Safari Browser in iOS 12 and macOS Mojave to Feature Enhanced Privacy Tools

safari icon In iOS 12 and macOS Mojave, Apple's Safari browser will include some powerful new privacy features. When viewing sites in Safari, "like" and "share" social media buttons, as well as comment fields, embedded on pages will be prevented from automatically tracking users until they're interacted with.

When users do interact with these items, they'll be shown an alert warning them that they may then be tracked.

There will also be new security measures to prevent digital fingerprinting, or the use of things like installed fonts and plug-ins to help track users across the internet even with privacy settings active. Websites will be given a stripped down, simplified system configuration so every user's Mac looks like every other user's Mac.

Safari will also gain new password organizing features that automatically creates and stores passwords and flags reused passwords between sites so they can be changed.

The new Safari will be released this fall for iOS and macOS.

Related Forum: iOS 12

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 17's 'Awe Dropping' Accessories

Friday August 29, 2025 8:12 am PDT by
Following the announcement of Apple's upcoming "Awe dropping" event, on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show we talk through all of the new accessories rumored to debut alongside the iPhone 17 lineup. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos We take a closer look at Apple's invite for "Awe dropping;" the design could hint at the iPhone 17's new thermal system with ...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...

Top Rated Comments

Frederik on MacRumors Avatar
95 months ago
That is exactly the way apple should go. Security for everyone!
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DaveP Avatar
95 months ago
I currently use plugins to get this behavior. I think it is a major plus that this will be the default.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Brad9893 Avatar
95 months ago
The fact that Safari 12 will support favicons in tabs in huge. Safari is the best browser on the Mac for battery life, but I never used it because of this one little thing. This will finally make the browser usable for me! Dark mode is just the cherry on top. :)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
donovumovi Avatar
95 months ago
Privacy is the true killer feature, not Animojis
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rudy69 Avatar
95 months ago
I love Apple's focus on web privacy. Quite often it ends up benefiting everyone because these changes slowly trickle down to other browsers.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tennisproha Avatar
95 months ago
Considering the gigabytes of information most users world wide have probably already been collected and stored, this may be closing the barn door after all the horses have escaped.
Well at least you can prevent your replacement horsing from escaping in the future. Otherwise, you probably aren't a very good rancher.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)