First up is an alternative web browser based on the open source predecessor of Chrome, Chromium. Torch builds upon the basic functionality offered by Chrome with a focus on audio, video and photo consumption.
Most Mac users are happy to use the built-in web browser, Safari. It's fast, it's compatible and it is secure. Occasionally you may find a website that just doesn't 'play well' with Safari, at which time it's not a bad idea to consider a second backup browser.
Today I'll take a look at how to move your settings and bookmarks to alternative web browser. Safari alternatives There are three major alternatives to Safari; Google, Mozilla and Opera Software's. Unsurprisingly, Microsoft does not make a version of its browser for macOS - it chooses to keep that as a feature of Windows, although there is an iOS version available. Each of these browsers has its own features and capabilities that set them apart from the others.
I won't go into a detailed comparison of the features of each browser, so if you want to see exactly what each touts as its 'killer feature', you should use the links in the previous paragraph to check them out. Moving from Safari to Chrome Google's Chrome uses Google's cloud for syncing bookmarks rather than using Apple's iCloud, and it also features a large and growing library of powerful extensions that add features to the browser. To sync settings and bookmarks between computers, you will need to have a Google account - a Gmail address is sufficient. Using the Download Chrome button on the Chrome home page to load the installer on your Mac, follow the instructions to install Chrome into your Applications folder. To move your existing Safari bookmarks to Chrome: 1 - Launch Chrome and log in with your Google account 2 - With Chrome open, select Chrome Import Bookmarks and Settings.
3 - Select the browser that you're importing bookmarks and settings from. This is done with the pop-up menu seen in the screenshot above, which is currently pointing at 'Safari'. Most of the time the browser to import from will be listed as Safari, but Chrome imports bookmarks and settings from many other popular browsers. 4 - Depending on the browser you're importing from, there may be other options available. In the example of Safari, only favorites/bookmarks can be imported. Select available items that you wish to import by checking the box next to the item, then click the Import button.
5 - Chrome imports the bookmarks and other settings almost instantaneously, with a dialog showing that the work is complete. After clearing the import dialog by clicking the Done button, Chrome defaults to the Settings page. That's where you can continue to customize the browser to your needs.
The bookmarks that have been imported are now synced to all devices using Chrome and the same Google account. Safari to Firefox Firefox was completely rewritten and re-released earlier this year, and it's now one of the fastest browsers available for Mac. It's arguably the best browser for those who want privacy during their web browsing sessions, and it's available on all major platforms - Mac, iOS, Windows and Android. To sync bookmarks and settings, you'll need to sign up for a free Firefox account.
Once the account is set up, users have a voice of what to synchronize between devices; open tabs, bookmarks, logins, history, add-ons, preferences, and even addresses. 1 - Launch Firefox, and log in with your Firefox account 2 - On the right side of the Firefox address and search bar is a button that looks like a stack of books on a bookshelf. Click it, then select Bookmarks from the pop-up menu. 6 - This opens up the Import Wizard.
Depending on the browsers that are currently installed on your Mac, you'll see one or more listed in the Import Wizard. 7 - On the Import Wizard, click the browser you wish to import settings and data from, then click Continue. Select the items you wish to import, then click Continue again. The import is done quickly, at which time you should click Done to close the Import Wizard. For those who have more than one other browser on their Mac, be sure to run the Import Wizard for each browser if the bookmarks are different. Safari to Opera The Opera web browser has client versions for Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, and even Linux.
For those who are installing Opera for the first time on a Mac, there's a handy feature built into the installer - one of the defaults is to 'Copy bookmarks and settings from the default browser'. As a result, once you've installed Opera all of the browser bookmarks and settings from Safari (or other default browser) are already listed. However, sometimes you'll find that you've moved to Opera but the bookmarks and settings aren't what you wanted. You can import them from any other Mac browser: 1 - With Opera launched and open on your Mac, select Opera Import Bookmarks and Settings from the menu bar.
2 - A dialog appears, showing the browsers that you can import bookmarks from. Select the browser, then check the boxes for any items you wish to import. Unlike other browsers, Opera can import 'cookies', which are those files created by websites and stored by your browser to keep information like your name, interests, and so on. If you don't want to have your cookies moved over from another browser, deselect the Cookies check box. Once you're ready, click Import, and the passwords and bookmarks are imported to Opera. 3 - In the screenshot under step 1 of this section, one of the items that can be selected for import is a 'Bookmarks HTML File'.
This is useful if you're using to the Mac from a PC. Before you shut down the PC, go into the PC browser - Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Opera - and find the menu command that allows you to export bookmarks as an HTML file. Next, save the file to a USB flash drive or send it to yourself via email. When you're setting up your new Mac and open Safari for the first time, use 'Import From Bookmarks HTML File' and select the HTML file you created. Like this article? STAFF Steve Sande Publisher, Editor Dennis Sellers Contributing Editor Marty Edwards Contributing Editor Contributors Copyright © 2015 - 2018 Raven Solutions, LLC. All Rights Reserved ABOUT Established February 9, 2015, Apple World Today is a resource for all things Apple and beyond.
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Since you’re reading this, it’s pretty obvious that you’re in the same situation, looking for the best browsers for Mac. We’ve made all the research and put together a list with these alternatives, so you can pick the one that suits your needs best. So, without much further ado, here’s the top 10 best browsers for Mac. Google Chrome We had to begin our top with Google’s browser, since it’s pretty much one of the most popular choices worldwide.
Yes, it might lack the finish of Safari, but you can’t deny that this browser is blazing fast. It fully supports Mac OS X Full Screen mode, which can be great for developers, while the rest of the features integrate perfectly in Apple’s operating system. Besides this, you can enjoy the apps from the Chrome suite which are available online, while the App Shelf and App Launcher enable you to quickly launch your favorite app. Finally, one of our favorite things about Google Chrome is that you can customize it and improve its functionality with the multitude of add-ons and extensions. Overall, it’s one of the best browsers for Mac, able to compete with Safari with ease. Top 3 Advantages when using Chrome on a Mac:.
fluid user experience. big number of add-ons and extensions. smooth rendering of Web pages 2. Mozilla Firefox Just before Google’s Chrome started gaining territory, Mozilla Firefox was the number one alternative to Internet Explorer. Yes, it’s true, it’s not the fastest browser out there, but it does have a lot of extra features that makes it a great choice of Mac users. Developers will also find it very useful, thanks to the social API, allowing them to explore social media connections and not only. As for the regular user, Firefox can turn out to be a really pleasant experience.
The add-on market can be used for customizing the browser, with apps and new features. Overall, Firefox had to be present on our ‘best browsers for Mac’ top, without any questions asked. Top 3 Advantages when using Firefox on a Mac:. wide variety of add-ons, perfect for increasing productivity. included spell checker.
![Mac Mac](/uploads/1/2/5/4/125448905/573924246.jpg)
fluid experience 3. Opera A few years ago, Opera was also one of the popular alternatives and, believe it or not, it still remains the same today, a lot of Mac users considering it a great replacement for Safari. It’s based on the Chromium project and it’s able to offer a fast and smooth web browsing experience. Also, the tagline, “the fastest browser on Earth” is an extra reason to try it. Even more, it has its unique features that differentiate it from other competitors.
Therefore, instead of Safari, try giving Opera a chance. Top 3 Advantages when using Opera on a Mac:. built-in Opera Email client. built-in Opera Note, allowing you to sync it with Evernote. integrated RSS-reader 4. Flock Moving on to less known web browsers, we’re now focusing on Flock, a name which, most likely, isn’t familiar to most of you.
Still, after a first look, you will notice a resemblance with Firefox and we can totally relate. Actually, it’s even based on Firefox 3 technology! Flock allows users to emphasize on your interaction with RSS feeds, blogs and social media networks. The integrated toolbar can really come in handy when checking Facebook or Twitter, allowing you to even share pages and links with your contacts. So if you’re a social media fan and own a Mac, you should definitely give it a try. Top 3 Advantages when using Flock on a Mac:.
great social media integration. the ability to share everything on social media instantly. based on Mozilla Firefox 5. Omni In the end, if you’re looking for an alternative to Safari, one of the main reasons you’re doing this is because you’re not satisfied by the amount of features Apple’s browser has.
OK, what if we told you that there’s one browser out there that has some features which you can barely find on major web browsers? Omni is one of the best web browsers for Mac, through which you can create thumbnails for the sites you’re visiting or add shortcuts to them, so you can get back to them later.
Also, besides this, it has a very good security framework and it can be customized with plugins. Top 3 Advantages when using Omni on a Mac:. big number of additional features.
customizable. fluid browsing experience 6. Torch If you’re looking for something similar to Chrome, but different at the same time, we have another excellent suggestion for your, based on the same Chromium Project, mentioned above. Torch is a great designed browser, available for Mac OS X, with a few additional features you will definitely love. To be more specific, we’re talking about a separate social sidebar, a torrent download menu, video downloads, emojis and a special Torch music option. Besides all these, one of the greatest features of Torch is the fact that it supports all the Chrome extensions, which, in our book, is a very big plus. Top 3 Advantages when using Torch on a Mac:.
the ability to use Chrome extensions. the social bar, delivering instant notifications. the ability to customize it, with themes 7. Maxthon Another great alternative to Safari is Maxthon, a browser which despite its simple look, it’s a very powerful piece of software, great for accessing the Web from a Mac.
There are a lot of satisfied users that actually consider this the best browser for Mac, but in the end, everybody is free to pick their favorite. Its top feature is the ability to sync all your favorites, bookmarks and history and give you the possibility to access them from any device, just by signing in, like Google Chrome does. Top 3 Advantages when using Maxthon on a Mac:. the ability to block ads using the ad hunter add-on. multi screen support. the ability to sync your bookmarks and history 8. Camino Despite not being updated anymore, after the decision to permanently discontinue it in 2013, Camino is still available for downloading on its official website.
It was especially designed for Mac users and it has a great design and performance. The browser has scrollable tab bars, an annoyance blocker, if you want to avoid popups or ads and, overall, it can deliver a surprisingly good experience for Mac users. If you’re willing to try something different, give it a shot, at least until it won’t be totally removed from the web, and you will see why it’s present on our list. Top 3 Advantages when using Camino on a Mac:. great for OS X, being designed especially for Apple’s operating system. very fluid navigation experience.
stylish interface 9. Sleipnir Looking for a browser that combines both Chrome and Safari? Well, this could be what you need! Japanese-based Sleipnir is using the Blink engine, being similar to Chrome, but it resembles Safari a lot. If you’re familiar with the standard Mac browser, you will notice the same fonts, for example, making reading very easy. Sleipnir also brings thumbnails of the opened pages, instead of favicons and tab names, so navigation is more fluid. These tabs can be sorted by topic, in order to navigate easier or organize them more neatly.
Oh, and it supports Google extensions, which is a big plus! Top 3 Advantages when using Sleipnir on a Mac:.
stylish look, with pleasant fonts. great organizational features. fluid navigation 10. Epic Finally, the last entry from our “Best browser for Mac” top is dedicated to those who care a lot about the data they’re sending over the web. Epic is a privacy-oriented browser, thanks to the regular updates received by the Chromium engine, on which it’s based. It delivers a secure browsing experience, so we don’t see why we can’t call it “Google Chrome without any liaison to Google”.
None of your data is sent or collected, while trackers are blocked. It also comes with pre-installed AdBlock, so you don’t need to worry about ads. It also comes with a one-click proxy, able to hide your IP address. Overall, users can control what to block, just by clicking an icons.
Top 3 Advantages when using Epic on a Mac:. top level security and privacy. design similar to Chrome. fluid web browsing experience Ok, so now we have a list with the best browsers for Mac, but there’s still one question left: how to install it? Don’t worry, the process is very easy. Here’s what you need to do:.
install your browser of choice, picking from the ones mentioned above. open Safari, the default browser on your Mac. go to the Preferences menu, the select the ‘General’ tab. you will see that the first menu option is ‘Default Web browser’.
Depending on how many additional browsers you have installed, you will see a list with them. Just select your favorite and from now on, this will be your default browser, opening any links you click on.
And this is where our guide comes to an end. Hopefully, it will help you pick the best browser for your Mac, suitable for your needs. As you noticed, we’ve also added three advantages of using each one of them, in order to make it easier for you to pick.
We are aware of the fact that there are way more options available, but we like to think that the ones presented above are the best. Like always, the comments section is open and we’re looking forward to reading your suggestions, no matter if they’re about the browsers presented above or about other browsers, which you consider worthy to be included in an extended version of the ‘best browsers for Mac’ top. GeekSays is a technology news and geeky gadgets blog / community, dedicated to the latest technology news and gadgets from all over the tech industry.
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