There is no denying that Safari is arguably the best web browser for Apple devices. However, no matter how feature-packed Safari is, it still lacks some needed functionalities. Fortunately, you can use many Extensions to add third-party functionality to the browser to improve your browsing experience and boost productivity, security, and privacy. And thanks to iOS 15, even iPhones and iPads now support Safari Extensions.
But, with so many Safari extensions offering similar functionalities, finding the right one becomes overwhelming. So, to help you out, I did the math and curated the list of the best Safari extensions for iPhones and iPads.
1. PiPifier – Picture-in-Picture for any video
As the name suggests, the PiPifier Safari Extension lets you play any HTML5 video in Picture-in-Picture mode on your iPhone. To do so, play any video on YouTube, Netflix, or any other streaming platform, head to the Safari toolbar, and hit the PiPFier icon. The extension provides the same experience as the official YouTube app’s PiP mode, making it a perfect Safari Extension for users who love multitasking.
During my extensive testing, I never found it behaving abruptly or malfunctioning. However, it can sometimes take a little extra time for the PiPifier icon to become available when playing large videos such as movies.
Key features
- Plays any video in PiP
- Adjustable window size and position
- Seamless multitasking experience
Price: Free (Subscription starts at $0.99/month)
Download: PiPifier
2. Pocket – Save for later
Have you ever encountered web content, be it an article, video, or story, that you wish you could save to savor later without needing to download it? If yes, then Pocket is just the right Safari Extension for you. Pocket allows you to quickly save your favorite web content and catch up with it later whenever you have the required time.
In addition, Pocket has dark and sepia themes to give you a comfortable reading experience. These themes reduce the visual simulation so that extensive reading does not harm your eyes. Besides this, if you are a lazy reader, you can benefit from its “Listen” to make your iPhone speakers read out the articles for you.
While you can install Pocket from the App Store for free, you can choose to go premium ($4.99/month) anytime to explore features like automatic article backups, unlimited highlights, and advanced search.
Key features
- Listen feature
- Dark & Sepia themes
- Advanced search
Download: Pocket
3. Grammarly – Writing assistant
Being a writer, I can not imagine a day without Grammarly. Once you install this extension, the Grammarly icon appears virtually everywhere you write text in Safari to give you real-time feedback on your writing. For the unknowns, Grammarly helps you with punctuation, spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, content tone & style, sentence formation, clarity, and more, making it a must-have Safari Extension for anyone with a keyboard, whether virtual or real.
Yes, Apple Intelligence can perform everything that Grammarly can natively, but with Apple Intelligence being reserved for iPhone 15 Pro or later models, Grammarly is here to stay.
Key features
- Real-time feedback
- Spell check
- Grammar check
Price: Free (Subscription starts at $29.99/month)
Download: Grammarly
4. Clario – Privacy & security
While Apple is already the head of the table when it comes to users’ privacy and security, having Clario can take your online security to the next level. Calrio is an all-in-one Safari extension that protects your browsing experience on multiple fronts.
It can block ads and trackers, block spam calls, protect your device against malware, and provide a VPN connection to safeguard your online activities.
One thing you must remember about Clario is that it has only a 7-day trial period, and you’ll need to pay the monthly subscription fee ($9) to continue using it.
Key features
- Data breach monitor
- Ad blocker
- VPN
- Spam calls blocker
Download: Clario
4. Noir – Dark Mode for Safari
Apple added Dark mode support to the iPhone with iOS 13, but many websites have yet to support this popular feature. That’s exactly where this cool Safari extension comes in handy. If you are a “The BOYS” fan, then by now, you must have realized why the extension is given the name Noir.
For someone who prefers the full-on dark mode experience across the websites while browsing Safari, Noir is the best choice. Noir allows you to force every website to operate in dark mode on iPhone and iPad, even if they don’t support it. The workings of this Safari Extension are pretty neat as it uses a smart algorithm to analyze the color pattern on a specific website, then generates a custom dark mode that syncs well with each element of the website.
Key features
- Neat implementation
- Custom dark style
Price: $2.99
Download: Noir
5. Adblock Plus for Safari (ABP) – Best adblocker extension
I have yet to meet someone who says he is least bothered by unexpected ads while browsing Safari. Adblock Plus extension Safari is nothing less than a boon for such users. This extension blocks every spammy and unwanted ad you encounter while browsing Safari, enhancing your browsing experience.
The extension always blocks all the annoying ads you encounter while retaining those nonintrusive ones by default. However, you can change this setting as well. In addition to ad blocking, AdBlock Plus for Safari safeguards your private data from privacy-intrusive trackers. Besides this, this extension has an allowlist feature, allowing you to support your favorite websites by allowing them to show ads to you. You can add as many websites as you want to the allowed list.
Key features
- Ad Blocking
- Allowlist
- Data & privacy protection
Price: Free
Download: Adblock Plus
6. Momentum
Momentum replaces your dull grey home page in Safari with a cool dashboard featuring a mesmerizing background, a good morning greeting, the current city temperature, a to-do list, and a motivational quote. This Safari Extensions ensures you stay motivated and have a feel-good mood every time you open a new start page in the browser. It also asks for your daily goal and showcases it until you check it off.
Key features
- Quick weather and forecast info
- Motivational quotes
- Ability to set daily a goal/focus/intention
- Ability to create and manage a to-do list
Price: Free (Subscription starts at $5.99/month)
Download: Momentum
7. Stop the Madness
Stop the Madness is by far the most powerful Safari Extension on this list. This extension basically overrides every restriction a website may have implemented in its code to lock you out of Safari features such as dragging and dropping, using the Command key keyboard shortcuts, copying and pasting, and more.
Besides this, Stop the Madness has the ability to stop URL shorteners. Simply put, this extension first checks the short URL on popular websites like bit.ly and tinyurl.com, then loads the long URL instead of the short one and removes tracking tags from URLs to eliminate clickjacking.
Key features
- Ability to stop URL shorteners
- Bypasses website restrictions
- Removes tracking tags
Price: $14.99
Download: Stop the Madness
8. Save to Pinterest – Best for collecting inspiration
For a creative person on a continuous hunt to curate inspiration and ideas across the web, you can’t go wrong with Pinterest’s very own Save to Pinterest extension for Safari. This Safari extension lets you pin images, articles, and other web content to the Pinterest app so you can view them later at your own convenience. Also, with its integrated sharing feature, you can share your favorite pages with your loved ones in no time.
Key features
- Quick pinning of web content
- Discover new ideas and trends
- Organize pins into boards
Price: Free
Download: Pinterest
Enjoy enhanced Safari experience…
There you go; these were some of the best Safari extensions you can install and enjoy using on your iPhone and iPad. Each extension on this list offers a wide array of functionalities that enhance your privacy, productivity, and convenience.
So, what’s your favorite Safari extension on this list? Or if you think that some other extension deserves a mention, do share its name in the comments below.
You might also enjoy reading the below articles:
- Safari vs. Chrome: Which browser is better for iPhone and Mac?
- How to use tab groups in Safari on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- How to close all Safari tabs at once on iPhone and iPad
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