the gist of what you're reading.

Another addition to next-gen Safari is Web Eraser, which can remove specified parts of a webpage, such as advertising or images, and restore them when required. These changes will be remembered between sessions, and flagged to the user upon revisiting a Web Eraser-ed page too — meaning you won't have to set it up each time you go to a certain site, or forget that you made alterations.

Both of these apparently need activating from the page controls menu. This is a revised version of the "AA" menu already seen in Safari that will provides access to the new tools as well as some basic browser options like text size and reader mode that were previously split up across different menus.

More to look forward to

While the report from AI focuses on iOS 18, these features will make their way to Macs and iPads with their respective macOS 15 and iPadOS 18 updates. So it won't just be iPhone users who get to play with Apple's upcoming AI toys.

AppleInsider also tells us about a feature to look forward to in a future iOS updates, likely in 2025. The iPhone's Visual Lookup feature is already a powerful way of learning more about the contents of your photos, but Apple apparently has plans for a more powerful version of this tool to help users learn more about "consumer products" featured in a picture. This image-searching feature may be usable on any image you open on the iPhone, not just those you save to your gallery.

Apple's WWDC event, which begins on June 10, is normally where it announces its big new software updates for the coming year, and we expect to hear all about iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15 and more at the keynote presentation. But if that's too far off for you, there's a chance we'll hear about some new software as part of Apple's assumed hardware announcements at its Let Loose next week on May 7.

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Safari loading mobile version of websites

Safari on my MacBook is loading mobile versions of some websites,

how can I set it back? Cant seem to find how.

Thanks in advance :)

Posted on Jan 11, 2023 2:27 PM

Posted on Jan 11, 2023 2:29 PM

Hello Simon Board,

To disable the "Request Desktop Site" feature on Safari on your MacBook, follow these steps:

Open Safari on your MacBook.
Click on "Safari" in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
Click on "Preferences."
Click on the "Advanced" tab.
Uncheck the box next to "Show Develop menu in menu bar."
Close the Preferences window.

This will prevent Safari from loading mobile versions of websites by default. If you ever want to switch back to the mobile version of a website, you can still do so by holding down the "Command" key and clicking the refresh button on the website you want to view the mobile version of.

Alternatively,

While on the website which loads mobile version, click and hold the refresh button on the address bar.

This will bring up a menu, there select "Request Desktop Site".

This will only apply for the current website you are in and does not set it as default.

Best regards,

KevTechSupport

Apple's Safari browser will get an AI makeover this year

Post your comment
Comments (22)

Vlad 30 April 2024

Apple Web browsers Mobile software Rumors

Apple's getting ready to overuse the AI buzzword just like everyone else has been doing for a while, and the big AI push is also coming this year to Safari, the company's web browser, according to a new report.

The next version of Safari will be AI-infused, and it's expected to launch alongside iOS 18 , which means it will most likely be presented at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June .

Apple's Safari browser will get an AI makeover this year

Safari will get Intelligent Search, which will leverage on-device AI to identify topics and key phrases within a web page you're looking at in order to summarize its contents for you. Apple's large language model (LLM) will identify sentences that provide explanations or describe the structure of objects, depending on the text on the page, and words which are repeated and key sentences will be recognized as topics.

This is said to come in response to (what else?) ChatGPT but of course Apple will deliver its usual twist in that the experience, being on-device, will be much more secure.

Web Eraser will let you remove specific portions of web pages - things like banner ads, images, text, or even entire page sections, with "relative ease". The erasure will be persistent across sessions too, as Safari will remember the changes even after you close the original tab or window.

When you visit the same page again you'll be informed that the page has been modified to reflect your desired changes, and you'll then get an option to revert changes and restore the webpage to its unalerted state if you want.

This sounds a lot like an overcomplicated way to create an ad blocker and use the AI buzzword for that, but ad blockers also do exist, and have predated all these AI shenanigans, so we're not sure what to make of this.

The new Safari will also come with an updated UI, with a new page controls menu giving you easy access to a lot of options that were previously scattered across the UI. Aside from the aforementioned Intelligent Search / Intelligent Browsing and Erase Web Content, this will house other stuff like zoom options, privacy controls, content blocking options, in-page text search, reader mode, and extension shortcuts.

Next year, Apple will integrate a "much more powerful visual search feature" into its browser that will let you "obtain information on consumer products when browsing through images". This is apparently similar to the Visual Lookup feature which lets Siri identify plants, pets, and landmarks in photos.

While all of these things are purportedly already in development, keep in mind that it's not impossible for Apple to delay their launch or cancel some altogether - things that have all happened before.

Apple schedules iPad launch event for May 7

Reader comments

02 May 2024

Since early this year just everyday is AI Just completely 0 day since last AI related articles Truly I do get rip off those AI features. AI sometimes really helpful but sometimes can beyond dangerous

that cat is very beautiful

It’s great if you’re in the Apple ecosystem. I went back to Firefox on my MacBook Pro but I’m still using Safari on my iPhone since Mozilla’s browser is just another WebKit-based one. I do have it installed, though, and will be using it as soon as I’...

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The Inventory

Apple’s Safari Browser May Let You Erase Ads Completely With New AI Makeover

Safari could look more like arc browser on ios 18 and macos 15 with new ai summaries handled on-device..

Apple is reportedly planning to take a bite out of Arc Search for its next big Safari update.

Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome are already being drowned in new AI features, so we suppose it was inevitable that Apple would also try to shove some AI activities into its default browser. With Apple reportedly jumping on the AI hype train for iOS 18 (though getting on at the caboose end rather than the passenger car) the company at the end of 1 Infinite Loop may try to shove AI summaries and browser assistants into Safari in a move that’s reminiscent of the existing Arc Browser . Unlike the competition, this time Apple could be powering it all from the device itself, rather than the cloud.

Siri for iOS 18 to gain massive AI upgrade via Apple's Ajax LLM

Apple AI will make Siri, Safari, Spotlight, and Messages better

Over the past several months, there's been various chatter regarding AI-related features bound for iOS 18, and AppleInsider has since learned some specifics on the functionality of Apple's Ajax large language model (LLM), as well as information on features the company has been testing alongside it.

This report focuses only on information that could be verified independently through people familiar with the software. In addition to specific features, they've collectively shared some info on the iPhone maker's internal AI test environments as well.

Before exploring the planned AI upgrades in detail, it's important to consider the motivation behind Apple's move to develop its own generative AI technology and what it aims to achieve by doing so.

Why is Apple incorporating generative AI into its upcoming operating systems?

As the popularity of generative AI software continues to increase, it's only logical for Apple to apply LLMs for the betterment of its existing default applications, which are widely deployed across billions of devices worldwide. Those familiar with the company's early efforts believe the company maintains a clear vision for its AI-enhanced apps and services, with an unmistakable sense of direction.

An image combining the Siri icon with the ChatGPT icon

Apple's approach to generative AI will focus on practical benefits for the end-user while simultaneously attempting to preserve user privacy by using on-device LLM .

Rather than offering short-term entertainment value in the form of an AI chatbot, the company aims to improve its existing portfolio of system applications via generative AI. Features like text summarization, document analysis, and AI-enhanced search options would all directly benefit end-users in meaningful ways.

Apple intends to introduce AI-related improvements to several of its built-in system apps beginning next month, including Siri , Spotlight Search, Messages, Mail, and Safari .

AI-powered text summarization for Safari and Siri

As detailed in our exclusive report on the next iteration of Safari, Apple is testing AI-related enhancements for the app, with text summarization being one of the key features in the works.

An image showing a Safari window open to AppleInsider's website. The open menu shows selections including Intelligent Browsing.

With the release of Safari 18, Apple is expected to introduce article summarization through a new Intelligent Search feature — meaning users will have the option to generate a brief summary of any webpage currently on screen.

Apple's built-in AI software can analyze the keywords and phrases within a webpage or document and generate a short summary containing only the most important information.

Siri is also due to receive a similar update, according to people familiar with Apple's plans, as the company intends to integrate the digital assistant more closely with its built-in Messages application.

The company's AI software can analyze message contents in pre-release versions of Apple's next-gen operating systems. The LLM is also reportedly capable of generating responses that relay the content of messages in a simplified way.

Internal test environments offer significant insight into the overall capabilities of Ajax, especially regarding on-device response generation - another key feature Apple is working on.

Ajax will be able to generate basic responses entirely on-device

Apple has been exploring offline response generation software for over a year at this point, and it could very likely make its debut next month at WWDC in one form or another.

A Spotlight search result for 'kitten' showing various images of kittens

Perhaps the most valuable feature Apple has developed is the software's capability to generate sentence-long responses and function unabated without cloud-based processing.

When provided with text input, the on-device AI generates multiple responses within a matter of milliseconds. Within Apple's test environments, these responses are organized based on accuracy, speed, and other relevant factors.

In creating responses, Apple's Ajax LLM will check whether or not the text input contains the name of a saved contact and display the contact's information, if necessary. The software will also communicate with the Calendar app and take into account events when creating a response.

While Ajax can generate rudimentary text-based responses on-device, more advanced replies or text summaries appear to necessitate server-side processing. This aligns with other reports claiming that Apple is in talks with OpenAI and Google about licensing their cloud-based AI technology.

As for generating text from a prompt, Apple reportedly explored ways of doing this entirely on-device, but it remains unclear whether it succeeded in accomplishing offline text generation.

Though more sophisticated AI features will likely require connectivity, Apple's on-device processing can still be used for more basic features, such as text analysis and rudimentary summarization through keywords and sentences.

Text analysis and summarization for Safari and Messages

In its AI-related test applications and associated environments, Apple strongly emphasizes text analysis and summarization - all of which are handled by the company's on-device LLM, Ajax.

A screenshot in an iPhone frame showing the Arc browser summarizing an article

Before testing can begin, Apple's engineers first provide the LLM with the necessary text input. The software can receive text input through a dedicated text box, through digital documents, or it can use information from the Safari and Messages applications.

Upon receiving text input, Apple's on-device AI selects keywords and phrases within a text, designating them as text topics. Sentences containing explanations, descriptions, definitions, or those which denote varieties of objects are also isolated from the remainder of the text.

In analyzing texts, the software takes into account all relevant information available. It can recognize and classify entities such as companies, people, and locations. For instance, if a name appears at the top of a text, the software will likely recognize the name as belonging to the text's author.

The selected key sentences and topics ultimately provide a rudimentary text summary, which Apple's on-device response generation software can use for a more coherent answer.

As the company's text analysis software is capable of functioning entirely on-device, this could give Apple an advantage against the competition in the area of privacy protection.

How will the new AI improvements affect user privacy?

Apple's on-device AI software also appears to have a strong focus on preserving the privacy of its users, which would align with the company's existing privacy-focused features - such as iCloud Private Relay.

Apple's privacy icon of two figures shaking hands below a padlock

Even in Apple's test environments, user privacy warnings still exist. According to individuals familiar with the software, the company's test utilities will display a message before the Ajax LLM uses any information from Safari or the Messages app.

By eliminating the need for cloud-based processing — at least in the most basic of situations — the chance for privacy-related issues is greatly reduced. If user data is not transmitted, the odds of it becoming compromised are obviously much lower.

Compared to existing implementations of AI in rival products and services, Apple's implementation is arguably innovative in its attempt at privacy preservation and efficient on-device processing.

How does Ajax compare against the competition?

Apple's AI-related improvements look to compete with the ever-increasing number of AI-enabled applications, which are available from a wide variety of third parties.

Siri telling a joke: 'How did Darth Vader know what Luke was getting for Christmas?' 'He felt his presents.'

Virtually every app, from Slack to Google Chrome, now features some degree of AI integration, in addition to the various AI chatbot apps currently on the market.

Products such as the Rabbit R1 or Humane AI Pin could also be regarded as competition , as they're commonly perceived as virtual personal assistants or smartphone replacements.

By creating an AI-infused version of Siri with on-device processing, Apple hopes to overshadow many existing implementations of generative AI - especially AI-themed physical products.

Both the Rabbit R1 and the Humane AI Pin function through cloud-based processing, with the latter even requiring a separate monthly subscription to operate. These devices are also commonly regarded as unfinished or only partially functional, as noted in various user reviews.

The Rabbit R1 is a small orange-ish handheld device with a rabbit mascot and spin wheel UI

An AI-capable version of Siri would also allow for greater privacy protection with on-device processing, all without the cost of an added monthly subscription. Given Apple's established market presence, quality control practices, and available resources, Siri has renewed potential to become a serious competitive threat.

During Apple's most recent earnings call on May 2, Apple's CEO Tim Cook fielded two questions about the company's monetization of generative AI but did not provide concrete responses. Earlier in the call, Cook affirmed Apple's "unwavering focus on privacy" and said that the company has "advantages that differentiate" it from the competition regarding AI.

Relative to AI chatbot applications and services such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, an updated version of Siri would have its advantages in the form of on-device functionality. It would also leverage its existing integration with other built-in Apple applications, allowing for greater functionality than any ordinary chatbot.

As for Safari's upcoming Intelligent Browsing feature with text summarization, it likely aims to compete against prominent third-party browsers such as Arc Browser, which also contains its own text summarization feature.

Given Apple's recent interest in artificial intelligence, we should see some of these features debut at the annual Worldwide Developers' Conference later this year.

Spotlight search. Hope that this upgrade provides some useful search. As Spotlight search currently stands you will be lucky, very lucky, to find anything of any use on the Mac. The Mac is a great machine and so is the iPhone. But search on the Mac and on the iPhone is about as terrible as it gets. Any time I am stuck with having to look for a file or document I reach for an anti migraine tablet. I know I am going to get a massive headache at all the useless junk that is thrown at me which has nothing to do with the search criteria that I entered. >:)

The key question is: what will be the device hardware requirements for AI aided services? For instance my iPhone XS is the oldest that can run the current iOS 17, so it may well not be supported by iOS 18. While my XS still works well — even the original battery! — and does everything I want it to, I may be prodded to upgrade by the availability of useful AI.

neilm said: The key question is: what will be the device hardware requirements for AI aided services? For instance my iPhone XS is the oldest that can run the current iOS 17, so it may well not be supported by iOS 18. While my XS still works well — even the original battery! — and does everything I want it to, I may be prodded to upgrade by the availability of useful AI. I think the worst case is it will be A14/M1 and above. That’s when they introduced the 16-core Apple Neural Engine NPU. But maybe the cutoff will be an 8-core NPU, which was introduced with the A12/A12X, so your XS might be okay? One last hurrah before it gets left behind next year?

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Has Apple created an answer to Microsoft Copilot? Here's how AI could change Safari in iOS 18

Apple's AI push extends to the web.

You don't need to have been following along too closely to know that Apple is expected to bring some big new features to iOS 18 when it is released later this year. The talk of the town has Apple adding some fancy new AI features to the mix, and while there is a hope that Siri will get some much-needed improvements, it would appear that the new features will go beyond the beleaguered digital assistant.

We've been hearing murmurings of various new features in recent weeks as Apple gets ready to premiere the new software at WWDC on June 10, but cold, hard details have been hard to come by. The dam seems to be starting to break, though, and now a new report has hinted at new features coming to the Safari web browser that could give iPhone users access to something akin to Microsoft Edge's Copilot AI tools.

Copilot is Microsoft's all-encompassing term for the numerous AI features that are now baked into Windows and its other software, and it's what would have been a real boon if Windows Phone was still around (RIP, that misunderstood tiled interface). It's an example of where Apple needs to go to drag iOS and Siri into the future, and this report suggests that Safari will be at the forefront of those plans with big new website summarization features. And, interestingly, the ability to actually edit what websites show users on the fly.

The web, powered by AI

The big news comes from an AppleInsider report which, citing unnamed sources, says that Apple is working on a number of features that could change the way people read the web on their iPhones.

The feature that seems the most obvious, and one that people could potentially make the most use of, is a new AI-enhanced text summarization feature that will leverage "Apple's on-device AI technology — specifically the Ajax language-learning model — to identify topics and key phrases within a webpage for which to base the summarization." The result will be an option for people to have entire websites distilled into key points or takeaways, similar to features offered by ChatGPT 4 and other services.

Perhaps more interesting however is Web Eraser, a feature that will allow people to select entire chunks of webpages that they no longer want to see. Those sections could be ads, or auto-playing videos, for example. Selecting an area of a webpage will tell Safari to strip it out the next time the page loads — going a step beyond existing ad-blocking technologies and making the process much easier to boot.

"When visiting a web page with previously erased content, Safari will inform the user that the page has been modified to reflect their desired changes," the report explains. "The browser will also give the user the option to revert changes and restore the webpage to its initial, unaltered state."

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While details of exactly which AI features are coming to iOS 18 had been hard to come by, some reports had suggested Apple was aiming for changes that would make people's everyday lives better. These changes definitely fall into that category, with other potential improvements being the ability to have iMessage formulate responses based on context, for example.

Other changes expected in iOS include updates for Mail, Notes, and other key apps . The update isn't expected to ship to the public until September, but we'll get a feel for what's in store when Apple shows iOS 18 off to the world at WWDC next month.

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Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.

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New AI Features Reportedly Coming to Safari in iOS 18

Safari will gain a series of AI-powered features and UI enhancements in iOS 18 , AppleInsider reports .

An "Intelligent Search" browser assistant tool that leverages Apple's on-device AI technology to identify key topics and phrases on webpages for summarization purposes.
A "Web Eraser" tool that allows users to remove unwanted portions of webpages easily. Erasure is persistent, remaining even when revisiting a site unless changes are reverted.
A new, quick-access menu emerging from the address bar that consolidates page tools, bringing over some functions that currently sit in the Share Sheet and placing them alongside the new tools.

The iPadOS and macOS versions of Safari are also expected to align further. These new features are purportedly undergoing evaluation alongside internal builds of ‌iOS 18‌ and macOS 15 ahead of their unveiling at Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) in June. Earlier this month, backend code on Apple's servers suggested that a new Safari browsing assistant is in the works, corroborating this report.

Farther in the future, Apple is said to be working on a more powerful version of Visual Look Up that allows users to obtain information on products when browsing through images. The feature is expected to be released sometime in 2025.

Last week, Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman said that ‌iOS 18‌ will "overhaul" many of Apple's built-in apps , including Notes, Mail, Photos , and Fitness. Apple's next-generation operating systems are almost certain to be previewed during Apple's WWDC keynote on June 10, and the updates should be widely released in the fall.

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A "Web Eraser" tool that allows users to remove unwanted portions of webpages easily. Erasure is persistent, remaining even when revisiting a site unless changes are reverted.