Apple Releases Safari 17 With Profiles, Locked Private Browsing Windows and More

[MacRumors]

Apple today released Safari 17, the newest version of the Safari browser. Safari 17 can be downloaded on macOS Monterey and macOS Ventura, and it brings some of the macOS Sonoma features to older operating systems.

Safari 17 introduces support for Profiles, so browsing can be separated into topics like work and personal, plus it adds enhanced private browsing functionality that locks the private browser when it is not in use.

Apple says that search has been improved to provide more relevant results, and multiple tabs can be selected to add them to the tab bar or a Tab Group. Apple's full release notes for the update are below:

Safari 17 introduces new features, even faster performance, and improved security.

- Profiles keep your browsing separate for topics like work and personal, separating your history, cookies, extensions, Tab Groups, and Favorites
- Enhanced Private Browsing locks your private browsing windows when you're not using them, blocks known trackers from loading, and removes identifying tracking from URLs
- Streamlined search offers more relevant, faster, and easier-to-read results
- Multiple tab selection allows you to select multiple tabs at once and move them around the tab bar or create a Tab Group

Some features may not be available for all regions, or on all Apple devices.

Safari can be downloaded from the System Settings menu on macOS Ventura or in System Preferences on macOS Monterey.

Article Link: Apple Releases Safari 17 With Profiles, Locked Private Browsing Windows and More

 

[Caviar_X]

Finally!

 

[hky740]

Where can this be downloaded? When I look at Software Update, I only see Sonoma, no standalone download for Safari 17.

 

[bwintx]

Also a reminder that, if you are getting Safari 17 with Sonoma, you get JXL (JPEG XL) support baked-in, as was the case with Safari on iOS/iPad last week. Won’t work on the Mac without Sonoma, however. (Oddly enough, the Safari-ish Orion browser somehow does it without Sonoma, as I found out by accident a few days ago.)

 

[MrGimper]

So if this is possible, why do safari updates have to be “big news” in new macOS versions.

Just release new safari versions separately as and when. Why wait for a new OS version

 

[Sasparilla]

Where can this be downloaded? When I look at Software Update, I only see Sonoma, no standalone download for Safari 17.

Says it at the bottom of the article, of course things like this show up after a bit of a delay for some people and not for others...but if you look at the Sonoma download details (Settings / Software Update) and then scroll (alot) to the bottom of that little window showing all the details for the OS update there's a little "Other Updates Available" item which doesn't look like a hot link but clicking it brings up the Safari update item for me (along with a 13.6 OS update for me). Not very obvious this was waiting...

 

[Populus]

Having iOS 16 now on all my devices, I think it wouldn’t be a wise idea to update to Safari 17 in Monterey. I’ll stick with Safari 16.6.1

 

[FloatingBones]

I guess it's time to update to Monterey.
Actually, I think I'l just go straight to Ventura in a week or so.

 

[JamesMcFlyJR]

Tbh Safari 17 is the only worthwhile update for me with macOS (and even then its a stretch, I'll update to it just for the performance updates).

macOS sonoma is so featureless that I have absolutely no reason to update to it at all. Which is crazy to me since I always update the minute a new OS comes out.

• Widgets on desktop? wont use that
• Video conferencing features? also nope. im fine with what I have right now with continuity camera + my iPhone
• New Screensavers? LOL
• I also think the new log in screen is a downgrade imo. not really a big deal but still
• Game mode? never game
• autocorrect improvements? dont use autocorrect since I have a physical keyboard on my macbook

Am I the only one?

 

[lkrupp]

Where can this be downloaded? When I look at Software Update, I only see Sonoma, no standalone download for Safari 17.

System Settings->General->Software Update, now scroll down to the bottom of that page to find “Other Updates Available. There’s a whole lot of text describing Sonoma but you will find Safari 17 at the very bottom. Of course this assumes you are using either Monterey or Ventura, otherwise Safari 17 is not available.

 

[lkrupp]

So if this is possible, why do safari updates have to be “big news” in new macOS versions.

Just release new safari versions separately as and when. Why wait for a new OS version

That’s where Safari Technology Preview comes in. I’ve been using it as my default browser for months on Ventura without issues.

 

[JosephAW]

Been doing that for years using multiple browsers, glad they brought it into one.

 

[lkrupp]

....

 

[unrigestered]

made the mistake and installed Safari 17.

now every time it's launched or a new tab is opened, it will obstruct my favorites view on my start page by a nagging screen that i should make Safari my default browser

Apple going Microsoft now?!

couldn't find a setting in the short while for now... any plist setting to get rid of this?

 

[unrigestered]

edit: never mind

 

[lysingur]

Also a reminder that, if you are getting Safari 17 with Sonoma, you get JXL (JPEG XL) support baked-in, as was the case with Safari on iOS/iPad last week. Won’t work on the Mac without Sonoma, however. (Oddly enough, the Safari-ish Orion browser somehow does it without Sonoma, as I found out by accident a few days ago.)

Do you happen to know how I can get JXL support on Ventura?

 

[David1986H]

I just updated to safari 17 on Ventura and the build number is 18616.1.27.111.22 is it only on Sonoma we get 19616.1.27.211.1?

Speedometer jumped up to 487 from 440 on safari 16.*

Not the 500+ points I was expecting looking at peoples posts earlier.

Maybe @Realityck knows this, he’s pretty good with version numbers etc.

 

[coolfactor]

HEADS UP

Not sure if it's related, but ever since installing Safari 17 in the past couple of hours, I've had random crashes of different apps. Messages crashed when trying to copy some text, and later Mail crashed when switching to a different message.

These apps NEVER crashed before this. The only change was installing Safari 17.

Running Venture 13.6, not Sonoma.

 

[Dylan33x]

I guess it's time to update to Monterey.
Actually, I think I'l just go straight to Ventura in a week or so.

Personally I would go to Monterey

 

[coolfactor]

made the mistake and installed Safari 17.

now every time it's launched or a new tab is opened, it will obstruct my favorites view on my start page by a nagging screen that i should make Safari my default browser

Apple going Microsoft now?!

couldn't find a setting in the short while for now... any plist setting to get rid of this?

Is Safari already set as your default browser? If not, is there a reason you're using it instead of your default?

I've been playing around with the new Profiles feature. Very well designed, but the extra layer is an added tax on my mental navigation. ... "which window was that in again?"

 

[msackey]

I hope they update News+ for Ventura too so that it too can display the new feature, Puzzles. My old computer cannot be upgraded to macOS Sonoma

 

[AudiHeel]

Now my bookmarks are spaced so far apart a dozen fell off the page - please fix Apple.

On Monterey 12.7

 

[unrigestered]

Is Safari already set as your default browser? If not, is there a reason you're using it instead of your default?

I've been playing around with the new Profiles feature. Very well designed, but the extra layer is an added tax on my mental navigation. ... "which window was that in again?"

i only use Safari for a couple of sites on my Mac, so it's not my default
it also only appears to come up when i'm on a private window

regarding the Profiles feature: i only tested it briefly when it was released on iOS, but either my conceptions are off, or i'm using it wrong, but at least on iOS those profiles don't save cookies separately and still use the same large pool globally for all profiles?
then what is the use?
if it is just about individual favorites for everyone i could just save tab groups?

 

[iMacBayArea]

Native ad blocking just like Brave and Arc please.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Tbh Safari 17 is the only worthwhile update for me with macOS (and even then its a stretch, I'll update to it just for the performance updates).

macOS sonoma is so featureless that I have absolutely no reason to update to it at all. Which is crazy to me since I always update the minute a new OS comes out.

• Widgets on desktop? wont use that
• Video conferencing features? also nope. im fine with what I have right now with continuity camera + my iPhone
• New Screensavers? LOL
• I also think the new log in screen is a downgrade imo. not really a big deal but still
• Game mode? never game
• autocorrect improvements? dont use autocorrect since I have a physical keyboard on my macbook

Am I the only one?

Apple won’t call it this, but it feels a little bit like a Snow Leopard year. They never talk about bug fixes, only the features that are in common with iOS.

I will agree with you that it seems like Apple actually copied Microsoft for once. The login screen is identical to the Windows 11 login screen. Which is ironic since they were clearly trying to copy Apple. I don’t think it looks worse but it does remind me of Windows which is unpleasant in its own way.

FWIW I went ahead and upgraded day one and already notice lots of little improvements. Nothing broke, and some things like notifications couldn’t possibly get any worse, so why not?

It feels noticeably less buggy, and even Apple admits that Safari feels snappier.