Safari is a web browser introduced in 2003. Apple Inc. developed it. Its first appearance was in Mac OS X Panther, one of the early Apple desktops that was released in January 2003. Since then, this browser has become a default part of every Apple product operating system.
From its very first version, Safari 1, to the most updated and recent version, Safari 18, Apple has designed its features to include every latest aspect, such as artificial intelligence.
To make this browser the ultimate option for browsing, Steve Jobs 2007 announced Safari for Windows, its version supported in Windows XP and Windows Vista.
Even after offering a promising experience, Safari’s shares were very low, which led Apple to stop releasing updates for the Safari browser for Windows in 2012. Thus, Safari 5.1.7 was the last version of Safari for Windows, which was released in 2010.
What are the Features of Safari?
Following are some of the features of Safari:
- Privacy and Security: Safari is the only browser featuring DuckDuckGo and offers a search engine without tracking capabilities. The latest update enhances security with warnings for insecure page loads and discontinues support for the expired Do Not Track standard.
- The browser also takes a proactive approach to security. It sends warnings to users when they attempt to load insecure pages, helping to prevent potential security breaches. Additionally, Safari has removed support for the expired Do Not Track standard, which could potentially be used as a fingerprinting variable, further enhancing user privacy.
- Intelligent Tracking Prevention: With Safari 12, This technology limits advertisers’ and websites’ ability to track users across different sites. The latest update has discontinued support for partitioned cookies for domains with cross-site tracking capabilities. Instead, it now uses the Storage Access API to enable third-party access to cookies when necessary.
- ITP has been improved to restrict long-term tracking based on client-side first-party cookies and to verify partitioned cache entries. This sophisticated approach to tracking prevention gives users more control over their data and online footprint.
- Dark Mode for the Web: Introduced in Safari 12.1, Dark Mode for the Web enhances user comfort, especially during nighttime browsing. This mode allows websites to enable color scheme customizations that align with the system-wide Dark Mode on macOS. By adjusting the color palette of web pages, Safari creates a more comfortable viewing experience in low-light conditions, reducing eye strain and conserving battery life on mobile devices.
- AirPlay Integration: Leveraging Apple’s proprietary AirPlay protocol, Safari offers seamless media streaming capabilities. Users can easily stream audio, video, and even their entire screen to compatible devices. This feature is particularly useful for presentations or when users want to enjoy web content on a larger screen. By clicking the AirPlay icon on compatible videos within Safari, users can instantly cast content to their Apple TV or other AirPlay-enabled devices.
- Enhanced Media Capabilities: With the new update, WebRTC now supports simulcast and VP8, boosting multi-party video conferencing features. Moreover, cross-browser Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) are enabled through newly added APIs that exclude the WebKit prefix.
Also Read: Apple Fi 5G Killer is The Future
How to Download Safari for Windows?
Downloading Safari for Windows has become more complicated since Apple ceased its development. This means there are no longer updates provided for Safari on Windows. Safari 5.1.7 was the last version released, and it is now outdated.
Additionally, Apple has removed the download section for Safari for Windows from its official website.
Despite the complications, it’s possible to download the latest version of Safari through the direct link (.exe) from the Apple website. Furthermore, many third-party websites offer the package on their servers. Let’s get straight to the downloading process:
- Open your web browser and navigate to the third-party website offering Safari for Windows.
- Click on the download link for Safari 5.1.7. The installer package (usually a .exe file) will begin downloading.
- If your browser settings prevent automatic downloads, you may need to manually approve the download.
- After the download is complete, locate the installer in your browser’s ‘Downloads’ section or the directory where downloaded files are saved.
How to Install Safari for Windows?
Below are the steps to download Safari for Windows.
Run the Installer:
- Once you have downloaded the installer file, locate it on your system (usually in the system’s “Downloads” folder).
- Now, double-click the installer to begin the installation process.
- Agree to the terms and conditions by ticking the unchecked boxes.
- Choose the installation location where you want to deploy the complete application to run it (the default location is usually better).
- Now click on the “Install” bar and wait for the installation process to complete.
Launch Safari:
- Once the installation is complete, you can find the Safari shortcut on your desktop or in the Start menu; you can even remove the shortcut if you don’t find it useful.
- Now click the Safari icon on your desktop or applications list to launch the browser.
How to Run Safari on Windows?
Testing Safari browsers online for Windows can be challenging due to its native design for macOS and iOS. However, there are several methods to accomplish this:
Use a Virtual Machine
Testing on Safari doesn’t require a Mac. You can perform these tests on a Windows local host using a virtual machine, with your PC acting as the server.
There’s a wide selection of virtual machines available that can run any browser within Linux or Windows environments.
The setup process involves adjusting a few hardware and software settings, such as assigning the amount of disk space and RAM to each operating system. However, your computer should have sufficient processing power to handle this configuration effectively.
Use Cross-Browser Testing Tools
It’s crucial to test websites across multiple browsers to ensure a seamless experience for all visitors. When faced with the challenge of testing on Safari without access to a Mac, cross-browser testing tools offer an effective solution. These tools enable you to simultaneously assess the functionality and appearance of your website on various browsers, including Safari.
This approach is cost-effective and particularly well-suited for evaluating multiple websites on Safari without the need for additional hardware investments.
What Tools Are Used for Cross-Browser Testing?
Special tools are available to test cross-browser compatibility. These allow you to evaluate a website’s appearance and functionality across various browsers and mobile devices.
Benefits of Cross-Browser Testing
Using a cross-browser testing platform offers several advantages:
- Time-efficient: Detect hidden bugs or glitches before launch, saving time and money by identifying issues pre-publication.
- Flexible testing environments: Run tests on local systems behind firewalls using any OS environment.
- Diverse reporting options: Choose from various reporting formats like videos and images for better analysis.
- Authentic testing conditions: Test on actual browsers to spot every issue in your website or application.
- Enhanced privacy: Platforms implement strict measures to protect customer data.
- Extensive test coverage: Many platforms use AI or NLP, enabling codeless testing for broader coverage.
- Efficient debugging: Advanced debugging features help deliver polished, bug-free websites.
- CI/CD integration: Most platforms offer easy integration with CI/CD pipelines for faster, continuous delivery.
- Round-the-clock testing: Cloud-based platforms allow 24/7 test suite runs, enabling efficient testing with minimal effort.
- No coding expertise required: User-friendly interfaces mean even beginners can perform cross-browser testing without CSS or HTML knowledge.
Popular Cross-Browser Tools
If emulators or actual devices are unavailable, consider using cloud-based emulators. A major advantage of cloud-based emulators over local emulators or real devices is the ability to automate unit tests for your site across various platforms.
LambdaTest
LambdaTest is an AI-powered test orchestration and execution platform allowing manual and automated tests at scale across over 3000+ real devices, browsers, and OS combinations. It is described as a scalable cloud grid and one of the best cross-browser testing tools, supporting test automation with frameworks like Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, Appium, Espresso, and XCUITest.
Key features of LambdaTest:
- Execute automation tests across various programming languages and frameworks on an extensive browser farm with over 3000 real desktop and mobile environments.
- Conduct real-time cross-browser testing using a real device cloud.
- Accelerate test automation with HyperExecute, an advanced end-to-end test orchestration cloud.
- Perform smart visual regression testing in the cloud to detect visual discrepancies.
- Integrate with over 120 third-party tools for CI/CD, project management, codeless automation, and more.
- Enable localhost testing for web and mobile applications.
- Conduct geolocation testing for web and mobile apps across more than 53 regions.
- Perform accessibility testing on Chrome using the Accessibility DevTools Chrome extension.
- Use the Chromium-based LT Browser 2.0 for efficient, responsive testing across 50+ pre-installed device viewports.
Selenium Box
Selenium Box is a tool that helps organizations simplify their Selenium and Appium infrastructure for cross-browser web and mobile testing.
It enables running automated web and mobile tests behind corporate firewalls or deploying in a private cloud for Linux OS, targeting enterprises with high data privacy requirements.
Key features of Selenium Box:
- Offers high scalability to accommodate growing user needs.
- Includes maintenance-free browsers that are pre-tested for functionality and compatibility.
- Integrates seamlessly with CI/CD environments for continuous testing.
- Provides manual access to a wide range of browsers.
- Features system usage tracking, monitoring tool integration, and advanced test reporting.
Ranorex Studio
Ranorex Studio is a powerful yet easy-to-use cross-browser web testing tool. It offers out-of-the-box features like integration with Ranorex Web Test for web scraping and functional testing.
Key features of Ranorex Studio:
- Enables automated UI test creation through simple drag-and-drop actions, eliminating the need for coding or scripting.
- Develops test cases that are straightforward to build, maintain, and learn.
- Integrates test automation to minimize manual efforts, increase productivity, and improve software quality.
- It supports parallel testing, allowing the execution of test cases on multiple devices simultaneously.
Also Read: What is Affecting Your MAC’s Efficiency?
Conclusion
Using Safari for Windows might give a very nostalgic experience to those who have used it back in the days when it was available for Windows.
But the bigger issue with still using Safari is that it’s outdated by over 12 years now, and thus the fact that all its safety and privacy features are very old with the new advances in technology over the years, which is a concerning fact before using Safari on windows in today’s date.
Along with that, the last version of Safari for Windows, i.e., Safari 5.1.7, also lacks many modern features and enhancements that make the web surfing experience better. Older versions of any application are the most vulnerable target for any misleading and malware activity groups.
Despite its great history and memories, it’s always better to use the latest search engines instead of the older versions.