12 Awesome Safari Features You Should Be Using on iPhone

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Apple’s mobile browser is jam-packed with features. They make it easier to track and read online content, protect your privacy, and keep things organized. Here is a list of the best features that every iPhone owner should be aware of.

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iCloud Private Relay

Apple’s mobile browser has a plethora of features. They help you track and read online content, protect your privacy, and stay organized. Here’s a list of the best iPhone features that every owner should be aware of.

Related: iPhone 14 Satellite SOS Feature Is Coming this November

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The idea is that neither Apple nor a third party can connect the dots and determine who is visiting a particular website. The service has had some hiccups, such as unclear error messages, unscheduled downtime, and some carriers refusing to use it. However, it works as advertised most of the time, so if you’re concerned about privacy, it’s worth turning on.

Enable (or disable) iCloud Private Relay by opening the Settings app and tapping on your name at the top of the screen. Navigate to iCloud > iCloud Private Relay and turn on the service.

Safari Extensions

With the release of iOS 15, Safari gained the ability to use extensions. This enables you to greatly expand the capabilities of Apple’s browser with third-party add-ons, though you must do so through Apple’s channels.

Safari extensions can be found in the App Store. Start the App Store app and then tap “Apps” at the bottom of the screen. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and look for the “Safari Extensions” category under Top Categories (if it’s not visible, tap “See All”). You can install extensions from here in the same way you would any other app.

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Safari gained the ability to use extensions with the release of iOS 15. This allows you to greatly expand the capabilities of Apple’s browser with third-party add-ons, but only through Apple’s channels.

Safari extensions are available in the App Store. Begin by opening the App Store app and then tapping “Apps” at the bottom of the screen. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and look for the “Safari Extensions” category under Top Categories (tap “See All” if it’s not visible). You can install extensions from this page just like you would any other app.

Advanced Privacy Features

Safari has a few privacy settings that you may already have enabled, but it’s worth double-checking if you’re concerned about online privacy. Navigate to Settings > Safari and scroll down to the “Privacy & Security” section.

You can disable “Prevent Cross-Site Tracking” to prevent advertisers and their cookies from tracking you across the web. In theory, this prevents advertisers from creating a profile of you based on the websites you visit. Safari was the first mainstream browser to block third-party cookies by default.

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If you’re using iCloud Private Relay, you can also enable “Hide IP Address” to prevent trackers and websites from seeing this information. This feature tries to prevent advertisers from profiling you based on your IP address.

You can also disable “Privacy Preserving Ad Measurement” (which is enabled by default) to limit tracking even further. While the feature may appear to be something you should enable, it is actually a way for advertisers to share information about your interactions in a “private” manner.

Reader Mode

On most websites, you can enable Reader mode by tapping and holding the “AA” button to the left of a website URL in Safari’s Address bar. If you’d rather do it in two steps, tap this button and then select “Show Reader.” When you do this, Safari will remove everything except the content of the webpage and present it to you in a format that you can customize.

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This is fantastic for a number of reasons. To begin with, it removes annoying advertisements (such as those that refresh while you’re reading, shifting the content up and down the page). It also removes any formatting or website styles that may make it difficult to read, such as unusual font choices and distracting colors.

Reader can be customized by tapping the “AA” icon in the URL bar and selecting a font, background color, and text size using the small and large “A” buttons. Choose “Hide Reader” from this menu or long-press the “AA” button again to exit Reader. Choosing a dark background allows you to read websites in the dark without being blinded, which is essential for late-night long reads in bed.

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It’s an accessibility feature as well as a convenience, and Safari will remember your Reader settings until you use it again.

The “Website Settings” Menu

When you tap the “AA” button in the website URL bar (while visiting a website), a “Website Settings” option appears. Tap it to force Reader to open every time with the “Use Reader Automatically” toggle or to always request the desktop version of a website with the “Request Desktop Website” toggle.

When you tap the “AA” button in the website URL bar (while visiting a website), a “Website Settings” option appears. Tap it to force Reader to open every time with the “Use Reader Automatically” toggle or to always request the desktop version of a website with the “Request Desktop Website” toggle.

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You can also avoid any Camera, Microphone, or Location prompts by always allowing or explicitly denying a specific website access to these permissions. Safari will save your preferences for each website. To change these settings, go to Settings > Safari and scroll down to the “Website Settings” section.

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Reading List

You may visit a website or receive a link to an interesting article that you simply do not have time to read right now. It could even be a product website or a video hosted somewhere online that you want to investigate. This is where Reading List comes in, allowing you to bookmark websites for future reference.

The “Add to Reading List” option is accessible via the long-press menus that appear when you hold your finger down on a link. This could happen in Safari on a webpage, in a Messages window, or in apps like Twitter via the Share sheet. While the web page is open, you can also access this option by using the Share button in Safari.

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All of these links are accessible within Safari by tapping on the “Bookmarks” button in the bottom-right bar, then on the Reading List tab. Your Reading List will sync between devices if you have a Mac or an iPad.

Tab Groups (and Shortcuts)

If you don’t use Safari’s grouping features, keeping tabs organized can be a real pain. This allows you to label tab groups and recall and dismiss browsing sessions on demand.

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To create your groups, launch Safari and then tap the tab view button in the bottom-right corner of the screen to display all of your tabs. From here, tap on the label at the bottom of the screen, which will say something like “10 Tabs” (depending on how many you have open).

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You can now create a new empty tab group or a new tab group with all open tabs. Your main browsing session is at the top of this list, just above the “Private” label. Long-press the tab view button in the bottom-right corner of Safari to add a tab to a group. You can also move tabs in bulk to a new or existing tab group.

Private Browsing (and Shortcuts)

The most obvious use of private browsing is to avoid leaving a trail of websites you’ve visited in your history, cookies, or website data. However, the feature is also useful for starting new sessions with websites that may have profiled you, such as when you’ve reached your limit of five free articles on a news website.

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A private browsing session can be accessed via the tab view button in Safari’s bottom-right corner. By long-pressing this button, you can also quickly switch to and from your “Private” session. Tap and hold Safari from your home screen, then select “New Private Tab” to open a new tab in your “Private” session.

“Add to Home Screen” Web Apps

Do you use any websites that function as web apps? Some services, such as Xbox Cloud Gaming, must be launched in a browser window, and Safari’s “Add to Home” option is the most elegant way to accomplish this. Many websites behave as if they were standalone apps, taking up a slot in the iPhone multitasker and lacking Safari’s user interface.

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Others function as simple bookmarks that you can access from your home screen, which may not be to everyone’s liking but can be useful nonetheless.

AutoFill and Apple Pay

You can expedite your checkout by configuring your AutoFill settings in Settings > Safari > AutoFill. You can select your personal Contact entry from your address book to pull in information such as your address and other contact details, making it easier to complete purchases.

You can also save your credit card information using the “Saved Credit Cards” option from this menu. You can add a new card here, as well as delete any old ones that have expired or been canceled.

 

Finally, Apple Pay will be available on supported websites. This allows you to check out quickly by allowing you to choose a delivery address, shipping option, and contact information all from a single tidy pop-up window. To get started, go to Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay and add your card.

And Lastly… DuckDuckGo

The ability to change your default search engine may not appear to be a standout feature, but there are numerous reasons to switch to DuckDuckGo. Not only does the search engine respect your privacy far more than Google, but it also allows you to limit your search to specific services by using “bangs” (or even jump straight to Google if you need it).

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Under Settings > Safari > Search Engine, you can change your iPhone’s default search engine to DuckDuckGo.

More Safari Tips

Safari is brimming with features that can make your life easier. You can download files, force your browser to ignore apps, store and access passwords, and block pop-up windows using an iPhone or iPad running a modern version of Safari.

 

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