Buzz
With the announcement of macOS Big Sur earlier this week, Apple devoted considerable time to discuss their redesign of the computer operating system, aiming to modernize it. Apple also introduces enhancements for Safari, such as faster webpage loading times and enhanced privacy monitoring. However, the most significant feature for Safari users may be Apple's approval of the WebExtensions API. This step promises to substantially increase the number and diversity of plugins that you can install if Safari is your primary web browser.
Apple will allow developers to migrate Chrome extensions to Safari.
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From a developer's perspective, the primary distinction between Safari's new web extensions and the application, sharing, and content-blocking extensions currently supported by Apple is their programmability using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Developers no longer need to acquaint themselves with Objective-C or Swift, languages predominantly used outside of Apple's ecosystem. Moreover, developers can seamlessly transition their Chrome, Firefox, or Edge extensions to Safari using a conversion tool provided by Apple to expedite this process. Similar to other Safari plugins, users will have access to search and download new web-based extensions via the App Store.
Due to some extensions necessitating various permissions prior to operation, Apple will notify users of the privacy risks associated with granting permissions before they get the opportunity to activate them. Furthermore, users will have the ability to restrict an extension to operate solely on specific websites or a single active tab, as well as limit the duration of an extension's operation within a day.
Despite its strengths, Safari's limited plugin ecosystem represents its most significant weakness. It serves as one of the primary reasons why certain macOS users switch to alternative web browsers such as Chrome and Brave. Upcoming changes could potentially retain Mac users within Apple's browser ecosystem.
