With the launch of macOS Sonoma to developers at WWDC 2023 in June, Apple introduced Safari 17 – a major update to the company’s web browser. While Safari 17 beta was initially only available with macOS 14, Apple has now made the beta available to Mac users running macOS Ventura and Monterey.
Safari 17 beta now available for macOS 13 and 12
Safari 17 has several enhancements, including support for JPEG XL and HEIC media formats and Live Text support for vertical text. With Profiles, users can keep their browsing history and website settings separated by topics such as Work and Personal. Safari 17 also lets users share passwords and passkeys with trusted contacts.
There are also big updates for web developers. The Responsive Design Mode has been refreshed to “focus on the responsiveness of a page’s design at any width or height on your Mac.” The Developer menu has also been redesigned to make it easier to find the key tools used for creating and testing websites and web apps.
Apple has also replaced the Experimental Features section, which was rather cluttered, with a new Feature Flags setting. This menu lets users search for specific features to try. Experimental features are now categorized by Stable, Testable, Preview, or Developer.
And for those who want to try the new version of Safari before its release without having to install macOS Sonoma beta, Apple has now made Safari 17 beta available to users running earlier versions of macOS. However, there’s a catch. Some features, such as support for web apps, are only available for Macs running macOS Sonoma.
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A few weeks ago, Apple also updated Safari Technology Preview with some of the features coming with Safari 17. For those unfamiliar, Safari Technology Preview is a version with experimental features focused on developers.
If you want to install Safari 17 beta on your Mac, sign in with your Apple ID on the Apple Beta Software Program website and download the latest Safari beta build. One thing to keep in mind is that this version will replace your main Safari app.
Safari 17 is expected to be officially released to the public this fall with macOS Sonoma.
Read also:
- iCloud Passwords for Chrome is no longer only on Windows
- Google Chrome for iOS now lets users add web apps to the Home Screen
- macOS Sonoma public beta now available, here’s what’s new
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