Hey there! Do you use Safari daily but wish you could get more out of Apple‘s speedy browser? I‘ve got some great news for you…
I‘ve been a Safari die-hard for over a decade across macOS. While fast and efficient out of the box, I always felt Safari was still missing key features I‘d grown used to in other browsers over the years.
Ever wished you had picture-in-picture video popouts when following online tutorials? Wanted extra support for quickly translating foreign text? Feel the need for tighter privacy protections against invasive ad trackers?
Safari extensions are here to the rescue!
These small yet powerful add-ons introduce all sorts of new functionality to give Safari a major upgrade. They‘ll streamline your workflows while also adding some personal flair to your browsing environment.
Intrigued yet? As a writer, researcher, and avid macOS enthusiast, I‘ve tried countless Safari extensions over the past 5 years. In this guide just for you, I‘ll share my current top 8 extensions delivering the biggest bang for your buck.
I‘ll tell you exactly what they do, who they can help most, and considerations around using them. My goal? Equip you with a killer customized Safari setup taking your daily browsing to the next level!
Let‘s get started…
An Overview of Safari Extensions
Before jumping into the extensions themselves, I wanted to quickly cover:
What exactly are Safari extensions? Mini add-on programs that unlock new functionality within Apple‘s browser. They‘re like supercharged bookmarks delivering extra features.
What can they do? Lots! Block ads and trackers, save money shopping online, translate languages, assist writing, dim video pages, float video popouts, customize search engines, regain control of tabs from misbehaving sites, and more.
Who benefits most? Casual and power users alike! Extensions introduce helpful capabilities for nearly everyone browsing the modern web. They aid productivity, privacy, entertainment, research, shopping, language comprehension, and more.
What should I know beforehand? Be selective in choosing extensions tailored to your needs and habits. Too many may slow down browsing. Manage them responsibly regarding updates and monitoring for conflicts. Vet developers with ample reviews and users when possible.
Got it? Great! Now let‘s boost Safari together…
1. StopTheMadness: Regain Total Control from Rogue Sites
We all likely visit the occasional website thinking something like:
"Hey, why can‘t I cmd-C copy this text snippet like normal? And why did my browser window suddenly get resized against my will?"
Some websites try overriding basic browser functionality that should remain under your control. StopTheMadness prevents such bothersome behavior through a tiny but essential extension.
It ensures complete browser control no matter where you navigate:
✅ Use all macOS keyboard shortcuts and trackpad gestures
✅ Stop auto-playing videos
✅ Prevent unwanted pop-ups
✅ Keep save dialog windows from moving files without permission
Do you cherish full sovereignty over your browsing environment? StopTheMadness is a must-have for reinforcing positive habits sites attempt to restrict.
The $10 lifetime personal license pays for itself in productivity and peace of mind almost immediately. Don‘t let another pesky site steal control from you!
Key Benefits:
🚀 Use all standard keyboard shortcuts regardless of restrictive sites
🚀 Block unwanted pop-ups and dialog boxes
🚀 Preserve intended browser functionality
Considerations:
💲 $10 purchase (one-time payment for unlimited personal use license)
📱 Not compatible on iPhone/iPad
2. Grammarly: Refine Writing Across the Web
Here‘s an interesting stat: Grammarly currently actively powers over 30 million monthly users spanning 6.9 billion pages touched!
Based on how often I rely on this stellar writing assistant extension, those figures don‘t surprise me in the least.
If you write anything substantial across web applications and sites, Grammarly should absolutely be your co-pilot! It runs silently in the background analyzing text as you type or edit. When it detects potential errors, you‘ll see subtle underlines allowing quick corrections:
![GrammarlySafariExample.png](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1677162600278/GrammarlySafariExample.png align="center")
The beauty lies in refinement happening in real-time without needing to copy/paste content into a separate tool. And it works across nearly all text fields Safari can access.
I lean on Grammarly daily everywhere from Google Docs to the WordPress editor powering this very site! It helps me better express ideas through concise, engaging writing while saving tremendous editing effort.
Don‘t let small errors undermine your written pieces again!
Key Benefits:
✏️ Identifies spelling, grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary errors
📈 Optimizes overall readability, clarity, and impact
🧠 Educational for improving long-term writing skill
Considerations:
👆 Limited functionality without a Grammarly subscription
⚠️ Automated suggestions still imperfect requiring human oversight
3. Turn Off the Lights: Avoid Video Distractions
I don‘t know about you, but I often have trouble staying laser focused on a YouTube or Netflix video without clicks pulling me elsewhere intriguing article links.
Turn Off the Lights practically forces you to minimize disturbances by darkening everything except the video player itself.
It works on most major streaming platforms. Just try watching a clip with the extension enabled vs disabled. The contrast difference is jarring in keeping attention locked!
I‘ll frequently enable Turn Off the Lights when reference educational videos in one monitor while writing code on the other. Removing the sea of suggested clips and recommendations is vital for information retention.
Give it a shot on streaming sites like YouTube, Vimeo, Netflix, etc. I think you‘ll be stunned just how captivated you become with the video alone in view!
Key Benefits:
🔦 Darkens and hides everything except the video player
💻 Enables immersive viewing while browsing/working other tabs
🎥 Works with most major streaming platforms
Considerations:
!!️ Limited effectiveness on sites using advanced HTML5 video players
📺 Full screen mode still ideal for completely distraction-free viewing
Alright, onto even more awesome extensions taking Safari up a notch…
4. Honey: Automatically Save Money Online Shopping
Honey seems almost magical in how it makes the online shopping process cheaper and more efficient.
Once installed, it runs silently in the background whenever you access major retailers. Before making a purchase, Honey first scans and tests applicable promo codes to save you money immediately at checkout.
I also love how it tracks price history on bookmarked items. You‘ll get notifications if any of those products have price drops.
Talk about easy savings without the usual tedious work of bargain hunting yourself!
Here‘s a look at Honey in action:
![HoneySafari.gif](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1677163218053/HoneySafari.gif align="center")
The savings add up quickly, especially around holidays and sales event when I‘m buying gadget upgrades and restocking wardrobe items.
While only useful for online shopping scenarios, Honey pays its way many times over each year. Set it and forget it!
Key Benefits:
💰 Automatically tests and applies applicable coupon codes at checkout
💵 Cashback and loyalty programs mean more rewards
🔔 Price drop alerts on bookmarked products
Considerations:
🛒 Benefits only evident during online purchases
!!️ May apply some expired promo codes
5. xSearch: Lightning Fast Search Engine Swapping
Standard web browsers limit you to a single default search engine used whenever tapping into the navigation search bar.
But what if you need to run the same query across multiple engines like Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, YouTube, Wikipedia, Amazon, etc?
That‘s where xSearch delivers major efficiency through custom keyboard shortcuts mapped to your selected search engines.
For example, I have Cmd+Shift+G bound to Google, Cmd+Shift+W to Wikipedia, Cmd+Shift+Y to YouTube, and so on.
With a quick key combo, I instantly swap engines allowing research exploration uncovering more diverse sources and perspectives. It even extends seamlessly into macOS system Spotlight searches!
Fellow researchers, academics, journalists, marketers and more need this extension in their toolkit for productivity and insights!
Key Benefits:
⌨️ Custom keyboard shortcuts enable lightning fast search engine swapping
🔎 Effortlessly compare results from diverse sources
🖥️ Works systemwide including Safari and Spotlight
Considerations:
💲 $5 single purchase (reasonable for unlimited personal use)
💭 Remembering custom key combinations takes regular practice
Give your exploration wings – grab xSearch to unlock your research potential!
6. PiPifier: Floating Videos for Continuous Playback
I‘m a huge fan of picture-in-picture capabilities keeping videos visibly playing even when switching browser tabs. It enables following along a tutorial or lecture without losing your spot if needing to glance elsewhere momentarily.
Frustratingly, Safari lacks native support for video popouts. But PiPifier fixes that through a rather brilliant extension I rely on daily.
Once installed, any HTML5 video player gains a popped out floating mini player with basic controls. Videos persist smoothly even navigating entirely different sites and apps!
I often use Safari‘s split screen feature to reference video lessons in one pane while actively working in the other. PiPifier ensures continuous visibility even when multiple tabs buried in the video split.
It takes a little setup tweaking at first but pays off tremendously for ongoing education and entertainment. Give it a spin!
Key Benefits:
🖥️ Enables floating picture-in-picture video popouts
💻 Follow coding/language tutorials while practicing in parallel tabs
🎮 Binge Netflix while researching and writing
Considerations:
💥 Buggy initial configuration process before stabilizing
🔊 System audio sometimes overrides video sound
Alright, onto the final set of stellar extensions ready to upgrade how you browse…
7. Polyglot: Translate Foreign Languages Seamlessly
The web contains boundless information…if only you could understand all of it! Language barriers often obstruct extracting meaning from niche international sites and texts.
Rather than inefficient copy/paste gyrations into translation tools, Polyglot handles the heavy lifting right within Safari.
When you highlight text on a page, Polyglot auto-detects the language. If different from your default, you‘ll instantly see a pop-up box with the translated English interpretation. 70+ languages supported!
![Polyglot Translation.gif](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1677163826729/Polyglot_Translation.gif align="center")
It feels like gaining a temporary superpower to extract insights from foreign sources. Polyglot also provides definitions, synonyms, and transliterations explaining text ambiguity.
I use it nearly everyday absorbing knowledge from Spanish, Greek, German, and Russian sites relevant to my work. Don‘t let language gaps limit your access to modern web prosperity!
Key Benefits:
🌎 Instant text translations without leaving foreign language pages
🌐 Supports 70+ languages for broad comprehension
🔠 Translations include definitions and transliterations for clarity
Considerations:
🔁 Setup not optimized for frequent switching between multiple languages
🔮 Occasional accuracy shortcomings on complex translations
8. DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials: Browse Worry-Free
Privacy risks loom large today across the web tracking your activities for profit through data exploitation. Safari itself provides limited protections against increasingly invasive advertising networks.
DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials serves as essential armor through website tracker shutdowns and forced encrypted connections. It provides tremendous peace of mind that your personal information stays safely guarded.
I run reports analyzing how many hidden tracker requests get blocked after each browsing session. It‘s staggering how many sites try following my digital trail unethically.
Privacy Essentials also grades sites based on how safely they manage visitor data. I‘m always cautious entering any site scoring lower than a "B" grade.
Key Benefits:
🛡️ Blocks hidden website tracker requests preserving privacy
🔒 Forces unencrypted sites into secure HTTPS protocol
✏️ Grades websites from A-F based on privacy practices
Considerations:
⚙️ Lacks granular settings adjustments for power users
🤯 Can break site functionality when blocking certain invasive trackers
Browse unfettered and confidently knowing your personal data stays protected!
Closing Thoughts
I don‘t know about you, but my Safari browsing feels downright lackluster without this robust set of extensions delivering extra convenience and functionality.
They introduce helpful new features Apple leaves absent otherwise in aiming for speed and efficiency baseline.
Through strategic Safari extensions installation aligned to your personal needs, you can achieve a vastly smoother and more productive browsing experience.
I hope walking through my top recommended extensions gave you some great ideas on how to take Safari up a level! Let me know if you have any other favorites I should check out.
Happy safe browsing out there!
Jesse
