Safari is Apple’s web browsing platform that comes pre-installed on every iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple has been working on improving Safari for years in order to improve the user experience. Safari runs smoothly on Apple devices, which gives it the upper hand over its rivals like Google Chrome or Firefox.
Safari is getting better and smarter every year when Apple releases new software updates. In iOS 11, Apple’s web browser gets a lot of features and changes, ranging from offline viewing to automatic reader mode. If you are new to Safari web browser, then there are a lot of privacy settings you need to check on your iOS device. With that in mind, we are here to help.
In the section below, we have created a list of Safari privacy settings that help enhance the security while browsing the web. Before we proceed, make sure you now have the latest version of Safari installed on your device.
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Siri & Search
Apple Siri is getting better and smarter, thanks to Apple’s endless efforts to improve it. The Cupertino company keeps adding new features and skills to its personal assistant in an attempt to offer a better user experience.
You now can do a lot more things with Apple Siri besides getting weather forecasts and asking it to open or close apps. Siri now works perfectly with Safari, offering users a new way to interact with your browser.
Siri & Search feature is a great addition to Safari, allowing information from Safari to show up in Search, Look, and Keyboard. This comes in handy as you can quickly get what you are looking for directly from Spotlight Search.
To turn on Search & Siri suggestions, open the Settings app from your home screen, then select Safari and turn on the switch for Search & Siri suggestions.
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Change your search default
Google is currently the biggest search engine on Earth, allowing you to quickly get all the information you need. Google Search automatically stores your search history, thus collecting your data every time you do a quick search. While this practice has been out there for years, one major drawback is the issue of privacy.
If you are concerned about privacy on the internet, then we recommend you switch to another search engine. DuckDuckGo is one of the best web browsers out there because it is fast and secure.
DuckDuckGo protects your search data from the prying eyes or blocks advertising trackers. One of the best things when it comes to DuckDuckGo is that it is very lightweight and uses the limited amount of RAM.
To change your search default, open the Settings app from your home screen and then select Safari. After that, tap Search Engine and just simply choose DuckDuckGo to set it as your default search engine.
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Location Services
Location Services are a great feature that allows apps and services to access your current location. This comes in handy for those who frequently travel to unfamiliar destinations. However, enabling locations services not only drains your battery quickly but also leads to privacy issues.
Fortunately, Safari offers two options when it comes to location services, including Never and While Using the App. If you select Never, you won’t get a popup menu asking for your location. The second option will automatically turn on your location while you are using the app only.
To access Location Services on your iPhone, head over to Settings, then tap Privacy and select Location Services. Now just simply select Safari Websites and then select your preferred option.
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AutoFill
AutoFill is a great addition to iOS following months of beta testing. As the name suggests, the feature automatically enters your details into web forms. This comes in handy as it eliminates the need to provide your credit card information over and over again.
AutoFill was met with a wide welcome as it helps you save a lot of time. However, it poses a risk of data leakage. Fortunately, Apple allows you to select the information you wish to enable AutoFill for. To do this, open the Settings app, then select Safari and tap AutoFill. Once you are in, you simply need to select your option from the list.
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Frequently visited sites
Safari comes with a lot of handy features. One such feature lies in Frequently Visited Sites. As the name implies, the feature allows you to see all of your favorite sites you have visited in Safari.
However, if you find it annoying, then you can turn it off. To do this, open the Settings, then select Safari and turn off the switch for Frequently Visited Sites.
Also read: iPad cannot connect to Wi-Fi? Here is how to fix it
Got any questions? Let us know in the comments below.
