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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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30,340



CloudyTabs is a new utility for Mac owners who prefer to use Chrome or Firefox for their browser, but don't want to give up one of iCloud's useful features -- iCloud Tabs. Created by developer Josh Parnham, the open source app resides in your menu bar and lets you open your iCloud tabs in any web browser you choose. (Via MacStories)

cloudy-tabs.png
iCloud Tabs was rolled out in OS X Mountain Lion and works with any iCloud-enabled iOS device running iOS 6 or higher. The iCloud service syncs your open tabs across your iOS and OS X devices, allowing you to access your iOS browser tabs from Safari on the Mac. It also works in the opposite direction by displaying open Safari for Mac tabs on your iOS device.

iCloud Tabs is a convenient feature for Mac Safari users, but it is not compatible with Chrome or Firefox for the Mac. If you use an alternative web browser, you need a third-party tool like CloudyTabs to view your open iOS tabs. CloudyTabs compiles the existing iCloud Tab information from OS X and does not require you to enter in your iCloud credentials.

Just like the official iCloud version, CloudyTabs breaks down your open tabs by device, allowing you to see what you have open on your iPad, iPhone and other Macs. Tapping on a tab in the menu bar app will open the URL in your selected browser. You can open tabs individually or choose to open all tabs from a chosen device.

Unlike iCloud Tabs which shares between iOS and OS X, CloudyTabs only works in one direction (iOS to Mac) and does not share your open Chrome or Firefox tabs on your iOS device. If you need bidirectional sharing, you must use iCloud Tabs with Safari on the Mac or switch to Chrome, which can share bookmarks between Chrome for the Mac and Chrome for iOS [Direct Link].

CloudyTabs is open source and available for free to download from Github.

Article Link: 'CloudyTabs' Brings iCloud Tabs to Third-Party Mac Browsers via the OS X Menu Bar
 

0160033

Cancelled
Feb 12, 2012
43
55
Can someone explain the mechanics of how this works without using my iCloud credentials? Are my tabs visible publicly through some iCloud API?

Edit: Looks like it just inspects a .plist file on your Mac that iCloud handles if you've already signed in on your system. I'm surprised Apple didn't encrypt it to make sure you're locked into using Safari.
 

SR71

macrumors 68000
Jan 12, 2011
1,602
365
Boston, MA
Can someone explain the mechanics of how this works without using my iCloud credentials? Are my tabs visible publicly through some iCloud API?

I'm assuming it works through the iCloud account that you're already signed into on your Mac.
 

Parasprite

macrumors 68000
Mar 5, 2013
1,698
144
The only thing iCloud tabs has done is reminded me that I have open tabs on my iDevices. I rarely, if ever, have a reason to be pushed to the mobile version of a website when I try to open it on my Mac (or conversely, rerouted to the mobile-version of the home page of a website when I try to open it on my iDevices).

I appreciate now having the option of interoperability with Chrome/Firefox, however.
 

darkslide29

macrumors 68000
Oct 5, 2011
1,860
886
San Francisco, California
Can someone explain the mechanics of how this works without using my iCloud credentials? Are my tabs visible publicly through some iCloud API?

Edit: Looks like it just inspects a .plist file on your Mac that iCloud handles if you've already signed in on your system. I'm surprised Apple didn't encrypt it to make sure you're locked into using Safari.

Oh just you wait until the next OS X security update. ;)
 

eded

macrumors newbie
Feb 17, 2012
7
0
9.0?

It says it can't run on my system (10.8.5) and that it needs 10.9...
 

Watabou

macrumors 68040
Feb 10, 2008
3,425
755
United States
Icon looks too similar to cloudapp. In fact, the shape is the same, they just removed the black foreground color. It feels weird that I have two cloud icons on my menu bar.

Very useful app though.

It says it can't run on my system (10.8.5) and that it needs 10.9...

Right click on the app icon, select Package Contents. Then go to CloudyTabs -> Contents. Open up the Info.plist file in a text editor (textedit is fine), change the 10.9 string to 10.8
 

iRockMan1

macrumors regular
Sep 3, 2008
106
131
Nashville, Tn
I'd kill for a way to be able to open my Firefox tabs in mobile Safari. I can't think of one instance where I've wanted to open an iOS tab on my Mac, but I often stumble across articles while browsing on my Mac and want to kick back and read them on my iPad.
 

Parasprite

macrumors 68000
Mar 5, 2013
1,698
144
I'd kill for a way to be able to open my Firefox tabs in mobile Safari. I can't think of one instance where I've wanted to open an iOS tab on my Mac, but I often stumble across articles while browsing on my Mac and want to kick back and read them on my iPad.

I used to just email them to myself, but lately I've just been opening them on non-mobile Safari and saving them to reading list so it'll sync up to my iPad without needing to leave the tab open. Really the only use I've found so far for the damn thing.
 

eded

macrumors newbie
Feb 17, 2012
7
0
Right click on the app icon, select Package Contents. Then go to CloudyTabs -> Contents. Open up the Info.plist file in a text editor (textedit is fine), change the 10.9 string to 10.8

Thanx, that did it!
 
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