HISTORY OF DEV

November 2020

Safari 14 shipped with macOS Big Sur

Apple released SafariApple's web browser — built on WebKit for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. 14 with macOSApple's desktop operating system — runs on Mac hardware with Unix foundations and the Cocoa UI framework. Big Sur on November 12, 2020 — adding WebExtensions on Mac and improved tab design, five days before M1 Mac retail launch on November 17.

What it was for

Safari (web browser)SafariApple's web browser — built on WebKit for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. 14 refined Big Sur's visual design with translucent UIUser interface — the parts of software people see and interact with. and tighter iCloud integration. WebExtensions support brought ChromeGoogle's web browser — built on Chromium and the most widely used browser worldwide. extension compatibility to Mac SafariApple's web browser — built on WebKit for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.; M1-specific tuning followed with Apple Silicon Macs days later.

Companies

  • Apple

Why it's here

SafariApple's web browser — built on WebKit for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. 14 aligned Apple's browser with the extension ecosystem developers already built for ChromiumGoogle's open-source browser project — the foundation for Chrome, Edge, and other modern browsers..

Why it mattered

WebExtensions on Mac reduced the 'SafariApple's web browser — built on WebKit for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. is a different platform' tax for extension authors.

What it solved

SafariApple's web browser — built on WebKit for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.'s old extension model was incompatible with how developers shipped browser tools elsewhere.

Media

  • Safari (web browser)
    ImageSafari (web browser)

    Apple, LGPL, via Wikimedia Commons

Related