extensions to safari

How to use Safari extensions on your iPhone and iPad

Along with some extensions to try.

By Barbara Krasnoff , a reviews editor who manages how-tos. She’s worked as an editor and writer for almost 40 years. Previously, she was a senior reviews editor for Computerworld.

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One of the handiest types of software in anyone’s quiver is the browser extension: those cool little applets that let your browser do what you want it to do. And one of the nicest things about iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 is that you can now add extensions to the Safari browser. Even though this is a new feature that launched with the latest iOS version, there are already a number of useful extensions available for you to add.

What follows is a rundown on how to add extensions to your Safari app — while we’ve illustrated the process using an iPhone, you can follow the same basic directions with an iPad. We’ve also included a sampling of some extensions you can try.

How to add extensions

• Tap on the Settings app.
• Scroll down to and select Safari > Extensions.
• Any extensions that you’ve already installed will be listed here. Tap on “More Extensions” if you’d like to see what’s available in the App Store. (You can also simply go to the App Store and search on “Safari Extensions.”)

• Once you’ve installed your first extension, you’ll see a little “puzzle piece” icon on the left side of Safari’s address bar. Tap that, and the menu that pops up will include your current extensions plus a “Manage Extensions” selection, which lets you toggle your extensions on and off.

Some extensions to try

This is a small sampling of some of the extensions that you can now access via the App Store. While there are not many extensions yet available (compared to the number of extensions for, say, Chrome), it’s a pretty safe bet that there will be lots more to come over the next few months.

Amplosion ($2.99)

AMP, which is short for “Accelerated Mobile Pages,” is a web format created by Google to optimize search results for mobile browsers. However, if you’d rather not have Google tweaking the webpages you upload, you can use Amplosion to redirect the AMP links that show up in search results into normal mobile links.

Noir ($2.99)

When you’re browsing at night and you’ve set your iPhone or iPad to dark mode, you will often hit a website that is bright enough to make your eyes water. Noir allows you to set a dark mode for all the websites you visit.

1Password (subscription needed)

1Password is a well-known and respected password manager . If you’re a 1Password user, there’s no question that you’re going to want to add this one to your mobile Safari app.

Super Agent for Safari (free)

This handy extension automatically fills out a website’s cookie consent forms based on your preferences, which can save you a lot of time and irritation.

Web Inspector (free)

Something for developers: an app that lets you inspect the HTML coding of a website, modify it, debug it, and perform other essential tasks.

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How-To Geek

How to install and use safari extensions on iphone and ipad.

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Apple introduced a few interesting features with iOS and iPadOS 15, but one of the most useful is extension support in Safari. The upgrade levels it with its desktop counterpart in terms of power, and you can take advantage of that power now.

Safari extensions on your iPhone or iPad work very similarly to extensions on the macOS version of Safari. They have the same level of power as desktop extensions, giving you much more control of your web browsing experience than has ever been possible in iOS or iPadOS before.

Apple introduced support for these extensions in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, so before you start using them, you'll need to update your device to iOS or iPadOS 15 or later.

Installing Safari extensions is an easy process on both iPhone and iPad. The process of actually finding them can be a little tricky. Some extensions, like the 1Password extension , are included with the app, while others are standalone extensions.

Either way, you'll find extensions in the App Store. As of September 2021, there isn't a separate section for extensions, so you'll need to look at a listing in the App Store to see whether it includes an extension or not.

To install the 1Password extension, for example, you would open the App Store, then search for "1Password" in the search bar at the top of the screen. Then you tap the app's listing and scroll down until you see the Supports section.

If an app either is an extension or includes one, you'll see "Safari Extension" listed under the Supports heading. Install the app, and it will install the extension alongside it.

To browse a selection of the available extensions, you can open settings, scroll down to the Safari settings, then go to Extensions. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and tap More Extensions to see a list of extensions within the App Store.

This isn't a complete list of Safari extensions, but it's a nice starting point to see what's available.

One tricky aspect of Safari extensions on both iOS and iPadOS is that they aren't enabled by default. Before you can actually use an extension, you'll need to enable it.

The process is the same on both iPhone and iPad. Open Settings, select the Safari settings menu, then tap Extensions.

Under Allow These Extensions, you'll see a list of all the extensions you've installed and whether they're enabled or not. To enable an extension, tap on it, then enable the option slider at the top of the screen.

If there are any Permissions settings for a given extension, they'll appear at the bottom of the screen after you enable it. For 1Password, for example, you'll see a list of websites you've allowed the extension on as well as the option to enable it on all websites.

Some extensions like content blockers work in the background, so you never need to actively use them. Other extensions have options or functionality you want to use within Safari.

Fortunately, using these extensions is as easy on iPhone and iPad as it is on Safari on a Mac. That said, the process differs slightly between iPhone and iPad.

Using Safari Extensions on iPhone

Starting with iOS 15, the Safari navigation bar has moved to the bottom of the screen, though you can move it back to its original home if you prefer. No matter where the navigation bar is for you, find it and tap the website settings (double A) icon.

In the menu that appears, you'll see Manage Extensions near the top. Below it, you'll see some of the extensions you've enabled. Tap an extension here to use it.

In the case of 1Password, for example, if you tap its menu entry, the app will prompt you for your master password, then show you available logins for the website you're currently browsing.

Using Safari Extensions on iPad

Using extensions in Safari on iPad is easier. In the navigation bar at the top of the screen, you'll see a puzzle-piece icon that will bring up the Manage Extensions screen.

You'll also see icons for certain extensions, almost as you would in a desktop browser. Tap an extension's icon to use it or to access certain settings.

With your extensions set up, you may also be interested in using widgets on your iPad Home Screen .

Related: How to Use Home Screen Widgets on iPad

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