If Safari is your primary browser, like it is for me, it’s certainly one of the most important apps on the Mac. But did you know you can make it do more? You can with browser extensions.
If you aren’t familiar with browser extensions, they are software add-ons that add functionality to Safari. Safari doesn’t have as many extensions as Google Chrome, but there are several that you can take advantage of. Safari extensions are available through the App Store.
You can find extensions for Mac Safari by selecting Safari > Safari Extensions in the Safari menu bar. Then click on the Browse Extensions button. An overview page will then open in the Mac App Store. Free and paid extensions are available; installed plug-ins are also automatically made available on iOS and iPadOS. You can manage the installed extensions on the Mac under Settings > Extensions. On the iPhone and iPad, each extension usually comes with its own app.
Looking for some guidance on which ones to try? Here are a few of my favorite Safari extensions.
Block annoying ads with Wipr 2
In the App Store, the Wipr 2 extension is one of the more popular paid extensions–rightly so, in my opinion. For $4.99, you can use it to block ads and other annoying page elements on macOS and iOS Safari.
What sets Wipr apart from other tools is its very active developer: Its block lists are updated twice a week. A highlight is the additional “Wipr Extra” list, which goes beyond the standard. Wipr not only provides more convenience, but also offers practical special functions, such as blocking annoying cookie banners and support for YouTube.
Wipr 2 has its blocklists updated twice a week.
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Although some banners were not taken into account in an initial test, the tool makes a good impression. A new version called Filtr is already planned, which will make it possible to block disruptive content in all of your apps, not just Safari. This is based on an upcoming new system function of macOS 26 and iOS 26 called URL Filtering.
Collect articles with Obsidian
At first glance, the note manager Obsidian may seem a little off-putting. The app’s interface design looks a little like it was designed specifically for nerds and programmers. The multi-column view is also practical, but confusing at first. However, it’s worth giving this free tool a chance.
Obsidian for Safari can be very helpful if you perform a lot of research on the web.
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One of its strengths is the webclipper, which allows you to save entire web pages in Blogger Markdown format. Synchronization between iOS and macOS is possible via iCloud, but the clipper seems to work more reliably on the Mac platform. The paid version can also publish articles on the web and offers additional functions.
Protect against malware: Antivirus One
The Antivirus One extension is designed to protect against dubious sites with malware and phishing attacks. The tool is part of the Antivirus One antivirus app from Trend Micro. If you download the reasonably-priced antivirus program for the Mac, the browser extension will also be installed. After installation, you still need to activate the extension via the app, then every website accessed in Safari is compared in a database, and known phishing and malware sites are blocked.
The Antivirus One app includes a Safari extension that checks for malware.
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Safari already offers its own protection function, but the extension from Trend Micro is an interesting addition. The Antivirus One can also be used free of charge for manual scans of the Mac, while the full version offers automatic virus definition updates and live virus protection for $20 a year. Learn more about antivirus protection of your Mac.
Tune YouTube with Vinegar
Vinegar ($1.99) is designed to make YouTube videos more convenient. It replaces YouTube’s playback function with its own. A picture-in-picture feature makes it possible to surf other sites at the same time as a YouTube video is being displayed. The mini-video player can be moved to the top or bottom of the screen and enlarged or reduced in size.
Vinegar tunes up the YouTube player
Stephan Wiesend
Videos can then be started and displayed in full-screen mode without interrupting playback when switching to another tab, which is otherwise only offered by the paid YouTube player. These options would be particularly useful on iOS and iPadOS, but unfortunately, the current version has stability problems.
Download websites with SingleFile
With SingleFile (free), you can download a complete website to your Mac, including image files, fonts, and other files. Safari can save web pages, but Single Filer offers a few more useful options. By right-clicking on its extension icon, you can call up further options. If desired, the tool saves only a selection of the website, several tabs, or only the links of a website.
SingleFile allows you to save a webpage as one file.
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Collect reading material with Quiche Reader
Quiche Reader (free) is an app that’s a great alternative to Safari’s reading list or a tool like Read it Later. It’s designed to manage a list of articles for Safari. For example, if you find a long article that you want to read in full later, you can send it to Quiche Reader app using the sharing function. This works on the Mac using the Safari extension (or Chrome and Firefox), on the iPhone and iPad you send the page to the respective app using the sharing function. Synchronization between Mac and iPad or iPhone is also possible via iCloud.
When you click on the Quiche Reader icon in Safari, it saves a version of the article in the Quiche Reader app for reading at a later time.
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When you start the app, you see the last page you opened in a browser window and can read it. Buttons or key commands allow you to archive or delete the page after reading, in which case the tool immediately shows the next saved page. There is even a snooze function that allows you to skip the article–but if you have already moved an article three times, you now have to delete or archive it! This is to prevent the reading list from becoming confusing.
Check text entries with Language Tool
A good solution for correcting any text on the iPhone is the AI-based app Language Tool. The software can recognise significantly more errors and also provides style suggestions. The tool is also available as a Safari extension, which recognizes grammatical errors as well as typos. However, the tool is probably most interesting for devices that do not support Apple Intelligence and do not offer the new writing tools.
Language Tool can help with your writing.
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To use it under iOS in emails, notes, or even Safari forms, you can activate the app as an iOS keyboard. This sounds like a makeshift solution, but it makes it easy to use in other apps. After creating a text, you can simply press the keyboard button to start the language tool. You will then see errors and receive style tips in a pop-up window.
The service is free to use, but the recommended premium version with style check costs $70 per year.
Block cookie banners with Consent-O-Matic
In the European Union, websites must comply with the GDPR laws, so pop-ups on European websites appear asking for user consent. Consent-O-Matic (free) can automatically fill in the annoying consent forms that are displayed. The tool is maintained by researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark and automatically fills in cookie banners and other pages for you, so they are not blocked.
Consent-O-Matic works well with English-language websites.
Aarhus University
If you mainly use English- and Danish-language websites, Constent-O-Matic can be quite successful. Unfortunately, it has weaknesses when it comes to German websites. Apparently, it has to be optimized for each type of banner, and German websites are not the main focus of the operators.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication Macwelt and was translated and localized from German.
Author: Stephan Wiesend, Contributor, Macworld
Stephan Wiesend has been writing articles on the topics of macOS, iOS, Android, software, hardware and security since 2001. After starting out as a trainee and editor at Macwelt magazine, he lives as a freelance journalist in Munich. He has published several books on the subject of iPhones and apps at Stiftung Warentest.