Apple customers generally is a fairly loyal bunch, typically sticking to Apple-branded {hardware} and apps whereas giving third-party options the chilly shoulder. However typically it’s price wanting outdoors the walled backyard. For instance, Google Chrome is immensely in style, taking the lion’s share of the worldwide browser market and dominating the competitors. That’s not with out good purpose, and in the event you’ve faithfully caught with Safari over time, you is likely to be inquisitive about what Chrome has to supply.
The reply, it seems, is rather a lot. From an intensive arsenal of extensions to fast safety updates, there are many explanation why Safari customers ought to think about switching to Google’s browser:
Chrome has higher extension assist
Extensions are the lifeblood of an internet browser, serving to to reinforce its capabilities in methods far past the same old capabilities. If there’s some kind of additional performance you need to add to your browser, likelihood is there’s an extension that may assist you get it.
Chrome’s market dominance in PCs means it’s the principle browser that extension builders construct their internet instruments for. In keeping with Chrome-Stats.com, there have been virtually 156,000 extensions within the Chrome Net Retailer as of April, and whereas Apple doesn’t publicly disclose the variety of Safari extensions in existence, the quantity is prone to be a lot decrease as a result of smaller market share Safari has versus Chrome. You may simply have a look at the respective shops and see that you just’re spoiled with choices in Chrome in comparison with different browsers.
In fact, you don’t precisely want all 156,000 of these extensions to be working in your Chrome browser without delay, however the sheer variety of choices means there’s a better likelihood of discovering the extension that modifications your shopping life.
Chrome syncs throughout all units and platforms
The most effective components of proudly owning Apple units is the way in which all of them combine seamlessly with one another by way of iCloud. That’s mirrored within the Safari browser, which shares tabs and bookmarks throughout your units. For example, in the event you’re studying a web page in Safari in your iPhone, an icon will pop up in your Mac’s Dock that permits you to open that tab in your laptop.
Chrome doesn’t provide that performance but, but it surely arguably has one thing higher: cross-platform syncing. It doesn’t matter in the event you’re utilizing iOS, Android, macOS, Home windows, Linux, or anything – so long as you’ve obtained Chrome put in in your units and check in together with your Google account, you may sync your tabs, bookmarks, and extra throughout them.
That makes Chrome way more versatile for individuals who aren’t completely all-in on the Apple ecosystem. So, in the event you’re working a Home windows PC at work however shopping Chrome on an iPhone at residence, or need to ship a tab out of your Android machine to your Mac, Chrome allows you to do it with ease.
Dave Parrack / Foundry
Chrome is built-in with Google’s different providers
It ought to come as no shock that Chrome works extraordinarily nicely with Google’s different services, supplying you with a fast and straightforward manner to make use of web sites like Google Drive, YouTube and Google Search with out a lot effort.
Sign up to Chrome and it’ll sync all of your bookmarks and tabs for you. It’ll additionally robotically signal you in to Google’s different providers, making it a bit of simpler to get began with them. In addition to that, in the event you allow the Net & App Exercise possibility in Chrome’s settings, it’ll use your Chrome historical past to personalize what you get elsewhere, together with content material suggestions and tailor-made search outcomes based mostly on what Google has realized about you.
This will likely be extra interesting to you in the event you use numerous Google providers. In the event you do, Chrome could make the expertise a bit of smoother.
Chrome will get sooner updates
In relation to patches and bug fixes, Google works in a short time. It’s commonplace to discover a new replace has been launched each few days, and these are essential to repair bugs and safety vulnerabilities that would trigger issues in the event that they’re exploited.
In addition to that, Chrome can also be frequently up to date with new options all year long. So you may anticipate a gentle stream of latest instruments that make Chrome higher.
Apple takes a extra measured method with Safari. Whereas it’s additionally fast to launch safety updates, they’re tied to bigger macOS updates, so identified vulnerabilities can persist for weeks earlier than they’re patched. And new options arrive on a a lot slower cadence. Most new additions come annually at Apple’s Worldwide Builders Convention, with solely very occasional new options arriving all year long. And people, too, are tied to basic macOS updates and don’t arrive as shortly.
Chrome’s reminiscence administration isn’t all unhealthy
Chrome might need a nasty status as a reminiscence hog, but it surely’s gotten rather a lot higher lately. For one, reminiscence use isn’t as a lot of a difficulty now that every one new Macs run Apple silicon chips and begin at 16GB of RAM, however even if in case you have an older machine, Chrome gives a number of instruments to maintain valuable RAM sources free.
Over within the Chrome settings, there’s a function referred to as Reminiscence Saver that offers you management over background tabs. There are three choices—Reasonable, Balanced, and Most—with essentially the most excessive shutting down exercise after a shorter time period. You too can monitor your reminiscence utilization for every tab and whitelist sure websites in order that they’ll at all times be allowed to remain lively.
Chrome has extra customization choices
Over time, Apple has been slowly including customization options to Safari, together with the choice for a number of profiles and permitting modifications to the structure of tabs and different interface parts. However regardless of these advances, Chrome nonetheless has the sting right here.
Google’s browser gives all kinds of themes and color choices to select from. Higher but, these are constructed into the browser, so there’s no want to seek out and obtain them elsewhere. In fact, you may obtain themes from outdoors the browser as nicely, in the event you like.
Safari allows you to transfer the tab bar round, show the Standing Bar, and extra, but it surely’s nothing near what you get with Chrome. For some individuals, which may not matter, however Chrome positively provides you way more freedom to make the browser your individual.
Chrome is extra personal than you suppose
OK, that is going to be a contentious one, as Chrome doesn’t precisely have a stellar file with regards to privateness (I really use Firefox as my most important browser, principally as a result of privateness is most vital to me). However whereas Chrome definitely lags behind the likes of Safari and Firefox with regards to defending your information, it’s not a complete write-off.
There are a number of methods you may enhance the state of affairs. For instance, there are many privacy-preserving extensions out there in Chrome, resembling uBlock Origin Lite, Ghostery, Privateness Badger, and extra. These can block the advertisements and trackers that Chrome lets by way of by default.
Joel Lee / Foundry
What concerning the information that Chrome itself collects on you? In spite of everything, it’s Google’s enterprise mannequin to promote information on its prospects to advertisers. Right here, Chrome has some privateness settings that may assist you rein issues in. Contained in the Chrome settings, you’ll discover toggles to show off issues like advert matters and advertisements measurement that can restrict (in idea) how a lot information Chrome can accumulate. You too can take a tour of the choices within the Privateness Information part of Chrome’s settings.Granted, you’re by no means going to have the ability to get the type of pro-privacy expertise that you’ll from Safari, so in the event you’re involved about your information, you need to follow Safari or Firefox, which provide way more built-in protections. That mentioned, you’ve obtained a number of choices if you wish to follow Google’s providing.
Chrome will get an superior Safari function in iOS 26
iOS 26 isn’t coming till the autumn, but it surely brings a significant function that was beforehand solely out there to Safari customers: autofilling safety codes. Safari customers know the comfort nicely: When a web site asks for a multi-factor authentication code, the browser robotically grabs it from Mail or Messages and fills it in with a click on. In iOS 26, that can now not be restricted to Apple’s browser—it’s coming to Chrome and different third-party browsers too. And what’s extra, you may even get codes from the Gmail app now, too.
