safari security and privacy

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How to use safari’s privacy and security features on iphone.

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Mobile Safari—the web browser on your iPhone and iPad—has a number of privacy features you might not be using, like blocking all cookies and preventing cross site tracking. Let’s look at what options are available and how to enable them.

You'll find Safari’s various Privacy and Security features in one place. Just head to Settings > Safari, and then scroll down to the "Privacy & Security" section.

You'll find six settings here:

Prevent Cross-Site Tracking: Some websites use third-party services to track what you do across the internet in order to serve you targeted ads. If you enable this setting, Safari regularly deletes tracking data unless you visit the third-party directly. For example, if you don’t visit Amazon for a while, Safari deletes their ad tracking data so Amazon ads won’t show you products you’ve looked at in the past.
Block All Cookies: Cookies really aren’t that scary and a lot of websites need them to work. But if you want to block them, you can. Just toggle this setting on.
Ask Websites Not to Track Me: With this setting turned on, every time you visit a site, Safari initiates a Do Not Track request with the site. The downside is that it’s up to the site to respect the request—and lots don’t . If you’re concerned about your privacy, it’s worth turning on this setting; just be aware that it might not do much on some sites.
Fraudulent Website Warning: Google and Tencent both maintain lists of millions of suspected scam and phishing websites. With this setting enabled, Safari checks each site you visit to see if it’s on one of those lists. If it is, you’ll get a warning that proceeding might not be safe.
Camera & Microphone Access: Some web apps—like video chat apps—need access to your iPhone’s camera and microphone to work. With this option on, you’ll automatically grant them permission. It’s better to keep it off and work on a case by case basis.
Check for Apple Pay: Apple Pay doesn’t just work in physical stores; some online stores also support it. With this setting enabled, when you use one of these stores, they can check to see if you’re browsing on your iPhone and can confirm purchases using Touch ID or Face ID.

And if you're interesting in optimizing your desktop Safari web browser for privacy , we have you covered there, too.

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Apple Launches New Safari Ad Campaign: 'A Browser That's Actually Private'

Apple today shared a new privacy-focused Safari ad, which is designed to highlight the ways that Safari protects user privacy compared to other browsers.

The video is accompanied by billboards in cities around the world and short digital ads that are being shown on social networks. Apple has also highlighted some of the recent privacy updates made to Safari on its WebKit blog .

Safari has long protected advertisers from tracking users across the web with cross-site tracking, and it uses Intelligent Tracking Prevention to suss out and block domains collecting tracking data.

IP addresses are hidden from known trackers in Safari, as this can be used to identify users across websites, plus location information is not shared without express user permission and with optional time limitations. To cut down on fingerprinting, a tracking technique that uses system configuration info, Safari provides limited information to trackers to make devices look more identical.

The Safari Private Browsing mode offers an option to use a different search engine, it strips information added to URLs for tracking purposes, it has a content blocker to block network requests from known trackers, and it restricts web extensions that have access to webpage content and browsing history.

iCloud + subscribers have additional protections with ‌iCloud‌ Private Relay and Safari Private Browsing, including separate sessions for every tab so sites can't tell if two tabs came from the same device and a non-specific IP location based on country and time zone.

Tracking preventions that Apple designed specifically for Private Browsing mode are enabled by default when in that mode, but they can also be enabled for regular browsing by going to Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced > Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection on an ‌iPhone‌ and toggling on the "All Browsing" feature. On a Mac, the setting can be found under Safari > Settings > Advanced.

According to Apple, a number of Safari's protections are not offered by other browsers such as Chrome, which makes Safari the ideal choice for privacy. Safari's unique features include using machine learning to combat cross-site tracking, removing unique trackers from URLs in Private Browsing, hiding IP address from known trackers, preventing web extensions from seeing browsing by default, not sharing location data with search engine, and blocking known trackers in Private Browsing.

More information on Safari's privacy protections can be found on Apple's privacy website , with specific technical information available on the WebKit blog .

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Tell websites to stop tracking you

Change your search engine to duckduckgo.

Hide your IP address

Stop using location services

Disable autofill, clear your browsing history, block your cookies, 7 settings you should change in safari to enhance your privacy.

If you use Safari on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad, you can enable settings to enhance your privacy while web browsing.
You can easily disable cookies, change your search engine to DuckDuckGo, hide your IP address, and more.
Here are seven of the top ways to make your online activity more private.

While Apple has allowed alternative browsers on the iPhone and iPad for quite some time, odds are good that if you have one of those devices (or a Mac computer, of course) you frequently use Safari to browse the web. It's relatively safe and private, but you can do much better by tweaking a few settings. Here are seven Safari settings that'll enhance your privacy when you're online.

Almost every step you take online is tracked by websites to target you for ads and to customize your experience. But you can shut most of that down by telling Safari to stop tracking you. On your iPhone or iPad, start the Settings app and then tap Safari . In the Privacy & Security section, enable Prevent Cross-Site Tracking by swiping the button to the right.

On a Mac, start Safari and then click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Click Preferences in the dropdown menu. In the Preferences window, click the Privacy tab and then click the checkbox for Prevent Cross-Site Tracking .

Google is most people's default, but that search engine fundamentally lacks privacy. If you don't want a large corporation to know your browsing history, switch to DuckDuckGo. On an iPhone or iPad, start the Settings app and then tap Safari . In the Search section, tap Search Engine and choose DuckDuckGo from the options.

If you're using a Mac, start Safari and then click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Click Preferences in the dropdown menu. In the Preferences window, click the Search tab. Finally, to the right of Search Engine , click the dropdown menu and switch from Google to DuckDuckGo .

Hide your IP address

By default, websites can see your IP address, which can reveal personal details about you including your location. If you prefer, you can hide this from online trackers. On your iPhone or iPad, start the Settings app and then tap Safari . In the Privacy & Security section, tap Hide IP Address and choose From Trackers .

A lot of your mobile device's secret sauce is based on location services — your iPhone and iPad need to know where you are to make smart suggestions and offer location-based features. But if you don't want Safari to know where you are, it's easy to turn off. On an iPhone or iPad, start the Settings app and then tap Safari . In the Settings for Websites section, tap Location and change the setting to Deny (or, if you want to be asked every time, choose Ask ).

On a Mac, start Safari and then click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Click Preferences in the dropdown menu. In the Preferences window, click the Websites tab. Choose Location in the pane on the left. At the bottom of the window, configure When visiting other sites by clicking the dropdown menu and choosing Ask or Deny .

Autofill is a great feature if you don't like to enter basic personal information into web forms over and over again, but for that to work, Safari has to record private data. Don't want that? On an iPhone or iPad, start the Settings app and then tap Safari . In the General section, tap Autofill and turn off Use Contact Info and Credit Cards by swiping the buttons to the left.

On a Mac, start Safari and then click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Click Preferences in the dropdown menu. In the Preferences window, click the AutoFill tab. You can disable autofill data in four categories by clearing the checkboxes.

This one is the traditional, go-to way to enhance your privacy — you can clear your browsing history from time to time to erase records on your device about where you've been online, along with your saved website passwords. On an iPhone or iPad, start the Settings app and then tap Safari . Then scroll down and tap Clear History and Website Data . Conform you want to do that in the popup window.

On a Mac, start Safari and then click History in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Click Clear History in the dropdown menu, choose the timeframe you want from the dropdown menu, and click Clear History .

If you prevent cross-site tracking (see the earlier tip in this article), Safari prevents some third-party cookies. But you can disable all cookies if you want to amp up your privacy — just be aware that your online experience will be less convenient, and some sites won't work properly. To try it on an iPhone or iPad, start the Settings app and then tap Safari . In the Privacy & Security section, enable Block All Cookies by swiping the button to the right.

On a Mac, start Safari and then click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Click Preferences in the dropdown menu. In the Preferences window, click the Privacy tab. Beside Cookies and website data , click the checkbox for Block all cookies .

Main content

How to manage privacy and security settings in Safari on iPhone and iPad

Browsing on the internet is something most of us do just about every day, but there is always a slight element of danger, whether it's viruses, identity theft, or getting spoiled for Game of Thrones (DAMN IT).

If you want to have more control over your privacy and security while using Safari on your iPhone or iPad, here's how!

How to prevent cross-site tracking

How to block all cookies in safari, how to request that websites don't track you, how to get warnings about fraudulent websites, how to allow or deny camera and microphone access, how to see if websites have apple pay set up, how to clear your history and website data, how to remove all website data.

Ever been looking at shoes and then shoe ads suddenly pop up on your Facebook feed? That's cross-site tracking and it's a way of monitoring your online behavior to better cater advertising toward you. If you don't like that, then you can turn it off in Safari like this:

Launch Settings from your Home screen.
Tap Safari . You'll have to scroll down to find it.
Tap the switch next to Prevent Cross-Site Tracking . It's down under Privacy & Security .

Launch Settings, tap Safari, tap the switch next to Prevent Cross-Site Tracking

Cookies are bits of your information that websites store in order to perhaps customize your experience in future or to save login information so that you don't have to constantly input your email address, for example. If you don't want Safari sites to save any of your info, then you can block all cookies like this:

Tap the switch next to Block All Cookies . It's down under Privacy & Security .

Launch Settings, tap Safari, tap the switch next to Block All Cookie

Adding to the above-mentioned cross-site tracking information, you can also get Safari to send requests to websites asking them not to track your behavior. This is added padding in cross-site tracking prevention.

Tap the switch next to Ask Websites Not To Track Me . It's down under Privacy & Security .

Launch Settings, tap Safari, tap the switch next to Ask Websites Not To Track Me

Safari can detect when websites are suspicious or may appear fraudulent, and if you enable the setting, you can get a warning before visiting those sites. You can also just hit "Ignore" if you know the site is legit.

Tap the switch next to Fraudulent Website Warning . It's down under Privacy & Security . Green is on.

Launch Settings, tap Safari, tap the switch next to Fraudulent Website Warning

Some websites may want access to your camera and microphone — sites like Facebook — and Safari would therefore need that access. You can completely deny it like this:

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Tap the switch next to Camera & Microphone Access . It's down under Privacy & Security .

Launch Settings, tap Safari, tap the switch next to Camera & Microphone Access

Safari can automatically check to see if the site you're visiting supports Apple Pay. Here's how to enable it:

Tap the switch next to Check for Apple Pay . It's down under Privacy & Security .

Launch Settings, tap Safari, tap the switch next to Check for Apple Pay

If you've been looking up J-Law's nudes or scheming on Xmas gifts for the wife and she also uses your phone, you can clear your Safari browsing history, which will also clear out your browsing data like cookies, login information, and more.

Tap Clear History and Website Data .
Tap Clear History and Data in the pop-up.

Tap Safari, tap Clear History and Website Data, tap Clear History and Data

If you want to keep your browsing history but want to remove your data from Safari, you can just delete website data, which will remove cookies, login details, and more.

Tap Advanced at the bottom of the page.

Launch Settings, tap Safari, tap Advanced

Tap Website Data .
Scroll to the bottom and tap Remove All Website Data .
Tap Remove Now .

Tap Website Data, tap Remove All Website Data, tap Remove Now

Let us know in comments below!

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Safari - Privacy and Security in Safari

Safari -, privacy and security in safari, safari privacy and security in safari.

Safari: Privacy and Security in Safari

Lesson 5: privacy and security in safari.

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Safari privacy and security

Safari has several security features , including security indicators and malware protection . Because of its advanced security features , Safari offers a safe browsing experience. Safari also allows you to control what information you share online, keeping your personal information private.

Watch the video below to learn the basics of privacy and security in Safari.

Website security indicators

Whenever you navigate to an encrypted website, Safari will display a security indicator to the left of the web address in the address bar.

Understanding this indicator can help you stay safe when entering personal information online.

If no indicator appears, this means the site is not using a secure connection. This is not important for many websites, like a news source or weather forecast, but you should avoid entering sensitive personal information on these pages.

Safari offers a high level of protection from malicious websites, but you should still use your best judgement when browsing online. Review our Internet Safety tutorial to learn more about staying safe online.

Maintaining your privacy in Safari

Safari takes great care to keep your personal information private. It offers many ways to control your privacy, like modifying your privacy settings , deleting your history , and browsing in a private window.

Privacy settings

Safari allows you to control some of the information you share online, which you can modify in your privacy settings . We recommend not changing Safari's default selections, as they allow for the best balance of privacy and security while browsing. However, you can modify them if you want.

To modify your privacy settings:

Deleting browsing history

Like all browsers, Safari keeps a record of every website you visit in your browsing history . You may want to remove some or all of your browsing history for the sake of privacy.

To remove specific sites from history:

A new History tab will appear with your full browsing history .

To clear all browsing data:

Safari makes it easy to delete some or all of your history. For example, sometimes you might want to remove only your history from the past hour instead of removing your entire history. You might also want to remove all of your saved pages and cookies but keep your saved passwords.

The selected browsing history will be cleared.

Private browsing

For added privacy, Safari also offers private browsing , which allows you to browse the web without recording your history or storing cookies. This is a great way to keep your browsing history secret when planning a party or buying a gift for someone who shares your computer.

To create a private window:

Private browsing does not make Safari more secure —it only stops Safari from saving history and cookies for that session. Don't use a private window to view any websites you wouldn't feel safe viewing in a regular Safari window.

How to customize Safari privacy and security settings on iPhone and iPad

Want to check in on your Safari privacy and security settings? Follow along below for a look at what you can customize on iPhone and iPad and an explainer on each option.

Apple offers a host of security and privacy settings across iOS and iPadOS, and specifically within Safari settings, there are four options under Privacy & Security.

These include Prevent Cross-Site Tracking, Block All Cookies, Fraudulent Website Warning, and Check for Apple Pay. You’ll likely want to adjust these depending on your needs or preferences on iPhone and iPad .

Open Settings, swipe down and tap Safari
Swipe down again and look under Privacy & Security
Customize your settings, read more below for help on making a decision

Here’s how this looks:

Note: On Mac, you can head to Safari > Preferences > Privacy to see the same settings.

Either temporarily or permanently, you may want to allow cookies, as many websites will require them.

Another consideration is cross-site tracking. This will allow websites to track what you’ve been looking at if you turn the prevention feature off. However, it will mean you’ll get more relevant ads served to you compared to when you prevent cross-site tracking.

Personally, I always keep Check for Apple Pay and Fraudulent Website Warning toggled on, as I only see an upside to using them.

You can tap on About Safari & Privacy… to get a description of each one or read more below.

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Is Apple’s Safari browser the last, best hope for web privacy?

What browser do you use?

There’s a good chance—roughly one in seven—that it’s Google Chrome. And even if you prefer a different browser, there’s a good chance that you’re using something that’s based on Google Chrome, such as Edge, Vivaldi, Chromium, Brave, or Opera.

After a decade and and a half of relatively healthy competition between vendors, the World Wide Web is trending towards a browser monoculture. We’ve been there before and history suggests it’s bad news.

Last time it was Microsoft in the driver’s seat, and open standards and security were left tumbling about in the rear without a seat belt. This time Google has its hands on the wheel, and it’s our privacy in the back seat, being taken for a ride.

Chrome needs a counterweight and, thankfully, it still has one in Apple’s Safari browser. It’s imperfect, for sure, and its glacial pace of development might even be holding us all up, as Scott Gilbertson thoughtfully illustrated in a recent article on The Register. But it might also be the last, best hope for browser privacy we have.

Hear me out…

How Chrome ate the web

Google Chrome first appeared in 2008 and rapidly established itself as a browser that couldn’t be ignored, thanks to some catchy marketing on Google’s massive advertising platform. It was an excellent product with a ravenous appetite for market share, and its noisy focus on speed and security forced its rivals to take notice and compete on the same terms. Everyone benefitted.

And because none of the major browser vendors had enough market share to “ embrace, extend and extinguish “, as Microsoft had attempted when Internet Explorer was dominant, everyone was forced to follow the same open standards. This meant that web applications mostly worked the same way, no matter what browser you used.

However, as Chrome’s popularity increased, Google was able to exert more and more influence on the web in service of its ad-based business model, to the detriment of users’ privacy.

For example, in 2016 Google introduced AMP , a set of web standards that were designed to make websites faster on mobile devices. In a move that could have come straight out of Redmond circa 1996, the AMP rulebook was written by Google and varied wildly from the open standards everyone had been working towards for the past fifteen years or so.

AMP was superficially open, but there was no AMP without Google. To use AMP your pages had to load code from Google-owned domains, debugging your code required Google-owned tools, your pages were stored in a Google-owned cache, and they were displayed under a Google-owned domain, so that users weren’t really on your website anymore, they were looking at your web pages on Google, thank you very much.

To incentivise the use of AMP, Google leveraged its search monopoly by creating “reserved” slots at the top of its mobile search rankings that were only available to AMP pages. If you wanted to top the search rankings, you had to play the AMP game.

Google pulled another bullish move in 2018 when it decided that logging into and out of a Google website like GMail or YouTube was the same as logging into the Chrome browser, because it could. So instead of being logged into the giant surveillance monster while you were using its websites, you were logged into the giant surveillance monster all the time, unless you remembered to log out of the browser, which of course you didn’t, because people just don’t think about logging in and out of their browser .

And then this year we had a great illustration of the bind that Google’s in even when it tries to do the right thing. It’s got the message that users want less tracking and more privacy, but unlike Firefox and Safari, Chrome can’t simply block the third-party cookies used for tracking , because Google’s advertising business model (and therefore Chrome’s very existence) depends on them.

Chrome is planning to ban third-party cookies, but not until at least 2023—years after Safari—because it needs to establish a replacement tracking tech.

The replacement is called Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC), and it’s designed to thread the needle of enabling targeted ads while keeping users anonymous, by lumping similar users into great big groups, called Cohorts. It may yet deliver ads that disrespect your privacy less, but it’s a brand new technology and it’s off to a slow, rocky start .

FLoC shows us why even a benign Google monoculture would hold back user privacy, and why Chrome needs a counterweight.

The other candidates

On the face of it, Microsoft seems a good potential counterweight to Google (stop sniggering at the back, a counterweight doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to have different weaknesses and be hard to kill).

Everyone who uses Windows gets its browser for free, and Microsoft has been happy to use privacy as a stick to beat its rival when it suits. For example, when it launched Internet Explorer 10, Microsoft enabled the nascent Do Not Track feature by default, a pro-privacy step that it knew Google couldn’t follow without cutting off its ad revenue. (Admittedly, it probably crashed the entire Do Not Track program in the process, but it was a terrible idea that was never going to work.)

Unfortunately, Microsoft handed in its big stick when it adopted Chrome as the basis for its own Edge browser, effectively removing one of the last pillars holding up the open standards-based web.

Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox is my favourite browser and I would love to be talking it up as a potential counterweight to Chrome. After all, it walks the walk in terms of pro-privacy features, and it has already ended one browser monopoly, in 2002, when it emerged to challenge Internet Explorer’s lazy grip on the web.

Unfortunately, as good as it is, Firefox is on shaky ground. It costs a fortune to keep Firefox in the browser game, and the vast majority of the money it needs comes from Google, which pays hundreds of millions of dollars a year for the privilege of being Firefox’s default search engine. The deal is up in 2023 and Firefox’s market share is dwindling.

Our counterweight can’t stand in Google’s way while also depending on its largesse.

The case for Safari

Apple’s Safari is very much the “also ran” in the pantheon of modern browsers. It has never been cutting edge, or coveted, it’s only ever been, well, there . It isn’t my favourite browser. It’s not even my second favourite browser.

Gilbertson’s Register article rightly points out that Safari is a laggard when it comes to new features, saying “Apple’s Safari lags considerably behind its peers in supporting web features … well behind the competition”. But how much does that matter, really? The web was mostly feature complete years ago, and modern web standards are often complex definitions of things that almost nobody needs.

It may be a bit “low energy”, but we don’t actually need Safari to be better than Chrome at web standards, or to become the best, or the most popular browser, it just needs to be good where Chrome is bad, too big to ignore, and unlikely to fail.

Well, Apple is good where Google is bad: It’s business model doesn’t rely on advertising, so it can be unabashedly pro-privacy. And it’s been pro-privacy long enough for us to judge it on its track record, which is actually pretty good, recent hiccups notwithstanding.

For example, where Chrome can’t afford to block third-party cookies for another year or more, Safari has been going one better since 2017, when it introduced Intelligent Tracking Protection , a clever box of tricks that blocks other forms of cross-site tracking. And there’s plenty more besides.

And, yes, Safari is currently too big to ignore, and even getting a bit bigger. In fact it’s the only major browser that’s gained market share since the arrival of Chrome.

Statcounter puts Safari’s share of the desktop browser market at a steady 9.5 percent, and its share of the mobile browser market at about 25. Even its modest share of the desktop market is too large to be ignored by anyone serious about building a web app, but it’s the iPhone that’s most likely to be a thorn in the side of anyone thinking of ignoring Apple’s browser.

According to Statista, the iPhone had a 14 percent global market share in the second quarter of 2021, but its data also shows that the iPhone’s global market share jumps to 20 percent in the last quarter of each and every year, presumably because of Christmas sales. This speaks to the platform’s continued desirability, which has always been Apple’s bulwark against cheaper and more capable competitors.

iPhone users also spend more money than Android users, and in rich countries like the USA, where you’ll find enormous software markets and lots of startups, the iPhone has a whopping 50 percent of the market or more.

The people who build the websites you use like Apple, and whether you like it or not, that matters.

When it comes to protecting privacy on the web, the most important thing might be the phones in the pockets of the web developers and the CEO.

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CLASH OF THE BROWSERS —

Study ranks the privacy of major browsers. here are the findings, upstart brave browser gets the highest ratings. chrome, firefox and safari fall between..

Dan Goodin - Mar 17, 2020 8:08 pm UTC

Microsoft Edge received the lowest privacy rating in a recently published study that compared the user information collected by major browsers. Yandex, the less-popular browser developed by the Russian Web search provider Yandex, shared that dubious distinction. Brave, the upstart browser that makes privacy a priority, ranked the highest.

The rankings were revealed in a research paper published by Trinity College Dublin computer scientist Doug Leith. He analyzed and rated the privacy provided by Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Brave, Edge, and Yandex. Specifically, the study examined the browsers’ sending of data—including unique identifiers and details related to typed URLs—that could be used to track users over time. The findings put the browsers into three categories with Brave getting the highest ranking, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari receiving a medium ranking, and Edge and Yandex lagging behind the rest.

In the paper, Leith wrote:

From a privacy perspective Microsoft Edge and Yandex are qualitatively different from the other browsers studied. Both send persistent identifiers that can be used to link requests (and associated IP address/location) to backend servers. Edge also sends the hardware UUID of the device to Microsoft and Yandex similarly transmits a hashed hardware identifier to back end servers. As far as we can tell this behaviour cannot be disabled by users. In addition to the search autocomplete functionality that shares details of web pages visited, both transmit web page information to servers that appear unrelated to search autocomplete.

Strong, enduring identifiers

Both Edge and Yandex send identifiers that are tied to device hardware, the study found. These unique strings, which can also link various apps running on the same device, remain the same even after fresh installs of the browsers. Edge sends the universally unique identifier of a device to a Microsoft server located at self.events.data.microsoft.com. This identifier can’t easily be changed or deleted. The researcher said that the Edge autocomplete, which sends details of typed sites to a backend server, can’t be disabled. As Ars reader karinto pointed out in a comment , however, instructions for disabling the feature are here .

Yandex, meanwhile, collected a cryptographic hash of the hardware MAC address and details of visited websites through the autocomplete function, although the latter could be disabled. Because Edge and Yandex collect identifiers that are linked to the hardware running the browsers, the data persists across fresh browser installs and can also be used to link various apps running on the same device. These identifiers can then be used to track IP addresses over time.

“Transmission of device identifiers to backend servers is obviously the most worrisome since it is a strong, enduring identifier of a user device that can be regenerated at will, including by other apps (so allowing linking of data across apps from the same manufacturer) and cannot be easily changed or reset by users,” the paper warned.

A Microsoft representative provided a response on condition she not be named and the response not be quoted. She gave no reason for this requirement. She said that Edge asks for permission to collect diagnostic data that’s used to improve products. She said this collection can be turned off. While the data “may” contain information about visited websites, it isn’t stored with users’ Microsoft accounts.

Browser syncing

When users are signed into Edge, they can sync their browser history to make it available on other devices. Users can view and delete this history on the privacy dashboard located at privacy.microsoft.com. Microsoft’s Defender SmartScreen—a Windows 10 feature that protects against phishing and malware websites and the downloading of potentially malicious files—works by inspecting URLs that users intend to visit. This default functionality can be disabled through the Edge Privacy and Services settings.

The unique identifier allows Edge users to use a single click to delete associated diagnostic data stored on Microsoft servers.

At the other end of the privacy spectrum was Brave. The study found the default Brave settings provided the most privacy, with no collection of identifiers allowing the tracking of IP addresses over time and no sharing of the details of webpages visited with backend servers.

Chrome, Firefox, and Safari fell into a middle category. The autocomplete feature in all three browsers transmitted details of visited sites in real time as the URLs are being typed. These default settings, however, can be disabled. Other potentially privacy-harming behaviors included:

Chrome: sends a persistent identifier along with website addresses, allowing the two to be linked
Firefox: includes identifiers in telemetry transmissions that can link these things over time (telemetry is on by default but can be disabled). Firefox also opens a persistent websocket for push notifications. The websocket, the researcher said, is linked to a unique identifier and can potentially be used for tracking that’s not easily disabled.
Safari: Defaults to a start page that can leak information to “multiple third parties” who can preload pages containing identifiers to the browser cache. What’s more, associated iCloud processes made connections containing identifiers.

Apple officials declined to comment on the report, but did point out that Safari by default provides blocking of third-party cookies and a complementary feature known as Intelligent Tracking Prevention, both of which limit the information third-party websites can obtain about users.

In a statement, Mozilla officials wrote:

Browsing history is only sent to Mozilla if a user turns on our Sync service, whose purpose is to share data across a user’s devices. Unlike other browsers, Sync data is end-to-end encrypted, so Mozilla cannot access it. Firefox does collect some technical data about how users interact with our product, but that does not include the user's browsing history. This data is transmitted along with a unique randomly generated identifier. IP addresses are retained for a short period for security and fraud detection and then deleted. They are stripped from telemetry data and are not used to correlate user activity across browsing sessions. As the study itself points out, “transmission of user data to backend servers is not intrinsically a privacy intrusion.” By limiting collection and retention of data and safeguarding the data users do share with us through encryption and anonymization, Firefox works to protect people’s privacy and provide a secure browsing experience. Clear and publicly available practices and processes reinforce our commitment to putting users’ needs first.

Representatives of Googledidn’t immediately provide responses to the findings. This post will be updated if responses come later. The research analyzed behavior of Chrome version 80.0.3987.87, Firefox 73.0, Brave 1.3.115, Safari 13.0.3, Edge 80.0.361.48, and Yandex 20.2.0.1145.

As Apple's background comment suggests, the study takes a narrow view of browser security, because it didn't take into account features that block third-party tracking. Still, the paper makes a good case why people using Edge, users of Chrome, Firefox, and Safari may want to disable the website autocomplete feature, which I’ve never found to be all that useful anyway. Microsoft’s response above provides ways to curb some of the other data transmissions as well. While the browser comes with enhanced security measures that are resistant to exploits, users who prioritize privacy should consider disabling default behaviors or using a different browser.

Story updated to add comment from Apple and Mozilla.

reader comments

Channel ars technica.

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Apple’s Safari Browser now has more users than Microsoft Edge.
Experts say that Edge has new AI features worth checking out.
Safari might be a better choice for users worried about security.

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Apple is narrowly winning the browser battle for the hearts and clicks of users, but experts say that rival Microsoft Edge has features worth trying.

Apple's Safari has retaken the lead over Microsoft Edge to become the world's second most popular desktop browser, according to StatCounter. Safari is used on 11.87 percent of desktop computers, 0.87 percent more than Edge, which comes in at 11 percent.

"Edge is known for its speed and performance, making it a great choice for users who want a fast and reliable browsing experience," Piyush Tripathi , a software engineer for Square , told Lifewire in an email interview. "It also has a clean and modern interface that is easy to navigate, making it a great choice for users who are new to web browsing."

Browser Battles

Apple and Microsoft are locked in a ferocious competition for users. Last year, Edge beat Safari for second place by less than one percent margin, thanks to positive reviews.

"Safari is known for its security and privacy features, making it a good choice for users who are concerned about their online safety," Tripathi said. "It also has a lot of useful features, such as the ability to save and organize bookmarks and a built-in reader mode that makes it easier to read articles online."

Safari also has many tools that make it an excellent choice for users who want to customize their browsing experience, Tripathi added. For example, it has a built-in password manager that makes storing and managing passwords easy, and a solid set of extensions, such as AdBlock, that can enhance the browsing experience.

"It also has tight integration with Apple's ecosystem, which is great for Mac and iPhone users," he added.

Edge’s Edge

While Safari offers solid performance, Edge has new features that make it a great choice for users who want to stay up-to-date with the latest web technologies, Tripathi said. The browser has a built-in PDF reader that makes it easy to view and edit PDF files and a range of tools that work seamlessly with the Windows platform and make it easier to share content with others.

One area where Edge is winning over Safari is in the fast-growing field of artificial intelligence (AI). Microsoft recently announced that it's boosting its Edge features that rely on Bing search powered by AI. The browser's Bing feature will change from single-use search sessions to multi-session productivity experiences with chat history and persistent chats within Edge.

"Looking to the future, we can expect to see new browser enhancements, especially related to artificial intelligence, that will make it easier for users to browse the web," Tripathi said. "For example, we may see more advanced security features that make it easier to protect personal information online, as well as new AI-based tools that make it easier to collaborate and share content with others."

Windows / Unsplash

The new Edge update adds several visual search features, including the ability to search using images. It also allows users to generate charts, graphs, and other visual answers as part of a search. Microsoft plans to expand its Image Creation Tool, enabling users to create images through chat prompts, to support more than 100 languages.

As part of the upgrade, Edge gets a sleeker look with rounded corners, organized containers, and semi-transparent visual elements. The browser will also soon support plugins.

For example, if you're researching the latest restaurant for dinner in Bing chat, it will leverage OpenTable to help you find and book a reservation. Or, with Wolfram|Alpha, you can create powerful visualizations and get answers to complex science, math, and human-curated data-based questions directly from Bing chat.

But the most interesting browser might not be available from Apple or Microsoft. Will Ward , the founder of Industry Arabic , pointed to Arc Browser , which he called "an impressive new browser built with Chromium that is entirely focused on customization and creating user-specific workspaces. It's only available on Apple devices for the moment, but the start-up browser company really sets the bar high for customization."

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'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.

ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form .

The best secure browsers for privacy: Expert tested

Why you can trust ZDNET

33 years of experience 30 hands-on product reviewers 10,000 square feet of lab space

What to Consider

Services and software cover a variety of categories. Make sure the one you purchase has the features you're looking for.

Check any up-front as well as ongoing monthly costs before you make a decision. Some services have one price for a set amount of time that goes up later, while others may automatically renew you at a higher rate.

Read the privacy policy to ensure these companies are adequately protecting your user data.

Web browsers have become flooded with ad-sponsored content, making browsers a key battleground for end-user privacy. While Chrome is the most widely used browser in the world, there are alternative browsers and ways to improve your security available to help you stay anonymous online.

Data is one of today's key ingredients for generating revenue. Online advertising companies can use web browsing histories to fingerprint individual browsers over time, creating shadow user profiles to reveal information including a user's interests, product searches, and more -- which can lead to targeted advertising. When you look for a privacy-focused browser, you will want to investigate how advertising trackers and cookies are managed, whether or not search histories are stored or shared, and whether or not the browser developer has a transparent privacy policy in place.

Also: The best VPN services (and why you need one to protect your privacy)

What is the best secure browser for privacy in 2024?

ZDNET experts have kept a finger on the pulse of the secure browser market for decades and many of us have tried and tested different options throughout the years. Brave is our top pick for the best browser for privacy based on its approach to user privacy, ad tracking prevention, privacy settings, usability, and speed.

Below, you will find other recommendations for secure browsers that can protect your privacy -- not only from cyberattacks but also from businesses that scrape, store, and sell your data.

Best secure browsers for privacy in 2024

Not in the traditional online ad business
Privacy-focused by default
Chromium challenger
Some users report compute resource issues

Best browser for privacy overall

Brave is a Chromium-based browser that blocks ads, fingerprinting, and ad trackers by default.

Brave supports millions of users worldwide. The organization's business model relies on privacy-protecting ads that pay publishers and users when users pay attention to ads. The company is transparent about this revenue stream, and it is optional. Users are rewarded in crypto tokens if they opt into ad viewing.

Brave has several privacy-enhancing settings, including blocking third-party ad trackers, upgrading unsecured HTTPS connections, and blocking cookies and fingerprinting. Disabling invasive ads and trackers, the company says, improves loading times on desktop and mobile.

Also: The best web hosting services for building your dream website

Brave removed Google code from its Chromium to improve user privacy, including some account integration, background sync, and inline extensions. A "Tor mode" is also available, providing anonymized onion network routing.

The browser developer also offers a VPN and firewall service that protects sessions, even outside the browser, and recently introduced a "secure" AI-based search engine.

Many users say the browser exceeds expectations, although others find some functionality, such as VPN connectivity, could use improvement.

Brave also offers a feature called " Off the Record " (OTR) for users who may be victims of intimate partner violence. The browser developer says the feature "aims to help people who need to hide their browsing behavior from others who have access to their computer or phone."

Enhanced tracking prevention
Focus on accessibility
Trusted by millions of users
Strict tracking protection may break websites
May require heavy PC resources

Mozilla Firefox

Most secure browser for tracking protection.

Firefox is a must-have for individual browser privacy across multiple devices.

One of Firefox's most important privacy features is enhanced tracking protection. Mozilla has borrowed Tor techniques to block browser fingerprinting, and Firefox developers are constantly seeking to improve tracking-prevention features.

Firefox is rich with choices to customize the browser for privacy. It blocks social media trackers, cross-site tracking cookies, tracking in private windows, crypto miners, and fingerprinting scripts. There is a "strict" mode, too, that might break some sites when trackers are hidden in content -- but there are ways to allow enhanced tracking protection for trusted sites. Furthermore, the introduction of Encrypted Client Hello (ECH) has recently improved.

Users enjoy Firefox's privacy focus but note that it can be a resource hog.

Another option for Firefox fans is Firefox Focus , a privacy-focused browser for iOS and Android that blocks trackers and has a built-in ad blocker. Mozilla continues to work on productivity boosters and improvements to speed and performance.

Mozilla also offers a VPN ($4.99/month), with the option to connect up to five devices to over 500 servers in 30 countries.

High levels of anonymity
DuckDuckGo integration
Constant updates and improvements
Learning curve to use
Can be slow

The Tor browser

Best for anonymous browsing.

Another excellent choice for improving your privacy on the web is the Tor browser, a non-profit project focused on anonymizing users online.

Its proprietary web browser disguises a user's IP address and activity by relaying it through a network of servers (nodes) run by volunteers. Bouncing your information around makes tracking exceptionally difficult, which is excellent if you don't want your ISP or anyone else spying on your online activity.

Tor can be crucial for whistleblowers, journalists, activists, and people avoiding censorship. The Tor browser is also a popular choice for accessing the deep web: A collection of websites and pages inaccessible through traditional means, like search engines, in what is known as the "clear" web.

Also: How to use Tor browser (and why you should)

The Tor browser's default search engine is DuckDuckGo, which will not log or store your search queries.

While it isn't a mainstream choice, the Tor browser is well-regarded for people who don't want to be tracked across the web. The Tor Project updates it frequently, and the browser is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. Users applaud the network's uncompromising approach to privacy but note slow speeds and occasional problems with Captchas.

Due to the architecture of the Tor network, page loads in the Tor browser can be slower, and some sites might not work well. Nonetheless, the Tor browser is a privacy-preserving browser worthy of consideration.

The Tor browser f eatures : High levels of security and anonymization | Onion routing | DuckDuckGo integration | Access to websites outside of the clear web

Available across different operating systems
Solid commitment to user privacy
Email protection settings
Bland browser design

Best browser for private searches

When it comes to DuckDuckGo, user privacy comes first.

The privacy-focused search engine and browser is a vocal supporter of consumer privacy rights and now handles millions of user search queries daily.

There is a growing appetite for privacy-focused alternatives to tech giants like Facebook and Google. DuckDuckGo's Privacy Essentials extension for Chrome , Firefox , and Microsoft's Edge has also proven popular. Its reputation is built on the idea that it does not collect user data but can provide the same search results as those that do.

DuckDuckGo used to be a search engine rather than a full browser, but then released a mobile-friendly browser app and, now, a desktop version. The organization's browser provides a private search, website protection and blockers, web encryption, and more.

DuckDuckGo is experimenting with AI-assisted technologies to improve the search experience and has recently upgraded its browser . Users appreciate the firm's privacy focus, although some complain of censorship -- a concept DuckDuckGo staunchly denies .

A new offering is Privacy Pro , a paid subscription. Users happy to pay $9.99/month (or $99.99 per year) will have access to a VPN, online personal information removal services, and identity theft restoration.

Two heavyweight privacy developers
Fingerprint, tracker blocks
Tor-based privacy features
New, so less thoroughly tested

Mullvad Browser

Best for use with a vpn.

Not to be confused with the Tor browser, the Mullvad Browser is marketed as the "Tor Browser without the Tor network." The Tor Project team built the browser, which is distributed by Mullvad, a respected Swedish virtual private network provider.

The browser's idea is to emulate the Tor network by creating a similar fingerprint for all users, improving anonymity. Furthermore, the browser comes with a private mode out of the box, tracking and cookies are blocked, and online functions used to extract information from visitors—such as device identifiers—are prevented.

The Mullvad Browser is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, or as a Firefox extension.

You can use the browser as a standalone product or combine it with Mullvad VPN . Users have generally given positive reviews, although you may find yourself signing up for the VPN for the best setup -- and it's not the cheapest on the market.

However, you should remember that Mullvad was subject to a search warrant by the National Operations Department (NOA) of the Swedish Police in 2023. Mullvad staff said that as the customer data did not exist, law enforcement was left with nothing (and no customer information).

Mullvad Browser f eatures : Fingerprint masking approach | Removes online identifiers | Private mode enabled by default | Blocks trackers, cookies

What is the best browser for privacy?

Brave is our top pick for the best browser for privacy based on its approach to user privacy, ad tracking prevention, the wide range of privacy settings on offer, usability, and speed. However, no browser is perfect, so you must decide which option suits you best.

Which is the right browser for privacy for you?

There is no one size fits all, so refer to the table below to better understand which browser suits your use case.

Factors to consider when choosing a secure browser

When you are switching to a more secure browser, there are some important factors to consider:

Online identifiers : You should check if the browser tracks your activities, visits, or search queries. This data can be used to create profiles for targeted advertising and may be used to track you across different websites.
Audits : The best secure browsers will conduct frequent security audits and have consistent patch releases to fix vulnerabilities and bugs that could expose users to risk.
Speed vs. security : Some browsers will route your traffic through a number of servers to vastly reduce the likelihood of you being tracked. However, you will need to decide how slow you're willing the connections and browsing to be.
VPN : If you want to use a VPN, consider whether or not the browser works well with one -- or if the browser offers a built-in solution.
Mobile support : Not every secure browser has a mobile-ready app, and this needs to be kept in mind if you want to stick with just one browser.

How did we choose these browsers for privacy?

While investigating the best browsers for privacy in 2024, we compared each of these browsers and extensions to determine what makes them different and which is best for different use cases.

Balance : The balance between managing user privacy and funding a business can be a tricky one for companies to manage, but as we've shown, many developers are willing to wave the security flag on behalf of users over potential opportunities to generate more revenue.
User experience : We reviewed customer feedback to ensure that the majority of users find the browsers easy to install and use.
Features : We like to see additional privacy-enhancing features, like onion routing. We chose providers who offer more than standard browsing experiences.
Platform support : We selected browsers offering a range of support for different operating systems and platforms, as well as mobile coverage.

How does a privacy browser work?

A privacy browser works by automatically erasing your browsing and search history and cookies. It also may limit web tracking, and some even help hide your location (IP address). Privacy-focused browsers may also promote virtual private network (VPN) usage and may include features designed to bypass censorship blocks and keep users as anonymous as possible, such as access to onion routing and refusing to log site visits or web searches.

Do I need a privacy browser?

If you are concerned about your online privacy, you should install a privacy browser or at least an extension. We have to take responsibility for our own privacy online these days, and you can't rely on companies to do the job for you.

Also: How to delete yourself from internet search results and hide your identity online

We can recommend a few basic steps to take: Download one of the privacy-first browsers listed above that doesn't log your queries and activities, install a VPN, and use messaging apps with end-to-end encryption.

Does using a private browsing window hide my IP address?

Private browsing sessions do not tend to mask your IP address. For example, an incognito window doesn't hide your IP address if you're using Chrome. It simply doesn't store your browser history, the information you've entered into forms, or what permissions you've given to sites you've visited.

Microsoft Edge, Firefox, and Opera all use a similar form of "anonymous" web window for browsing, but they aren't truly hiding your online identity.

Also: The best VPN services (and whether it's worth trying free VPNs)

If you want to block your IP address from being viewed or tracked, you can download a VPN , which masks your IP address so your service provider (or anyone else, for that matter) can't see what you're doing.

What is the most common personal web security risk?

Honestly? Putting your personal or contact information on social media. If you have your full name, phone number, address, or place of work anywhere on your social media, someone can use it to wreak havoc on your personal accounts.

To prevent this, avoid using your real name online where possible, turn off location tracking, and don't post about your place of work if you can help it. All it takes is a single piece of personal information for someone with very bad intentions to get ahold of your entire online presence -- and so if you're posting photos of you away from home and on holiday, for example, you're letting people know your home is vulnerable.

Also: The best security keys

Those innocent-looking name generator memes are another big issue; the ones that have you type out your first pet's name and your childhood street name (or something similar) to tell you your fortune or personality type. These are answers to common password recovery questions, so by letting the world know that your pet was called Fluffy, you could be handing over all of your personal accounts to internet criminals.

Is DuckDuckGo actually private?

DuckDuckGo started out as a search engine that did not log your queries or allow advertisers to track you. The search engine is still there, but it is now bolstered by a browser -- a feature that fans have been requesting for years.

Like other secure and private browsers on the market, DuckDuckGo isn't perfect, but the company behind the service has been an advocate for consumer rights and privacy since its inception and offers one of the most private browsing experiences out there.

It's a project swiftly implementing various privacy-focused policies and technologies, and I could see it becoming an extremely popular browser in years to come.

Are there other browsers worth considering?

Online privacy and security are hot topics today. The amount of data quietly collected on each and every one of us is staggering -- and beyond targeted advertisements, you may not realize it.

The browsers we've recommended above can help tighten up your defenses against tracking and online monitoring, but as no browser is a perfect solution, you may also want to consider the alternatives below:

ZDNET Recommends

Apple announces powerful new privacy and security features

Privacy Features Give Users Greater Control of Their Data

A screen shows a locked browsing window in Safari and requests Touch ID or a password to view the tabs.

Features Designed to Help Protect User Safety

A Sensitive Content Warning is shown in Messages on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Powerful Security Protections to Safeguard User Data

A screen under Passwords in System Settings shows shared passwords between family members.

Additional Features Designed with Privacy and Security at Their Core

Check In makes it easy for users to let friends or family members know they’ve reached their destination safely. Once turned on by the user, Check In automatically detects when the user has reached their intended destination, and will let selected contacts know via Messages. In the case that something unexpected happens while the user is on their way, Check In will recognize that the user is not making progress toward their declared destination and check in with them. If they don’t respond, the feature will share useful information — like the user’s precise location, battery level, cell service status, and the last active time using their iPhone — with the contacts the user selected. In addition to making it easier to get help if needed, Check In is designed around privacy and security, keeping the user in control by letting them choose whom to share their information with, including the destination and time duration that they set. Users can end the Check In session at any time. Information sent with Check In is end-to-end encrypted so only the user’s family member or friend can read it, not Apple or anyone else.
With NameDrop , a new AirDrop experience, a user can hold their iPhone near another to share their contact information with only their intended recipients. Users can also choose the specific contact details they want to share — and, importantly, what information they don’t want to share. Users can also share content like photos or links the same way. Apple Watch users can also use NameDrop by tapping the Share button in My Card in the Contacts app, or by tapping the My Card watch face complication, and then bringing Apple Watch face to face with someone else’s Apple Watch. As with all AirDrop experiences, these new features securely share content over an encrypted connection.
Live Voicemail makes it easier to know when to answer a phone call. When someone calls and starts to leave a message, users will see a live transcription as the caller speaks. If the user wants to talk to the caller, they can pick up the call at any time. When Silence Unknown Callers is turned on, calls from unknown numbers will go directly to Live Voicemail without ringing. Calls identified as spam by carriers won’t appear as Live Voicemail, and will instead be instantly declined. This gives the user more peace of mind that spam, scams, or calls that may be invasive of privacy, can be ignored without missing important calls. Thanks to the power of the Neural Engine, Live Voicemail occurs entirely on device, and this information is not shared with Apple.

Text of this article

June 5, 2023

PRESS RELEASE

TORONTO, ONTARIO Apple today announced its latest privacy and security innovations, including major updates to Safari Private Browsing, Communication Safety, and Lockdown Mode, as well as app privacy improvements. Additionally, Apple introduced new features designed with privacy and security at their core, including Check In, NameDrop, and Live Voicemail. These new efforts are the latest manifestation of Apple’s deeply held belief that privacy is a fundamental human right and that good privacy is built on a foundation of strong security.

“Privacy is designed into every new Apple product and feature from the beginning,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “We are focused on keeping our users in the driver’s seat when it comes to their data by continuing to provide industry-leading privacy features and the best data security in the world. This approach is evident in a number of features on our platforms, like the major updates to Safari Private Browsing, as well as the expansion of Lockdown Mode.”

Major Updates to Safari Private Browsing Safari introduced private browsing years before any other browser. This year, a significant update provides even greater protection against trackers as users browse the web and from people who might have access to their device. Advanced tracking and fingerprinting protections go even further to help prevent websites from using the latest techniques to track or identify a user’s device. Private Browsing now locks when not in use, allowing a user to keep tabs open even when stepping away from the device.

Photos Privacy Permission Improvements A new embedded Photos picker can help users share specific photos with apps while keeping the rest of their library private. When apps ask to access the user’s entire photo library, the user will be shown more information about what they’ll be sharing, along with occasional reminders of their choice.

Link Tracking Protection in Messages, Mail, and Safari Private Browsing Some websites add extra information to their URLs in order to track users across other websites. Now this information will be removed from the links users share in Messages and Mail, and the links will still work as expected. This information will also be removed from links in Safari Private Browsing.

App Privacy Improvements New tools give developers more information about the data practices of third-party software development kits (SDKs) they use in their apps, allowing them to provide even more accurate Privacy Nutrition Labels. These changes also improve the integrity of the software supply chain by supporting signatures for third-party SDKs to add another layer of protection against abuse.

Communication Safety Communication Safety, designed to warn children when receiving or sending photos in Messages that contain nudity, now covers video content in addition to still images. A new API lets developers integrate Communication Safety right into their apps. Additionally, the feature will now help keep kids safe when they’re sending and receiving an AirDrop, a FaceTime video message, and when using the Phone app to receive a Contact Poster and the Photos picker to choose content to send. All image and video processing for Communication Safety occurs on device, meaning neither Apple nor any third party gets access to the content. These warnings will be turned on for the child accounts in their Family Sharing plan, and can be disabled by the parent.

Sensitive Content Warning Sensitive Content Warning helps adult users avoid seeing unwanted nude images and videos when receiving them in Messages, an AirDrop, a FaceTime video message, and the Phone app when receiving a Contact Poster, all using the same privacy-preserving technology at the core of Communication Safety. The feature is optional and can be turned on by the user in Privacy & Security settings. As with Communication Safety, all image and video processing for Sensitive Content Warning occurs on device, meaning neither Apple nor any third party gets access to the content.

Passwords and Passkeys Updates For easier and more secure password and passkey sharing, users can create a group to share a set of passwords, and everyone in the group can add and edit passwords to keep them up to date. Since sharing is through iCloud Keychain, it is end-to-end encrypted. Additionally, one-time verification codes received in Mail will now automatically autofill in Safari, making it easy to securely log in without leaving the browser.

Lockdown Mode Lockdown Mode expands to provide even more protections for those who may be targeted by mercenary spyware because of who they are or what they do. New protections encompass safer wireless connectivity defaults, media handling, media sharing defaults, sandboxing, and network security optimizations. Turning on Lockdown Mode further hardens device defenses and strictly limits certain functionalities, sharply reducing the attack surface for those who need additional protections. Additionally, Lockdown Mode will be supported on watchOS.

These features will be coming in free software updates this fall.

Press Contacts

Apple Media Helpline

[email protected]

(408) 974-2042

Images in this article

About the security content of macOS Monterey 12.7.6

This document describes the security content of macOS Monterey 12.7.6.

About Apple security updates

For our customers' protection, Apple doesn't disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are available. Recent releases are listed on the Apple security releases page.

Apple security documents reference vulnerabilities by CVE-ID when possible.

For more information about security, see the Apple Product Security page.

macOS Monterey 12.7.6

Released July 29, 2024

Available for: macOS Monterey

Impact: A malicious application may be able to bypass Privacy preferences

Description: The issue was addressed with improved restriction of data container access.

CVE-2024-40783: Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of Kandji

Apple Neural Engine

Impact: An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges

Description: The issue was addressed with improved memory handling.

CVE-2024-27826: Minghao Lin, and Ye Zhang (@VAR10CK) of Baidu Security

AppleMobileFileIntegrity

Impact: An app may be able to leak sensitive user information

Description: A downgrade issue was addressed with additional code-signing restrictions.

CVE-2024-40775: Mickey Jin (@patch1t)

Impact: An app may be able to bypass Privacy preferences

CVE-2024-40774: Mickey Jin (@patch1t)

Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to a denial-of-service or potentially disclose memory contents

CVE-2024-27877: Michael DePlante (@izobashi) of Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative

CoreGraphics

Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to unexpected app termination

Description: An out-of-bounds read issue was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2024-40799: D4m0n

Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted video file may lead to unexpected app termination

Description: An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2024-27873: Amir Bazine and Karsten König of CrowdStrike Counter Adversary Operations

Impact: Multiple issues in curl

Description: This is a vulnerability in open source code and Apple Software is among the affected projects. The CVE-ID was assigned by a third party. Learn more about the issue and CVE-ID at cve.org.

CVE-2024-2004

CVE-2024-2379

CVE-2024-2398

CVE-2024-2466

DesktopServices

Impact: An app may be able to overwrite arbitrary files

Description: The issue was addressed with improved checks.

CVE-2024-40827: an anonymous researcher

Disk Management

Impact: A malicious app may be able to gain root privileges

CVE-2024-40828: Mickey Jin (@patch1t)

Impact: Processing an image may lead to a denial-of-service

CVE-2023-6277

CVE-2023-52356

CVE-2024-40806: Yisumi

Impact: A local attacker may be able to cause unexpected system shutdown

Description: An out-of-bounds read was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2024-40816: sqrtpwn

Description: A type confusion issue was addressed with improved memory handling.

CVE-2024-40788: Minghao Lin and Jiaxun Zhu from Zhejiang University

Keychain Access

Impact: An attacker may be able to cause unexpected app termination

Description: A type confusion issue was addressed with improved checks.

CVE-2024-40803: Patrick Wardle of DoubleYou & the Objective-See Foundation

NetworkExtension

Impact: Private browsing may leak some browsing history

Description: A privacy issue was addressed with improved private data redaction for log entries.

CVE-2024-40796: Adam M.

Impact: A remote attacker may be able to cause arbitrary code execution

CVE-2024-6387

Impact: A local attacker may be able to elevate their privileges

CVE-2024-40781: Mickey Jin (@patch1t)

CVE-2024-40802: Mickey Jin (@patch1t)

Impact: An app may be able to access user-sensitive data

CVE-2024-40823: Zhongquan Li (@Guluisacat) from Dawn Security Lab of JingDong

Impact: An app may be able to modify protected parts of the file system

Description: A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions.

CVE-2024-27882: Mickey Jin (@patch1t)

CVE-2024-27883: Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of Kandji and Mickey Jin (@patch1t)

Restore Framework

Description: An input validation issue was addressed with improved input validation.

CVE-2024-40800: Claudio Bozzato and Francesco Benvenuto of Cisco Talos

Impact: An attacker with arbitrary kernel read and write capability may be able to bypass kernel memory protections. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited.

Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved validation.

CVE-2024-23296

Impact: Visiting a website that frames malicious content may lead to UI spoofing

Description: The issue was addressed with improved UI handling.

CVE-2024-40817: Yadhu Krishna M and Narendra Bhati, Manager of Cyber Security At Suma Soft Pvt. Ltd, Pune (India)

Scripting Bridge

Impact: An app may be able to access information about a user’s contacts

CVE-2024-27881: Kirin (@Pwnrin)

Impact: Third party app extensions may not receive the correct sandbox restrictions

Description: An access issue was addressed with additional sandbox restrictions.

CVE-2024-40821: Joshua Jones

Impact: An app may be able to read Safari's browsing history

Description: This issue was addressed with improved redaction of sensitive information.

CVE-2024-40798: Adam M.

Impact: A shortcut may be able to use sensitive data with certain actions without prompting the user

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved checks.

CVE-2024-40833: an anonymous researcher

CVE-2024-40835: an anonymous researcher

CVE-2024-40807: an anonymous researcher

Impact: A shortcut may be able to bypass sensitive Shortcuts app settings

Description: This issue was addressed by adding an additional prompt for user consent.

CVE-2024-40834: Marcio Almeida from Tanto Security

Impact: A shortcut may be able to bypass Internet permission requirements

CVE-2024-40787: an anonymous researcher

Description: This issue was addressed by removing the vulnerable code.

CVE-2024-40793: Kirin (@Pwnrin)

CVE-2024-40809: an anonymous researcher

CVE-2024-40812: an anonymous researcher

Impact: An attacker may be able to read information belonging to another user

Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved state management.

CVE-2024-23261: Matthew Loewen

Additional recognition

Image capture.

We would like to acknowledge an anonymous researcher for their assistance.

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance, or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

IMAGES

How to Customize and Secure Your Safari Web Browser
How to Enable Privacy and Security Settings in Safari iOS/iPadOS?
Safari: Privacy and Security in Safari
How to customize Safari privacy and security settings on iPhone
Safari 14: New privacy and security features
Understanding Safari's New Privacy Report

COMMENTS

Apple announces powerful new privacy and security features
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced its latest privacy and security innovations, including major updates to Safari Private Browsing, Communication Safety, and Lockdown Mode, as well as app privacy improvements. Additionally, Apple introduced new features designed with privacy and security at their core, including Check In, NameDrop, and Live Voicemail.
Safari Privacy
Safari A browser that's actually private. Safari includes state-of-the-art features that defend you against cross-site tracking, hides your IP address from known trackers, and more. Unlike Chrome, Safari truly helps protect your privacy.
Change Privacy settings in Safari on Mac
See advanced privacy options for tracking and fingerprinting protection, Apple Pay and Apple Card, ad measurement, and blocking all cookies. See also Browse privately in Safari on Mac Clear your browsing history in Safari on Mac Pay with Apple Pay in Safari on Mac
PDF Learn how the Safari web browser protects your privacy.
Safari has been designed from the ground up to protect user privacy. Key privacy features like Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) and fingerprinting defense are turned on by default, so there is no need to make changes in Settings or Safari preferences to benefit from these privacy protections.
Change Security settings in Safari on Mac
In the Safari app on your Mac, use Security settings to turn security warnings on or off. Also enable or disable JavaScript. To change these settings, choose Safari > Settings, then click Security. Get a warning if the site you're visiting is a suspected phishing website.
How to manage privacy and security settings in Safari on Mac
How to identify fraudulent websites. Safari already identifies websites that use encryption (indicated by a padlock icon in the address bar) and an EV certificate which indicates a more extensive identity verification of the website operator (indicated in green).
Eight Privacy and Security Improvements in iOS 17: Safari, Shared
The iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 updates include a number of privacy and security improvements that make your devices safer than ever, with Apple restricting access to photos and calendar events and ...
How To Use Safari's Privacy and Security Features on iPhone
Mobile Safari—the web browser on your iPhone and iPad—has a number of privacy features you might not be using, like blocking all cookies and preventing cross site tracking. Let's look at what options are available and how to enable them.
How to Control iPhone Safari Settings and Security
To control links, go to Safari > Open Links. To use AutoFill, go to Settings > Safari > AutoFill > turn on Use Contact Info. To view saved passwords, go to Settings > Passwords & Accounts > Website & App Passwords. This article explains how to adjust Safari settings and security on your iPhone or iPad.
Apple Launches New Safari Ad Campaign: 'A Browser That's Actually
Apple today shared a new privacy-focused Safari ad, which is designed to highlight the ways that Safari protects user privacy compared to other browsers. In the spot, security cameras are ...
About the security content of Safari 16.3
This document describes the security content of Safari 16.3. About Apple security updates. For our customers' protection, Apple doesn't disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are available. Recent releases are listed on the Apple security updates page. Apple security documents ...
7 Safari Settings You Should Change to Enhance Your Privacy
On an iPhone or iPad, start the Settings app and then tap Safari. In the Search section, tap Search Engine and choose DuckDuckGo from the options. If you're using a Mac, start Safari and then ...
Privacy
Private Browsing. Safari protects your privacy automatically. Private Browsing adds even more protections. When it's activated, Safari won't add the sites you visit to your history, remember your searches, or save any information from forms you fill out online — and advanced tracking and fingerprinting protections go even further to help prevent websites from tracking or identifying your ...
How to manage privacy and security settings in Safari on iPhone and
How to clear your history and website data. If you've been looking up J-Law's nudes or scheming on Xmas gifts for the wife and she also uses your phone, you can clear your Safari browsing history, which will also clear out your browsing data like cookies, login information, and more.
Safari: Privacy and Security in Safari
Safari has several security features, including security indicators and malware protection. Because of its advanced security features, Safari offers a safe browsing experience. Safari also allows you to control what information you share online, keeping your personal information private. Watch the video below to learn the basics of privacy and ...
How to customize Safari privacy and security settings on ...
This step by step guide with images covers how to customize Safari privacy and security settings on iPhone and iPad and a short explainer on each option.
Safari: Privacy and Security in Safari
In this video, you'll learn more about privacy and security in Safari. Visit https://www.gcflearnfree.org/safari/privacy-and-security-in-safari/1/ for our te...
Is Apple's Safari browser the last, best hope for web privacy?
Last time it was Microsoft in the driver's seat, and open standards and security were left tumbling about in the rear without a seat belt. This time Google has its hands on the wheel, and it's our privacy in the back seat, being taken for a ride. Chrome needs a counterweight and, thankfully, it still has one in Apple's Safari browser.
Turn Private Browsing on or off on your iPhone
In iOS 17. Open Safari on your iPhone. Tap the Tabs button. Swipe to the Private tab group button, then tap the tab that you want to open. For additional privacy, you can choose to lock Private Browsing when you're not using it. When you lock your device, your private tabs in Safari will also lock. Then, when you unlock your device again, just ...
Study ranks the privacy of major browsers. Here are the findings
144. Microsoft Edge received the lowest privacy rating in a recently published study that compared the user information collected by major browsers. Yandex, the less-popular browser developed by ...
Safari May Be Most Popular, But Experts Say MS Edge Most ...
"Safari is known for its security and privacy features, making it a good choice for users who are concerned about their online safety," Tripathi said. "It also has a lot of useful features, such as the ability to save and organize bookmarks and a built-in reader mode that makes it easier to read articles online."
Safari vs Chrome on Mac: which is best for Mac users?
Both browsers are lightning-fast, and when you look at benchmark scores for loading and displaying pages, they are neck and neck. Safari is faster in some benchmarks and Chrome in others. One area where Safari has beaten Chrome comfortably in the past is memory usage. Chrome was notorious for gobbling up huge amounts of RAM.
The best secure browsers for privacy in 2024: Expert tested
Best for anonymous browsing. View at Tor Project. DuckDuckGo. Best browser for private searches. View at DuckDuckGo. Mullvad Browser. Best for use with a VPN. View at Mullvad. Web browsers have ...
Legal
Use Safari settings to remove and block data that websites can use to track you in Safari. To view these preferences, choose Settings > Safari.
Apple announces powerful new privacy and security features
TORONTO, ONTARIO Apple today announced its latest privacy and security innovations, including major updates to Safari Private Browsing, Communication Safety, and Lockdown Mode, as well as app privacy improvements. Additionally, Apple introduced new features designed with privacy and security at their core, including Check In, NameDrop, and Live Voicemail.
Harnessing the power of KQL Plugins for enhanced security insights with
As we build Copilot for Security, we are guided by four principles that shape the product's vision: Intuitiveness, Customizability, Extensibility and adherence to Responsible AI principles. Plugins are a great example of how we bring the principles of customizability and extensibility alive within the product.
About the security content of macOS Monterey 12.7.6
This document describes the security content of macOS Monterey 12.7.6. About Apple security updates. For our customers' protection, Apple doesn't disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are available. Recent releases are listed on the Apple security releases page.

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Tell websites to stop tracking you

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Safari - Privacy and Security in Safari

Safari: Privacy and Security in Safari

Safari privacy and security

Website security indicators

Maintaining your privacy in Safari

Privacy settings

To modify your privacy settings:

Deleting browsing history

To remove specific sites from history:

To clear all browsing data:

Private browsing

To create a private window:

How to customize Safari privacy and security settings on iPhone and iPad

Read more 9to5Mac tutorials:

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Is Apple’s Safari browser the last, best hope for web privacy?

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CLASH OF THE BROWSERS —

Strong, enduring identifiers

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Safari May Be Most Popular, But Experts Say MS Edge Most Useful Browser

Browser Battles

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The best secure browsers for privacy: Expert tested

Why you can trust ZDNET

What to Consider

What is the best secure browser for privacy in 2024?

Best secure browsers for privacy in 2024

Best browser for privacy overall

Mozilla Firefox

The Tor browser

Best browser for private searches

Mullvad Browser

What is the best browser for privacy?

Which is the right browser for privacy for you?

Factors to consider when choosing a secure browser

How did we choose these browsers for privacy?

How does a privacy browser work?

Do I need a privacy browser?

Does using a private browsing window hide my IP address?

What is the most common personal web security risk?

Is DuckDuckGo actually private?

Are there other browsers worth considering?

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