With the release of macOS Sonoma to developers at WWDC 2023 in June, Apple introduced Safari 17, a major upgrade to the company’s web browser. Although Safari 17 beta was initially only available for users of macOS 14, Apple has launched the beta to Mac users with macOS Ventura and Monterey.
Safari 17 beta is now available for mac OS 13 and 12.
Safari 17 has several enhancement, including the support of JPEG XL and HEIC media formats and live text support for vertical text. Through profiles, customers can maintain their browser history and web settings separated by categories like Work or Personal. Safari 17 also lets users share passwords and passkeys with trusted contacts.
There are other significant changes to web designers. Responsive Design Mode has been updated to “focus on the responsiveness of a page’s design at any width or height on your Mac.” The Developer menu has been updated to make it easier for users to identify the essential tools for building and testing websites and web-based apps.
Apple also removed its Experimental Features section, which was quite cluttered, with the updated Feature Flags setting. The menu allows users to look for specific features to test. Experimental features are now categorized into Stable, Testable Preview or Developer.
For those who wish to try out the latest version of Safari before its launch without installing the macOS Sonoma beta version, Apple recently made Safari 17 beta available to users with earlier versions of macOS. But there’s a caveat. Certain features, like web-based app support, can be used only for web apps.
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In the last few week, apple also updated safari technology preview with some of the features expected for safari 17. For those who aren’t familiar, Safari Technology Preview is an experimental version targeted at developers.
If you’d like to download Safari 17 beta for your Mac, log in using an Apple ID on the Apple Beta Software Program website and download the latest Safari beta version. The most important aspect is that this build will replace your primary Safari application.
Safari 17 is expected to be released officially to the public later this year, along with macOS Sonoma.
