mobile safari developer tools

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How to Activate the iPhone Debug Console or Web Inspector

Use Safari's web developer tools to study problematic websites

• Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
• Switching from Android

What to Know

• Activate Web Inspector on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced and move the Web Inspector toggle switch to the On position.
• Use Web Inspector on macOS: Connect your iOS device to a Mac and choose the URL to inspect from the Develop menu.

If you run into a bug or another issue with a website on Safari mobile, use the Web Inspector tool to investigate. This article explains how to use the Safari console for iPhone to debug errors with the help of your Mac computer. Instructions apply to iPhones with iOS 14, iOS 12, or iOS 11, and well as Macs with macOS Big Sur (11.0), macOS Catalina (10.15), or macOS Mojave (10.14).

Activate Web Inspector on Your iPhone or Other iOS Device

The Web Inspector is disabled by default since most iPhone users have no use for it. However, if you're a developer or you're curious, you can activate it in a few short steps. Here's how:

Open the iPhone  Settings  menu.

On an iPhone with an early version of iOS, access the Debug Console through Settings > Safari > Developer > Debug Console . When Safari on the iPhone detects CSS, HTML, and JavaScript errors, details of each display in the debugger.

Scroll down and tap  Safari  to open the screen that contains everything related to the Safari web browser on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Advanced .

Move the Web Inspector toggle switch to the On position.

Connect Your iOS Device to Safari on a Mac

To use the Web Inspector, connect your iPhone or another iOS device to a Mac that has the Safari web browser and enable the Develop menu .

With Safari open, select Safari from the menu bar and choose  Preferences .

Select the  Advanced  tab.

Select the Show Develop menu in menu bar check box and close the settings window.

From the Safari menu bar, select Develop and choose the name of your attached iOS device, then select the URL that appears under Safari to open the debug console for that site.

After you connect your device, use your Mac to inspect the website you want to debug and have it open in the Safari mobile browser.

What Is Web Inspector?

Web developers use Web Inspector to modify, debug, and optimize websites on Macs and iOS devices. With Web Inspector open, developers can inspect the resources on a web page. The Web Inspector window contains editable HTML and notes regarding the styles and layers of the web page in a separate panel.

Before iOS 6, the iPhone Safari web browser had a built-in Debug Console that developers used to find web page defects. Recent versions of iOS use Web Inspector instead.

With Safari 9 and OS X Mavericks (10.9), Apple introduced Responsive Design Mode in Web Inspector. Developers use this built-in simulator to preview how web pages scale to different screen sizes, resolutions, and orientations.

To set up Web Inspector on your iPad, open your iPad's Settings and select Safari > Advanced , then turn Web Inspector On . Connect the iPad to a Mac computer, then open Safari on the Mac and select Safari > Preferences > Advanced , then turn on Show Develop menu in menu bar .

You cannot just connect your iPhone to a Windows PC and start using Web Inspector through Chrome like you can with a Mac. Installing package manager software can provide you a sort of workaround, but it's not recommended unless you're familiar with the package management app you intend to use.

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Safari Browser Tips for Developers

Tips and techniques for developers using Safari browser, including enabling developer tools, inspecting and modifying code, debugging, performance optimization, responsive design, and more.

If you're developing for Apple devices, mastering Safari's developer tools is essential. Here 's a quick guide to get you started:

• Enable Developer Tools in Safari by accessing Preferences > Advanced and checking 'Show Develop menu in menu bar'.
• Web Inspector helps you inspect and modify HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in real-time.
• Responsive Design Mode allows you to test your site on various device sizes.
• Debugging Tools like the Console and Network panels aid in identifying and solving coding issues.
• Performance Optimization techniques help you speed up your website.
• Accessibility and Security features ensure your site is usable and safe for all users.
• Safari-specific tips include detecting the browser, optimizing media encoding, and implementing responsive design .
• Advanced Debugging Techniques offer deeper insights into your code's behavior.

This guide aims to improve your efficiency and effectiveness when developing web applications or sites for Safari, ensuring a smooth and optimized user experience across all Apple devices.

Navigating the Developer Tools Interface

Safari's developer tools interface provides comprehensive inspection and debugging capabilities through several key panels:

Elements Panel

The Elements panel allows you to inspect and modify the DOM tree and CSS styles associated with the loaded webpage. You can:

• View and edit HTML elements and attributes
• Modify CSS styles directly in the panel
• Visualize box models, positioning, and other layout details
• Identify accessibility issues

The Elements panel is extremely useful for tweaking designs and layouts, fixing styling issues, and understanding DOM structure.

Network Panel

The Network panel logs all network requests made by the page and provides insights into loading performance. You can:

• View all assets loaded by the page like scripts, stylesheets, images
• Check request and response headers
• Identify slow network requests impacting page load speed
• See a breakdown of total download size and time

This is helpful to optimize page load times and identify network bottlenecks.

Sources Panel

This panel allows debugging and modification of JavaScript code. You can:

• Pause code execution to step through your script
• Set breakpoints and inspect variable values
• Edit JavaScript code on the fly
• Profile memory usage and CPU activity

The Sources panel is great for identifying and fixing JavaScript bugs and performance issues.

Timelines Panel

The Timelines panel visualizes various events tied to loading and running a webpage over time, including:

• Resource loading
• Style calculations
• Layout changes
• Script activity
• Rendering frames

Analyzing these timelines is crucial to pinpoint expensive operations that may cause jank or lag when interacting with your site.

Console Panel

The Console panel logs output from JavaScript code running on the page, any runtime errors, logging statements, network request statuses, and more. This can help identify and debug a wide variety of front-end issues.

Storage Panel

This panel allows inspection and modification of all browser storage mechanisms utilized by the page like cookies, local storage, session storage, and more. It is invaluable for understanding and debugging client-side data persistence.

Overall, Safari's developer tools provide unparalleled inspection and debugging capabilities for webpages. Mastering these tools is essential for any web developer looking to build high-quality experiences.

Inspecting and Modifying HTML and CSS

Selecting elements.

To pick an element to work on in the Elements panel:

• Just click on the part of the webpage you're interested in. This makes it pop up in the Elements panel.
• Or, click on the element's name in the DOM tree in the Elements panel.

Other ways to find elements include:

• Use the search box to look for elements by their ID, class name, or tag name.
• Right-click on an element and choose "Select Element in Console" to use it in Console commands.

When you choose an element, you'll see all its details like HTML, CSS, and layout info on the right side.

Editing HTML

To change the HTML of something you've selected:

• Double-click on its tag or text in the Elements panel.
• Or right-click and pick "Edit as HTML".

Now, you can edit the HTML. Press Enter when you're done to save your changes.

Some quick tips:

• Switch tag names to change the structure.
• Change attributes like id or class .
• Add, tweak, or remove child elements.

Your webpage will update right away with your changes.

Modifying CSS Styles

To change the CSS styles of something:

• Click on the element in the Elements panel or on the webpage.
• On the right, in the Styles section, find the style you want to change.
• Click in the value box, make your edit, and press Enter.

You can also:

• Hit the New Style Rule button ( + ) to add new styles.
• Toggle style properties on or off by checking/unchecking them.
• Right-click on a style to make it !important or to copy it.

Like before, your webpage shows the changes right away.

Adding and Removing Classes

You can change how an element looks and acts by adding or removing classes.

To add a class:

• Choose the element in the Elements panel.
• Look for the class attribute in the Attributes section.
• Type in the new class name. Use spaces to add more than one.

To get rid of a class, just delete its name from the class attribute.

This is a quick way to change an element's style without messing with CSS rules directly.

Utilizing the Web Inspector for Debugging

The Web Inspector is a super handy tool for checking out how your page looks, fixing JavaScript problems, and figuring out what slows things down. Here's how to make the most of it:

Inspecting Page Layouts

• The Elements panel lets you peek at the structure of your webpage and see how elements are laid out.
• You can turn CSS styles on and off to immediately see how they affect your page.
• Experiment with layout by changing styles like width , height , margin , and so on.
• The Layout pane helps you spot issues with how things are arranged on your page.

Debugging JavaScript

• Use the Sources panel to pause your code where you want and go through it step by step.
• Check out variables, events, and what the code is doing at each step on the side.
• Change code on the fly, run small tests, and look at values in the Console .
• Find out where your code is slow or using too much memory.

Analyzing Network Performance

• The Network panel shows you everything your page is loading.
• Find out which parts take the longest to load.
• Look at the details of what's being sent and received.
• Pretend you're on a slower connection to see how your page does.

Diagnosing Rendering Issues

• Use the Timelines panel to see everything that happens when your page loads and runs.
• Look for parts of your page that make it slow or choppy.
• Record what happens when people use your page to find spots you can make better.

Getting good at using Safari's Web Inspector means you can make your websites work better and faster. It's all about spotting problems and fixing them.

Responsive Design Mode

Responsive Design Mode is a feature in Safari that lets you see how your website looks on different devices like phones, tablets, and computers. It's great for making sure your site works well no matter what screen size someone is using. Here's a simple guide to using it:

Enabling Responsive Design Mode

To start using Responsive Design Mode in Safari:

• Go to the Develop menu at the top.
• Choose Responsive Design Mode from the list.

A toolbar will show up with different screen sizes you can test.

Selecting Screen Sizes

In Responsive Design Mode, you can pick from preset screen sizes for devices like:

• Or even specific sizes like 1440px wide

Just click on one to see how your site looks. You can also manually adjust the size by dragging the corner of the window, switch to landscape mode, or simulate using a touchscreen.

Testing Responsiveness

As you change the size of the Safari window:

• Move around your site to see if it adjusts smoothly.
• Check that things like text and images move or resize correctly.
• Make sure links and buttons work as expected.

This helps you spot any parts of your site that might not look right on different screens, like if text gets too squished or a picture disappears.

Integration with Web Inspector

You can use Responsive Design Mode together with Safari's Web Inspector. This means you can:

• Look closely at the code of your site and change it on the fly.
• Solve problems with your site's JavaScript.
• Check how fast your site loads and find ways to make it faster.

Using these tools together can help you make sure your site not only looks good on all devices but also works well and loads quickly.

By getting good at using Responsive Design Mode, you can make websites that everyone can enjoy, no matter what device they're using. It's a good idea to test your site often as you build it to catch any issues early.

Advanced Debugging Techniques

Debugging web apps can sometimes feel like a puzzle, but Safari's got some cool tools to help you out. Here are some tips to step up your debugging game with the Web Inspector:

Using the Debugger Statement

You can make your JavaScript take a break by adding debugger; in your code. When Safari sees this, it'll pause right there, letting you take a closer look.

How to do it:

• Jump into the Sources panel
• Drop debugger; into the line where you want things to pause
• Refresh the page
• Your code will stop at that line, ready for you to dive in

This is super handy for checking out what's happening at certain moments.

Viewing Console Logs

The Console panel is where you'll see messages from console.log() , along with any errors or warnings.

• Use console.log() to spit out what values variables are holding or to track where you are in your code.
• You can sift through messages by type, like error or warn , to zero in on problems.
• Logging objects? You can peek inside them with console.log(someObject);

Filtering Network Traffic

In the Network panel, you can narrow down requests by:

• Type (like XHR, JS, CSS)
• Where they're from (domain)
• How big they are
• How long they take

This is great for digging into specific stuff, like if you're only interested in checking out API calls.

Analyzing Detailed Timelines

The Timelines panel lays out everything that happens as your page loads and runs, all on a neat timeline.

What you can do:

• Zoom in to get a closer look at certain actions
• Filter by types of events
• Look up specific elements or actions
• Check out the details of what's causing delays

This helps you find and fix spots that slow your app down.

• Pause your code with debugger; to take a closer look at specific spots
• Use console.log() to keep tabs on what your code is doing
• Filter network stuff to focus on what matters to you
• Use the timelines to spot and smooth out any slow parts

Getting the hang of these tricks will help you make smoother, faster web apps.

Safari-specific Development Tips

Detecting safari browser.

You can find out if someone is using Safari and what version it is with this bit of code:

Then, you can make your website work differently depending on the Safari version:

This way, your website can work well for everyone, no matter what version of Safari they're using.

Supporting Multiple WebKit Versions

Since Safari uses the WebKit engine, you can check if certain WebKit features are available:

And use -webkit- in your CSS for things to look right in both old and new versions of WebKit:

Checking the WebKit Feature Status helps you know what's supported.

Optimizing Media Encoding

For videos, use MP4 format with H.264 encoding. For audio, MP3 works well across browsers. Use <video> and <audio> tags for media on your website. For drawings or animations, <canvas> works great in Safari. Using these formats makes sure your website loads fast and looks good in Safari.

Implementing Responsive Design

Use flexible layouts, images that resize, and media queries for a website that looks good on any device:

Always check how your site looks on different devices like iPhones, iPads, and desktops to make sure everything adjusts and fits well.

Adding Multi-Touch Support

Make your website interactive for touch devices by listening to touch events:

You can detect different gestures like taps, swipes, or pinches and use them to make things move or change on your site. This makes your website more fun and easier to use on phones and tablets.

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Simulating devices and screen sizes.

Safari lets you check how your website looks on different devices and screen sizes right from your computer. This is super helpful for making sure your site looks good whether someone is viewing it on a phone, tablet, or computer.

To get started:

• Click on Develop > Responsive Design Mode in the Safari menu.
• You'll see a toolbar with different device and screen size options.

Selecting Emulation Options

In Responsive Design Mode, you can:

• Pick from devices like iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
• Choose screen sizes like 1440x900 or 1280x720
• Try out portrait/landscape views
• Test how touch input works

Just click on a device or screen size to see how your page changes.

Customizing Sizing

You can also manually adjust the size of the page by dragging the window's edges, or you can type in specific sizes:

And you can switch between landscape and portrait modes:

As you change sizes, make sure that:

• Your page adjusts smoothly for different screen sizes
• Pictures and videos fit well and don't stick out
• Text is easy to read and everything is easy to use

Scrolling around helps you check that everything moves right.

Integration with Developer Tools

You can use Responsive Design Mode with other tools in Safari like the Web Inspector. This lets you do a lot at once, like:

• Look at and change your site's code
• Figure out JavaScript issues
• Check how fast your site is
• Find and fix display problems

This makes it easier to get your site looking and working great on all devices.

Achieving Consistency

Test your site on different screens as you build it to make sure it always works and looks right.

• Start emulation with Develop > Responsive Design
• Use the preset options for devices and screen sizes
• Adjust the page size yourself if needed
• Test your site with other Safari tools for a complete check-up
• Keep testing on different screens to make sure your site stays responsive

Following these steps will help make sure your site offers a good experience for everyone, no matter what device they're using.

Debugging Safari Web Apps on macOS

When you're working on a web app for Safari on a Mac, you'll need to know how to find and fix problems. Here's a simple guide to get you started with Safari's built-in tools for developers.

Enabling Web Inspector

First things first, you need to turn on a tool called Web Inspector:

• Go to Safari's preferences and click on the Advanced tab
• Make sure the box next to "Show Develop menu in menu bar" is checked
• You'll see a new "Develop" menu appear at the top of Safari
• From there, select "Show Web Inspector"

You can also press Option + Command + I on your keyboard to open it up quickly.

Inspecting the Web App

With Web Inspector open, you can:

Use the Elements panel to look at the website's building blocks (HTML) and how it's styled (CSS). This is great for checking the layout, seeing what styles are applied, and making sure it's accessible.

The Console panel shows you errors or any messages from your JavaScript. This helps you spot problems fast.

The Sources panel lets you dive into your JavaScript code. You can pause it, see what's happening step by step, and check out the values of different things while it runs.

The Network panel keeps track of all the files your app is loading. It's useful for finding out if anything is taking too long to load.

Check out the Timelines and Profiles panels to see if there are any slow parts in your app causing delays or making things choppy.

Testing on Different Devices

You can see how your app looks on different devices using a feature called Responsive Design Mode. Just go to the Develop menu and turn it on. This lets you check if your app looks good on phones, tablets, and computers without having to test it on each device.

Modifying Code

With Web Inspector, you can change your app's HTML, CSS, and JavaScript right there and then. This means you can try out new ideas quickly:

• Change the text or structure in the Elements panel
• Adjust how things look by tweaking the CSS
• Update your JavaScript in the Sources panel

Just refresh your app to see how the changes work out.

Achieving Performance

Use Web Inspector to look at how your app loads and runs. You can find out what's slowing it down and fix it by:

• Looking at network requests to see if files are too big or slow to load
• Checking JavaScript performance to find and fix slow code
• Watching for layout changes that might be causing delays

Testing your app in different situations helps make sure it runs smoothly for everyone.

Performance Optimization

Detecting unused code.

To spot CSS and JavaScript your web app doesn't really use, follow these steps in your browser's developer tools:

• Open the developer tools and find the Coverage panel.
• Refresh your page with the coverage tool running - this keeps track of which bits of code are active.
• Use your site to make sure you're checking all its features.
• Look at the Coverage panel to see how much of your code was actually needed.
• Click on files to see parts of the code that weren't used, shown in red.
• Get rid of code that you don't need to make your files smaller.

Some hints:

• Hit Start instrumenting coverage to begin.
• Try out every part of your site to catch all the code that might run.
• Pay special attention to big CSS or JavaScript files that aren't used much.

Cutting out unnecessary code helps your site run faster and smoother.

Analyzing Resource Sizes

To look into how big your site's files are using the Network panel:

• Open the developer tools and switch to the Network tab.
• Refresh the site to see all the files it loads.
• Look at the Size column for how big each file is.
• Organize by size to spot the biggest files.
• Click on a file for more details, like how much you could save by compressing it.
• Files larger than 2MB can slow down your site.

Ways to make files smaller:

• Shrink and tidy up JavaScript and CSS files.
• Use tools to make images smaller without losing quality.
• Only load big files when they're actually needed.

Making your files leaner can make your site load faster and work better.

Accessibility and Security

Making sure websites are easy to use and safe is really important, especially for people using iPhones and iPads. Here are some tips for making websites better for everyone in Safari:

Implementing Proper Accessibility

• Use special codes ( ARIA roles, states, and properties) to help browsers understand what each part of your website is supposed to do.
• Always provide descriptions for images and other non-text content.
• Make sure there's a strong contrast between text and its background so it's easy to read.
• Design your site so people can navigate through it using just a keyboard.
• Make your site work well with tools that help people with disabilities, like screen readers.

Tips for testing:

• Try using VoiceOver on iOS to check if people can listen to your website's content.
• Use the Accessibility Inspector in Safari to make sure everything's set up right.

Utilizing Safari's Security Features

• Use HTTPS to keep connections to your site secure.
• Make sure any external content on your site hasn't been messed with.
• Think about using Feature Policy for tighter control over your site's features.
• Use Credential Management API to help users log in securely.

Additional measures:

• Always clean and check any information users give you.
• Stick to the best ways of keeping user accounts safe.
• Be careful with scripts from other websites.

Checking for Common Issues

• Make sure your site meets the guidelines for accessibility.
• Look out for common security risks like XSS or CSRF.
• Test your site on both desktop and mobile versions of Safari.
• Check that your site still works when Safari's extra security settings are turned on.

Focusing on making your site easy to use and safe helps everyone have a better experience. Testing thoroughly is the best way to find and fix any problems.

Safari gives developers a lot of tools to make websites and apps work really well on Apple devices. If you know how to use these tools, you can make your site or app faster, look better, and be easier for everyone to use.

Here's a quick recap of what we talked about:

• Develop menu in Safari lets you use cool tools like Web Inspector for checking and fixing code, and Responsive Design Mode for seeing how your site looks on different devices.
• The Elements panel helps you look at and change the website's HTML and CSS, check how it's laid out, and make sure it's accessible to everyone.
• The Network panel helps you see how fast your site loads and find ways to make it load faster.
• Sources panel is for finding and fixing JavaScript bugs.
• Timelines panel shows you what happens when your page loads and helps you find parts that make it slow.
• Responsive Design Mode lets you see how your site looks on phones, tablets, and computers.
• Make sure your site can be used easily by everyone, including people with disabilities, by using ARIA roles and testing with tools like VoiceOver.
• Keep your site safe with HTTPS, clean inputs, and safe login methods.

We also shared tips on how to make sure your site works well in Safari, like checking for Safari browser, using WebKit features, making your site responsive, adding touch events, and making your site fast.

With Safari being so popular on mobile devices, it's really important to test your site on Apple's devices to make sure it works great. Use the tools we talked about to check your site and keep updating it with new features.

In short, making your site work well in Safari means happy users who'll want to keep coming back.

Related Questions

How do i use developer in safari.

To turn on developer tools in Safari, follow these steps:

• Open Safari , then go to Preferences
• Click on the Advanced tab
• Make sure to tick the box for Show Develop menu in menu bar
• Now, you'll see a new Develop menu at the top, which lets you access various developer tools

These tools include the Web Inspector for checking your website's code and layout, Responsive Design Mode for seeing how your site looks on different devices, and a console for solving JavaScript problems.

Is Safari good for Webdev?

Yes, Safari is great for web development. It has handy tools like Web Inspector, Responsive Design Mode, and Accessibility Inspector that make building, testing, and improving websites easier.

Since Safari uses WebKit, like some other browsers, testing for cross-browser compatibility is more straightforward. Plus, its popularity among Apple device users means it's crucial for reaching a broad audience. Safari offers a solid development environment for web professionals.

How do I use Safari efficiently?

Here are a few tips to get the most out of Safari:

• Look at all your open tabs with tab previews and close ones you don't need by swiping.
• Turn on Reader Mode for a cleaner reading experience on web pages.
• Bookmark your go-to sites and use the smart search feature for quick access.
• Use Keychain for saving and autofilling passwords securely.
• When privacy is a concern, switch to Private Browsing mode.
• Add useful shortcuts to your toolbar for quick access.

How do I make Safari work better?

To improve Safari's performance:

• Clean out your browsing history and site data now and then.
• Switch on the Develop menu for access to more tools that can help optimize your browsing.
• Stop videos from playing automatically to save on resources.
• Use Reader Mode on complex pages to cut down on data use.
• Make sure privacy settings are on.
• If content blockers are messing with a site, try turning them off temporarily.
• Keep Safari and your operating system up to date for the latest speed and security enhancements.

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Safari User Guide

• Get started
• Go to a website
• Bookmark webpages to revisit
• See your favorite websites
• Use tabs for webpages
• Import bookmarks and passwords
• Pay with Apple Pay
• Autofill credit card info
• View links from friends
• Keep a Reading List
• Hide ads when reading
• Translate a webpage
• Download items from the web
• Add passes to Wallet
• Save part or all of a webpage
• Print or create a PDF of a webpage
• Interact with text in a picture
• Change your homepage
• Customize a start page
• Create a profile
• Block pop-ups
• Make Safari your default web browser
• Hide your email address
• Manage cookies
• Clear your browsing history
• Browse privately
• Prevent cross-site tracking
• See who tried to track you
• Change Safari settings
• Keyboard and other shortcuts

Use the developer tools in the Develop menu in Safari on Mac

If you’re a web developer, the Safari Develop menu provides tools you can use to make sure your website works well with all standards-based web browsers.

If you don’t see the Develop menu in the menu bar , choose Safari > Settings, click Advanced, then select “Show features for web developers.”

Open Safari for me

Safari Dev Tools: The Complete 2023 Guide

Introduction to safari developer tools.

Safari is Apple's proprietary web browser that comes pre-installed on all Mac and iOS devices. Its integrated developer tools provide everything web developers need to build, debug and optimize websites for Apple's ecosystem.

In this comprehensive tutorial, we'll cover key capabilities of Safari's dev tools including:

• The Web Inspector for inspecting page structure and CSS
• The Debugger for stepping through JavaScript code
• The Resources panel for auditing page assets
• The Audits panel for testing web standards compliance
• Device Mode for simulating mobile screens
• Advanced debugging features like conditional breakpoints
• Network throttling to simulate real-world conditions
• Experimental features for early access

By the end, you'll have master expertise using Safari dev tools to squash bugs faster, improve site performance, and deliver exceptional web experiences across Apple devices. You'll also discover resources like DevHunt to continue exploring the latest Safari developer tools.

A Brief History of Safari

Safari originated within Apple in 2003, based on the open source KHTML rendering engine. It was first released for Mac OS X Panther and quickly became Apple's default browser.

In 2007, Apple launched the first Windows version of Safari to expand its userbase. That same year, Safari made its mobile debut on the first iPhone.

Over the years, Safari has gone through many major version updates adding new features and support for emerging web standards. It remains the pre-installed browser on all Apple operating systems and devices including Macs, iPhones and iPads.

Why Learn Safari Developer Tools?

Here are some key reasons web developers should learn Safari dev tools:

• Pre-installed on all Mac and iOS devices, used by millions globally
• Allows direct debugging on iOS devices
• Can emulate mobile devices in desktop browser
• Essential for targeting Apple's ecosystem
• Identify optimizations for Safari to improve site experience
• Learn how your sites perform on Safari and make improvements
• Fix rendering issues specific to WebKit browser engine
• Utilize experimental features to build cutting-edge websites
• Discover new Safari dev tools on platforms like DevHunt

With Safari holding significant browser market share, especially in the mobile space, having expertise in its developer tools is vital for crafting high-quality cross-browser experiences.

Core Safari Developer Tools

Now let's dive into the core developer tools available within Safari on both desktop and mobile.

The Web Inspector

The Web Inspector is the main hub for visually inspecting and modifying a web page. Key functions include:

• View and edit the live DOM tree
• Inspect and modify CSS styles
• Audit accessibility information
• Analyze network requests and performance
• Identify layout issues or style problems
• Live edit code changes right in the browser

For front-end developers, the Inspector is indispensable for debugging HTML, CSS and accessibility issues. You can instantly see how changes to markup and styles affect rendering.

The Debugger

Safari's JavaScript Debugger allows pausing code execution to step through scripts line-by-line. You can:

• Set breakpoints to isolate issues
• Inspect stack traces and variable scopes
• Profile memory usage and CPU utilization
• Emulate device throttling conditions
• Blackbox third-party scripts

The Debugger equips you to tackle even the most complex JavaScript bugs. From tracking down logic errors to profiling performance, it's an essential tool for front-end logic and optimization.

The Resources Panel

This panel displays all resources loaded by the page like scripts, stylesheets, fonts, images and media. For each resource you can:

• View request URLs, status codes and timings
• Filter by type, folder location or domain
• Check dependencies and redundancy
• Audit performance and bottlenecks
• Download resources to your machine

Knowing exactly what resources a page loads is invaluable for optimizing performance. The Resources panel helps you eliminate unnecessary requests and prioritize critical assets.

Storage Inspector

The Storage Inspector lets you view and edit browser storage like cookies, LocalStorage, SessionStorage and IndexedDB. You can:

• Add, modify or delete stored keys and values
• Export storage data as JSON
• Emulate different browser states for testing
• Clear storage entirely to test initial experience

Being able to inspect persistence mechanisms is vital for debugging issues related to state management in modern web apps.

The Audits Panel

Safari's Audits panel runs diagnostics on pages to surface optimization opportunities and standards compliance issues. Audits include:

• Performance analysis and scoring
• Accessibility checks following WCAG guidelines
• Best practices for progressive web apps
• SEO enhancements
• Modern web platform usage

Running audits before launching any website can help you catch critical problems early and compare against industry benchmarks.

Advanced Safari Developer Tools

Beyond the basics, Safari offers powerful advanced tools for seasoned developers.

Device Mode

Device Mode accurately emulates mobile screens and conditions right in desktop Safari:

• Simulate precise device dimensions and resolution
• Throttle CPU and network to mimic real devices
• Essential for building mobile-friendly, responsive sites
• Test touch events and gestures during development

With Device Mode, you can build fully optimized mobile experiences without constantly switching devices.

Advanced Debugging

Safari provides next-level JavaScript debugging capabilities:

• Set conditional breakpoints using expressions
• Group breakpoints for easy management
• Step through async code with async stack traces
• Profile memory heap allocations over time
• Blackbox scripts to hide library code
• Break on caught or uncaught exceptions

These advanced features help you tackle difficult bugs in even the most complex single-page apps and frameworks like Vue.js.

Network Throttling

Network Throttling allows simulating slow network connections, like 3G and LTE. You can:

• Rate limit bandwidth and latency
• Identify assets blocking page load
• Debug loading behavior in emerging markets
• Optimize performance for offline/low-bandwidth
• Throttle cache usage and response compression

Testing how your site performs under real-world network conditions is crucial to providing good user experiences for all.

Experimental Features

Safari lets developers try out experimental tools before they are formally released:

• Get early access to new capabilities
• Provide feedback to help shape future features
• Use at your own risk as they are still in development
• Currently includes CSS Flexbox debugging tools

Tapping into experimental features allows you to build cutting-edge experiences and directly influence the browser platform's evolution.

Debugging JavaScript Issues

Now let's explore strategies for debugging JavaScript using Safari's advanced capabilities.

Breakpoint Usage

Effective breakpoint usage is key for isolating issues:

• Set breakpoints directly within the source code
• Organize breakpoints into groups by context
• Use conditional breakpoints to pause on specific criteria
• Disable breakpoints without deleting to toggle behavior
• Manage breakpoints efficiently even in complex codebases

Mastering breakpoints gives you precise control over pausing execution to inspect logic flow and data.

Scope Inspection

Understanding scope is vital for tracking down variable issues:

• Inspect variable values in different call frames
• Detect scope pollution across closures and modules
• Ensure code executes in the intended lexical scope
• Fix bugs caused by accessing stale variable references
• Avoid global namespace pollution

With Safari's scoping tools, you can confidently debug even complex nested closures and callback contexts.

Async Debugging

Safari provides multiple approaches for debugging asynchronous code:

• Step through promise resolutions and rejections
• Inspect async operation call stacks and task queues
• Profile async code performance with CPU profiler
• Set breakpoints within async callbacks and timers
• Visually trace async code flows

Smooth async debugging helps you tackle race conditions, timing issues, and callback hell.

Error Handling

The key to debugging runtime errors is Safari's break on exception feature:

• Break on any caught or uncaught exceptions
• Inspect error call stacks to trace where issues originate
• Log values with console.log() to debug logic flow
• Validate edge cases and fix crashes
• Handle errors gracefully to improve user experience

With robust error handling, you can isolate bugs quicker and build more resilient apps.

Optimizing Page Speed

Next let's explore some common techniques for optimizing page speed using Safari developer tools.

Image Optimization

Safari provides multiple ways to optimize images:

• Audit image sizes and formats using the Resources panel
• Compress and resize images as needed
• Lazy load offscreen images to improve TTI
• Serve next-gen formats like WebP to Safari users
• Remove unnecessary decorative images

With Safari's insight into image resources, you can significantly cut page weight and load times.

Script Loading

Optimizing script loading is key for performance:

• Minimize parser-blocking JavaScript
• Load non-critical scripts asynchronously
• Dynamically create and load scripts
• Code split bundles into logical chunks
• Tree shake and minify code to reduce payload

Safari shows you exactly how scripts impact loading behavior so you can optimize delivery.

Caching Assets

Effective caching can boost repeat visit performance:

• Set optimal cache lifetimes for static assets
• Cache assets locally using service workers
• Version assets linked to app release cycles
• Avoid cache-busting query strings
• Maximize cache reuse for returning users

The Resources panel helps you dial in caching for faster loads without staleness.

Layout Thrashing

Diagnosing layout thrashing is key for smooth UX:

• Identify forced synchronous layouts
• Defer non-critical DOM updates with requestAnimationFrame()
• Avoid reading styles after writes during rendering
• Batch DOM reads/writes together
• Profile with Debugger to pinpoint problems

With Safari's performance tools, you can isolate and fix sources of jank and lag.

Wrap Up and Key Takeaways

Safari developer tools provide everything needed to build high-quality websites targeting Apple's ecosystem.

Key highlights include:

• Debugging directly on iOS devices with Web Inspector
• Stepping through JavaScript with advanced Debugger features
• Auditing pages for standards compliance
• Simulating mobile devices and networks during development
• Optimizing performance using Network Throttling
• Trying out experimental capabilities early
• Discovering new Safari dev tools on platforms like DevHunt

Learning Safari developer tools allows you to find and fix cross-browser issues faster. You can optimize sites specifically for Safari and deliver stellar experiences to millions of Apple users worldwide.

With a comprehensive understanding of Safari's robust toolset, you can confidently build, debug and enhance modern progressive web apps. Safari developer tools help web developers succeed across platforms.

Related posts

• Safari Developer Tools: The Complete Guide for Web Developers
• Discover the Top Web Developer Tools for 2023
• Unlock Safari's Powerful Developer Tools
• Dev Tools iOS Developers Need in 2023

How To Open Developer Tools In Safari

• Software & Applications
• Browsers & Extensions

Introduction

When it comes to web browsing, Safari stands out as a popular choice for Mac and iOS users. Whether you're a web developer, a tech enthusiast, or simply someone curious about the inner workings of the websites you visit, Safari's Developer Tools can provide valuable insights and functionalities. These tools empower users to inspect, debug, and optimize web content, making them indispensable for anyone involved in web development or simply interested in understanding the technical aspects of the internet.

In this article, we'll delve into the process of opening Developer Tools in Safari on both Mac and iOS devices. By the end, you'll have a comprehensive understanding of how to access these powerful tools, enabling you to explore the underlying structure of web pages, analyze network activity, and experiment with various web development features.

Let's embark on this journey to uncover the hidden capabilities of Safari's Developer Tools, empowering you to gain a deeper understanding of the web and its intricate design. Whether you're a seasoned developer or a curious individual eager to peek behind the digital curtain, the following sections will equip you with the knowledge to harness the full potential of Safari's Developer Tools.

Opening Developer Tools in Safari on Mac

Opening Developer Tools in Safari on a Mac is a straightforward process that provides access to a wealth of powerful features for web development and debugging. Whether you're a seasoned developer or a curious individual eager to explore the inner workings of websites, Safari's Developer Tools offer a comprehensive suite of functionalities to aid in understanding and optimizing web content.

To initiate the process of opening Developer Tools in Safari on a Mac, you can follow these simple steps:

Using the Menu Bar:

• Launch Safari on your Mac and navigate to the menu bar located at the top of the screen.
• Click on "Safari" in the menu bar to reveal a dropdown menu.
• From the dropdown menu, select "Preferences" to access Safari's settings.

Accessing the Advanced Settings:

• Within the Preferences window, click on the "Advanced" tab located at the far right.
• Check the box next to "Show Develop menu in menu bar" to enable the Develop menu within Safari.

Opening Developer Tools:

• Once the Develop menu is enabled, navigate back to the menu bar at the top of the screen.
• Click on "Develop" to reveal a dropdown menu containing various web development tools and options.
• From the dropdown menu, select "Show Web Inspector" to open the Developer Tools panel.

Upon completing these steps, the Developer Tools panel will appear, providing access to a wide array of functionalities such as inspecting elements, analyzing network activity, debugging JavaScript, and much more. This powerful suite of tools empowers users to delve into the underlying structure of web pages, identify and rectify issues, and optimize the performance of web content.

By familiarizing yourself with the process of opening Developer Tools in Safari on a Mac, you gain the ability to harness the full potential of these tools, enabling you to explore, analyze, and enhance the web browsing experience. Whether you're a web developer seeking to fine-tune a website's performance or simply intrigued by the technical aspects of the internet, Safari's Developer Tools on Mac provide a gateway to a deeper understanding of web development and design.

Opening Developer Tools in Safari on iPhone or iPad

Accessing Developer Tools in Safari on an iPhone or iPad allows users to gain valuable insights into the technical aspects of web content and perform various web development tasks directly from their mobile devices. Whether you're a web developer on the go or simply curious about the inner workings of websites, Safari's Developer Tools provide a convenient way to inspect, debug, and optimize web content on iOS devices.

To initiate the process of opening Developer Tools in Safari on an iPhone or iPad, follow these simple steps:

Launching Safari: Begin by unlocking your iPhone or iPad and locating the Safari icon on the home screen. Tap the Safari icon to open the Safari browser .

Enabling Developer Tools: With Safari open, navigate to the website or web page you wish to inspect and debug. Once on the desired web page, tap the address bar at the top of the screen to reveal the URL and other options.

Accessing Developer Tools: In the address bar, enter "inspect://" followed by the URL of the web page you are currently viewing. For example, if you are on the website "example.com," you would enter "inspect://example.com" in the address bar and tap "Go" or the "Enter" key on the on-screen keyboard .

Upon completing these steps, Safari's Developer Tools will be activated, providing access to a range of functionalities such as inspecting elements, analyzing network activity, debugging JavaScript, and more. This powerful suite of tools empowers users to delve into the underlying structure of web pages, identify and rectify issues, and optimize the performance of web content directly from their iPhone or iPad.

By familiarizing yourself with the process of opening Developer Tools in Safari on an iPhone or iPad, you gain the ability to harness the full potential of these tools, enabling you to explore, analyze, and enhance the web browsing experience while on the go. Whether you're a web developer seeking to troubleshoot a website's functionality or simply intrigued by the technical aspects of the internet, Safari's Developer Tools on iOS devices provide a convenient gateway to a deeper understanding of web development and design.

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Start the debugging process for your iOS app.

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• On your desktop development machine, open Safari.
• Select Safari | Preferences .
• Select Advanced .
• Check the Show Develop menu in menu bar box. The Safari developer tools are now available from the Develop menu in the menu bar.

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