With iOS/iPadOS 15, you’re finally able to install browser extensions in Safari. There are a lot of great ones out there, but now that it’s been possible for a few months, I thought I’d briefly share my favorites.
One quick disclaimer: My favorites may change over time, but I’m not going to keep this list up to date. Consider this list accurate as of today, and less accurate as time goes on. 🙂
- Firefox Focus: This private browser extends its tracker blocker capabilities to Safari. It’s not as extensible as other ad/tracker blockers, but consequently, it gets the job done without any bloat.
- Noir: Dark modes are finally coming to sites across the net, but not soon enough. This extension applies a decently improvised dark mode to any site that doesn’t have one after your device switches itself over to dark mode. No more blown-at eyes at night!
- Vinegar: YouTube’s player has been becoming messy/noisy lately. This handy extensions replaces all of that with a simple video player.
- Amplosion: Ever open a link that takes you to a badly formatted mobile page that looks nothing like the original site with “amp” in the URL? That’s Google’s attempt at automatically generating mobile-friendly content, and it’s usually not great (and packed full of trackers). Amplosion says a resounding “No!” to those links and redirects you back to the original content.
- Mapper: Kind of like Amplosion, have you ever clicked an address or a map on a page only to be sent to Google Maps (which you probably don’t have installed)? This handy app opens those links in Apple’s Maps app instead.
- Achoo: From the developer of Amplosion, Achoo allows you to easily and cleanly view the HTML source of any site you’re visiting. No more tethering your phone to your Mac just to inspect a mobile page.
And, for even more good news, all of these extensions (except predictably Amplosion and Mapper) are available for Safari on your Mac too under macOS 12.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!