safari app for iphone

• 4.2 • 61.4K Ratings

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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

61.4K 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.

I have been using this for years and had no problems with it. I ran over my phone with my lawn mower and was without my phone for over a year due to having to fight with the insurance company. However when I finally got a lawyer involved the insurance company finally replaced it for me. I DID not lose anything and I mean anything. I like the cards better because they are easier to clear out. You have to back everything up to your cloud every day or every other day so that you don’t have to worry about losing anything. As I always make sure that I back everything up just in case. It is not apples fault if you lose your any of your information it is yours for not backing up your phone to your cloud. So most of the people who write bad reviews either don’t back up or they just don’t or they just don’t care. Apple doesn’t charge a lot to add more space to your cloud so there is no reason why you can’t back you things. This is better than anything that google has. By far. If you want your information used by third parties then use google’s and quit complaining. You can change your browser in safari so that you don’t have to use them get with it you bad reviews and learn how to use safari.

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
• Privacy Policy

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Safari Support

Update Safari

Get the latest version of Safari for your Mac, iPhone,  iPad, or Apple Vision Pro.

• Learn how to update Safari

Clear your browsing history

Remove all records that Safari keeps of where you've browsed during a period of time you choose.

• Learn how to clear your browsing history

Block pop-ups

Block pop-up windows and handle persistent ads on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

• Learn how to block pop-ups

Clear Cookies

See the websites that have stored cookies and website data, and remove some or all of it.

• Learn about cookies on iPhone and iPad
• Learn about cookies on Mac

Websites aren't loading

Resolve issues if websites aren't loading or Safari quits unexpectedly.

• Resolve issues on iPhone or iPad
• Resolve issues on Mac

Increase your online security

Avoid phishing and other scams , and get warnings about suspected phishing websites.

• Change security settings on iPhone and iPad
• Change security settings on Mac

Privacy Report

See a list of known trackers Safari has blocked from tracking you across the websites you’ve visited.

• View your Privacy Report
• Manage your privacy

Safari User Guide

Learn about all the features and settings in Safari for iPhone , iPad , and Mac .

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

Safari: A Beginner’s Guide for iPhone or iPad Users

Safari can be intimidating to learn when you first start using it, but this guide will help you get used to it.

On Apple devices, the default web browser is called Safari. It shares a lot of similar features to other common browsers, like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. But if you’re new to using Safari, you may feel a little lost because the interface is slightly different to the others.

So, here’s a beginner’s guide on how to use the Safari app to browse the web on your iPhone or iPad.

How to Search for Content in the Safari App

As with all web browsers, you’ll need to first enable your iPhone’s mobile data or connect to a Wi-Fi network to access the internet.

Then, to search in Safari, simply type a term, phrase, or URL into the Smart Search bar at the bottom of the screen and tap Go on your keyboard. The Smart Search bar is a combination of the address bar and search bar. As you type, you’ll see search suggestions based on your keyword as well as results from your bookmarks and browsing history.

How to Navigate a Webpage in Safari

Once you obtain your search results, you tap on a link you’re interested in. Now let’s look at how you can navigate the webpage once it’s loaded.

How to Jump Back to the Top of Webpage

After swiping to scroll down a long article, you may want to go back up to access the website’s menu. To instantly jump back to the top of the webpage, just tap the topmost edge of your screen.

How to Go Backward (or Forward) a Webpage

After tapping on a link, perhaps the webpage isn’t quite something you’re looking for. To go back to your search results, swipe from left to right from the edge of your screen.

To go forward on a webpage, swipe from right to left instead.

Related: Essential Safari iOS Tips & Tricks for iPhone Users

How to Reveal the Safari Address Bar

Your Safari address bar is automatically hidden away when you’re scrolling down a webpage. To bring it back, tap the bottom edge of the screen that shows the website’s main URL.

How to Work With Multiple Tabs in the Safari App

Having multiple tabs opened in Safari can help you to compare information between webpages and search for new content without having to close your current webpage. Here’s how to work with multiple tabs in Safari on your iPhone or iPad.

How to Open a New Tab

To open a new tab, select the Tabs icon in the bottom-right corner, which looks like two overlapping squares. Then tap the Plus (+) to open a new tab.

How to Switch Between Tabs

Again, hit the Tabs icon. You’ll see a gallery of all your opened tabs in Safari. Select a tab to visit the webpage you want.

Since the release of iOS 15, Apple introduced a new feature in Safari: tab groups. Many of us are probably guilty of having way too many opened tabs. Therefore, organizing tabs into groups makes them more manageable. Learn more about how to use tab groups in Safari on your iPhone .

How to Open a Link in a New Background Tab

When you read long articles, you’ll likely come across a link or two within the content that sparks your interest. To avoid disrupting your reading process, you can make Safari open the link in the background, in a new tab. To do so:

• Go to the Settings app.
• Select Safari .
• Scroll down and tap Open Links .
• Choose In Background .

Next time you want to open a link, long-press it. Then, select Open in Background . When you want to visit that link, select Tabs to view all your opened tabs and choose the loaded webpage.

Saving and Sharing Webpages in Safari

The internet gives you access to a whole new world of information. Save a webpage to refer to it later, or share it with your family and friends.

How to Bookmark a Safari Webpage

To bookmark a webpage to read later, tap the Share icon in the middle of the bottom of the screen (it looks like an arrow coming out of a square) and select Add Bookmark . Type in a bookmark name.

To access your bookmarked webpage later, tap the Bookmark icon (an opened book) and browse through your bookmarks, reading list, and history to find what you’re looking for.

Besides the bookmark option, you’ll also notice that you can add a webpage to your favorites or reading list. Marking a webpage as a favorite will make it show up on your Safari home page. It’s useful if you visit the website often.

To learn more about reading lists, you can visit our guide on the differences between a bookmark and a reading list .

How to Share a Link From the Safari App

Stumble upon an interesting DIY project? A promising recipe you’d like to share with your family? You don’t have to bookmark and remind yourself to show the webpage to them later. You can share the link directly from the Safari app.

Tap the Share icon. You can then select the receiver’s name from the horizontal list of recent contacts, or choose your preferred communication app to send the Safari link to them.

Erasing Your Digital Footprint in Safari

If you’re an aspiring crime writer, having a friend notice your crime-filled search history when they peer over your shoulder is inevitably awkward. Hence, there are some things we’d prefer to keep private and erase all traces of once we exit a web browser.

Safari has a few features to help you with this.

How to Close a Tab

If you don’t close your tabs, old webpages will just auto-load again the moment you head into Safari. Having too many opened tabs affects your browsing speed as well.

Closing a tab is simple. You just need to tap the Tabs icon and then tap the Close (x) button in the corner of the tab.

How to Browse Privately in Safari

Similar to Google Chrome’s Incognito Mode, Safari has a feature called Private Browsing Mode. Your autofill information and browser history won’t be saved when you use this function. Here’s how to use it:

• First, tap the Tabs icon.
• Select the center Tabs button with an arrow next to it.
• Choose Private .
• To open a new private tab, tap the Plus (+) button.

Whenever you’re in doubt about whether you’re in Private Browsing Mode, just check the Smart Search Bar. It will be dark grey instead of white when you’re browsing privately.

How to Clear Your Safari Browsing History

If you forgot to use Private Browsing while searching for confidential information, don’t worry. You can still clear your history in Safari. Just follow these steps:

• Tap the Bookmarks icon.
• Select History (the clock icon).
• Tap Clear .
• Choose the time length from which you want Safari to clear your history.

Use the Safari App to Surf the Internet on Your iPhone

The Safari app has all the features you need for a seamless browsing experience. Once you’re familiar with these basic functions, you can check out and download Safari extensions from the App Store to enjoy more helpful features while surfing the internet on your iPhone or iPad.

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How to Use the Safari Web Browser on iPhone

Get online wherever you are

• Ithaca College

In This Article

Jump to a Section

• Zoom In and Out

Jump to the Top of a Page

• Browse Your History
• Open a New Tab
• Find the Action Menu
• Use Private Browsing
• Search for Content

The web browser that comes with every iPhone , iPod touch , and iPad is called Safari . While you can  install third-party web browsers from the App Store , Safari is a great option for most users.

Apple adapted the iOS version of Safari from the desktop version that has come with Macs for many years. However, the mobile version of Safari is different in many ways.

These instructions apply to devices with iOS 12 or later.

How to Use Safari in iPhone and iOS Devices

To control Safari, you use the same gestures as found elsewhere on the iPhone. Swipe to scroll web pages and tap links to open web pages. But Safari also has some special features that might not have counterparts in other apps you use. Here are some tricks that will help you get the most out of your internet browsing.

Zoom in and Out in iPhone Safari

To zoom in on a particular section of a web page—for example, to enlarge the text on the page you're reading—tap twice on that part of the screen. This gesture enlarges that section of the page. The same double-tap zooms out again.

To have more control over what you're zooming in on, use the iPhone multitouch pinch feature:

• Put your index finger together with your thumb and place both fingers on the part of the iPhone screen that you want to zoom in on.
• Then, drag your fingers apart to zoom in on the page.
• To zoom out and make things smaller, put your fingers at opposite ends of the screen and drag your fingers together in a pinching motion.

To scroll down the page, drag a finger down the screen. On a long, scrolling page, jump back to the top quickly with a single tap. Tap the top center of the screen. The first tap reveals the address bar in Safari, and the second immediately jumps to the top of the web page.

The second tap should be near the top of the screen, on the clock. Otherwise, Safari opens the address field for you to type a search or website address.

Move Back and Forth Through Your History

Safari keeps track of the sites you visit. Use the Back and Forward buttons and gestures to move through the sites and pages you've been to recently. There are two ways to access this feature:

• Arrow buttons  at the lower-left corner of the screen are the Forward and Back buttons.
• Swipe to go back or forward. Swipe the left edge of the screen to go back and the right edge to go forward.

Open a New Safari Tab

Opening a new tab in Safari lets you visit another website without closing the one you're on currently. Here's how to use this feature.

These instructions use Safari with the phone in portrait mode. The features work the same in landscape mode, but the buttons may be in different places.

Tap the Tabs icon in the lower-right corner of the screen. The page you're on gets smaller. Tap the plus icon to open a new, blank tab.

You can also open a link on a web page in a new tab. Find the link you want to open in a new window. Tap and hold the link on the screen to open the menu. Tap  Open in New Tab . The link opens in a new tab.

If your device supports 3D Touch , long-press down to open this menu.

Find the Action Menu in Safari

The icon at the lower-center of Safari that looks like a box with an arrow coming out of it is called the Action menu. Tapping it reveals features to bookmark a site, add it to your favorites or reading list,  make a shortcut for it on your device's home screen , print the page , share a page, and more.

Use Private Browsing in iPhone Safari

Use the Private Browsing mode to browse websites without Safari keeping a browser history, search history, or AutoFill information after you close a tab. To enable it, tap the​ Tabs button   to open your browser tabs. Tap Private  in the lower-left corner to open a private browsing section. Here, you can press the plus button at the bottom to open a private browsing tab and start surfing the web.

To turn Private Browsing Mode off, tap the Private button again in the lower-left corner of the window.

Search for Content in Safari

Have you browsed to a web page that's full of text and want to find a specific word or phrase? The Safari Find on Page feature can help.

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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 Geek

12 awesome safari features you should be using on iphone.

Safari is your iPhone's default web browser, and it's full of features and tricks you might not know about.

Quick Links

Icloud private relay, safari extensions, advanced privacy features, reader mode, the "website settings" menu, reading list, tab groups (and shortcuts), private browsing (and shortcuts), "add to home screen" web apps, autofill and apple pay, and lastly... duckduckgo, more safari tips.

Apple's mobile browser is packed with features. They make it easier to track and read online content, protect your privacy, and keep things organized. Here's a list of the best features that all iPhone owners need to know about.

Apple launched the iCloud Private Relay beta in 2021, as a way of anonymizing web traffic in the Safari browser. You can use iCloud Private Relay if you pay for any tier of iCloud (known as an iCloud+ subscription ) or use Apple One .

Private Relay isn't a VPN, and you can't use both a VPN and iCloud Private Relay at the same time. The service works by sending web requests over two hops: the first (operated by Apple) can see your IP address but encrypts your request and DNS records, while the second (operated by a third party) assigns a random IP address and decrypts your web request.

The idea is that neither Apple nor the third party can connect the dots and know who is visiting a specific website. The service has had its hiccups with unclear error messages , unscheduled downtime , and some carriers taking a dislike to the service . But it works as advertised most of the time, so it's worth turning on if you're concerned about privacy.

Enable iCloud Private Relay (or turn it off) by launching the Settings app and tapping on your name at the top of the screen. From here navigate to iCloud > iCloud Private Relay and enable the service.

Related: How to Use iCloud+ Private Relay

Safari gained the ability to use extensions with the arrival of iOS 15. This allows you to vastly expand the capabilities of Apple's browser with third-party add-ons, though you'll need to go through Apple's channels to do so.

You'll find Safari extensions in the App Store. Launch the App Store app then tap on "Apps" at the bottom of the screen. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and find the "Safari Extensions" category under Top Categories (tap "See All" if it's not visible). From here you can install extensions just as you would any other app.

Many apps are bundled with Safari extensions (just like Apple Watch apps and Home screen widgets ). You can enable or disable these under Settings > Safari > Extensions. This includes content blockers (for blocking online advertisements and trackers) plus regular extensions that expand on the browser's core functionality.

We've put together a list of our favorite Safari for iPhone and iPad extensions , which allow you to do things like enable picture-in-picture video anywhere, disable Google AMP webpages , and bring dark mode to websites that don't explicitly support it.

Safari has a few privacy settings that you may have already enabled, but it's worth checking they're on if you're concerned about online privacy. Head to Settings > Safari and scroll down to the "Privacy & Security" section.

You can enable "Prevent Cross-Site Tracking" to block advertisers and their cookies from tracking you across the web. This, in theory, prevents advertisers from building up a profile of you based on the websites you visit. Safari was the first mainstream browser to block third-party cookies by default.

You can also enable " Hide IP Address " if you're using iCloud Private Relay to prevent both trackers and websites from seeing this information. This feature attempts to foil advertisers' attempts to profile you based on your IP.

You can also disable "Privacy Preserving Ad Measurement" (which is on by default) to further limit tracking. While the feature may sound like something you should leave on, it's a way of sharing information with advertisers about your interactions in a "private" way.

Related: How to Optimize Safari for Maximum Privacy

You can enable Reader mode on most websites by tapping and holding the "AA" button to the left of a website URL in Safari's Address bar. You can also tap this button and then choose "Show Reader" if you'd rather do it in two taps. When you do this, Safari will strip out everything except the content on the webpage and present it to you in a customizable format.

This is great for several reasons. To start with, it eliminates irritating advertisements (including ones that refresh while you're trying to read, shifting the content up and down the page). It also strips out formatting or website styles that may make it harder to read, like odd font choices and distracting colors.

You can customize Reader by tapping on the "AA" icon in the URL bar and choosing a font, background color, and text size using the small and large "A" buttons. To exit Reader, choose "Hide Reader" from this menu or long-press the "AA" button again. By choosing a dark background you can read websites in the dark without being blinded, a must-have for late-night long reads in bed.

It's an accessibility feature as much as it is a convenience, and Safari will remember your Reader settings until the next time you use it.

If you tap on the "AA" button in the website URL bar (while visiting a website) you will see a "Website Settings" option. Tap on it and you can force Reader every time using the "Use Reader Automatically" or always request the desktop version of a website using the "Request Desktop Website" toggle.

These are useful if you always find yourself using Reader (to get around annoying adverts) or avoiding a particular mobile website due to its limited functionality. Reader should only kick in on pages that make sense, so for example a website's home page which has no content beyond headlines should function as normal while tapping through to an article will trigger Reader mode for you.

You can also preempt any Camera, Microphone, and Location access prompts by always allowing or outright denying a particular website access to these permissions. Safari will remember your settings for each website. To make changes to these settings, head to Settings > Safari and scroll down to the "Settings for Websites" section.

Related: How to Check Which Websites Can Access Your Location in Safari

Sometimes you might visit a website or be sent a link to an interesting article that you simply don't have time to read right now. It might even be a product website you want to explore, or a video hosted somewhere online. This is where Reading List comes in, allowing you to save websites for later.

You can access the "Add to Reading List" option via the long-press menus that pop up when you hold your finger down on a link. This could be in Safari on a webpage, in a Messages window, and via the Share sheet in apps like Twitter. You can also use the Share button in Safari to access this option while the web page is open.

You'll find all of these links accessible within Safari by tapping on the "Bookmarks" button in the bar at the bottom of the screen, then tapping on the Reading List tab (it looks like a pair of glasses). If you have a Mac or an iPad, your Reading List will sync between devices.

Keeping tabs organized can be a real drag if you aren't using Safari's grouping features. This allows you to create labeled groups for tabs so you can recall and dismiss browsing sessions on demand.

To set up your groups, launch Safari then tap on 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, it will say something like "10 Tabs" (depending on how many you have open).

Now you can create a new empty tab group, or create a new tab group with all open tabs. Your main browsing session can be found at the top of this list, just above the "Private" label. Add a tab to a group by long-pressing the tab view button in the bottom-right corner of Safari. You can also move tabs en-masse to a new or existing tab group .

Private browsing has many uses, the most obvious being not leaving a trail of websites you've visited in your history, cookies, or website data. But the feature is also useful for starting new sessions with websites that may have profiled you, like when you're limited to five free articles on a news website and you've reached your limit.

You can access a private browsing session under the tab view button in the bottom-right corner of Safari. You can also quickly switch to and from your "Private" session by long-pressing this button. From your home screen, tap and hold Safari then choose "New Private Tab" to jump straight to a new tab in your "Private" session.

Related: How to Use Safari Private Browsing on an iPhone or iPad

Do you use any websites like a web app? Some services, like Xbox Cloud Gaming, must be launched in a browser window and Safari's "Add to Home" option provides the most elegant method of doing so. Many websites function as if they were standalone apps, occupying a slot in the iPhone multitasker and lacking Safari's UI.

Others operate as simple bookmarks you can launch from your home screen , which might not be to everyone's taste but can be handy nonetheless.

Related: How to Add a Website to Your iPhone or iPad Home Screen

You can speed up your checkout process by configuring your AutoFill settings under Settings > Safari > AutoFill. Here you can nominate your personal Contact entry in your address book to pull in information like your address and other contact details, making it easier to complete purchases.

You can also use this menu to save your credit card information via the "Saved Credit Cards" option . Here you can add a new card, as well as get rid of any old ones that may have expired or been canceled.

Finally, there's Apple Pay which will appear on supported websites . This allows you to check out in record time, letting you nominate a delivery address, shipping option, and contact details all from one tidy pop-up window. Head to Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay to add your card and get started.

Related: How to View Saved Credit Card Numbers in Safari on iPhone and iPad

Being able to change your default search engine might not seem like a knockout feature, but there are all sorts of reasons to switch to DuckDuckGo . Not only does the search engine respect your privacy far more than Google, but it also lets you use "bangs" to limit your search to certain services (or even jump straight to Google if you need it).

You can change your iPhone's default search engine to DuckDuckGo under Settings > Safari > Search Engine.

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