5 free Safari extensions I rely on to improve online security, privacy, and productivity

Safari on MacOS provides a great experience. It includes great tab management features, is well optimized for Apple Silicon (it won’t drain your battery like some browsers), and is pretty safe to use out of the box. is.

Several extensions can improve your experience by increasing security, privacy, and productivity. The extensions I chose are free, but some have in-app purchases for premium features that can be easily installed from within the MacOS App Store.

Related article: What’s new in MacOS Sonoma? Here’s everything you need to know

With that said, let’s move on to the extensions.

1. Adguard

Although it does allow ads on certain sites, some websites go a little too far and the sites in question can cause your browser to crawl or make the page unreadable. If that problem occurs, I resort to an ad blocker. One of the best on the market is adguard.

Adguard works in the background to block intrusive ads, and the tool can be assigned to specific profiles. The latter feature is great. Create a new Safari profile, assign Adguard to it, and you’ll find that every site you visit will no longer show ads. You can then switch to your default profile and allow those sites to display ads. Adguard allows you to easily update filters and export logs and system information from the menu bar dropdown, so you can gather more information about what’s going on.

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Another feature that makes Adguard stand out is its ability to block annoying web elements. So, if a component of your website doesn’t allow you to operate the site the way you want, you can disable that element. You can also select multiple elements at once by adjusting the size of the block frame.

Adguard also has a free version, but it has a limited feature set. The paid version gives you access to features such as DNS protection, firewall, statistics, and app management. of Individual paid version Perpetual license costs $55 or $1.49 per month.

2. Duck Duck Go

For me, DuckDuckGo is an essential add-on for any browser. This extension allows you to block third-party trackers, private search, block tracking ads, block cookie pop-ups, block email trackers, targeted ad-free YouTube videos, data burning, and site-specific privacy grades. , and global privacy controls. DuckDuckGo offers its own web browser, but browser extensions work great for those who want to stick with Safari.

Related article: 5 ways to improve the security of your Chrome browser (and why you should)

To get the most out of the extension, we recommend switching your default search engine from Google to DuckDuckGo. I prefer the DuckDuckGo search engine because it’s not as cluttered as Google, doesn’t force AI results, and is more secure. The DuckDuckGo browser extension is free to use.

3. Grammatically

Everyone can use a little help with their grammar. Whether you’re writing a paper, writing an email, or posting on social media, bad grammar won’t get you a good grade. I’ve been a professional writer for 30 years and would be happy to help. I’ve been using Grammarly for 10 years now and have rarely been disappointed. Every writer has blind spots, but Grammarly has a hand in helping you.

The Grammarly browser extension has features such as text checking, sentence suggestions, definitions and synonyms, automatic spell checking, word prediction, emoji detection tone, and quick language selection.

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The Grammarly browser extension only works within your web browser. If you need to check in another app, the Grammarly desktop app is a good choice. Grammarly is free to use, but you can upgrade to premium for even more features. The free version works for most users.

4. Momentum

I love a good browser start page. However, the Safari version is not at the top of my list of favorites. Luckily, we have Momentum. It not only greets you by name when you open your new Start Page, but also shows you the weather, asks you what your goals are for the day, provides inspirational quotes and wallpapers, and even lets you add custom links. , offers a focus mode to block specific sites, set goals, and play white noise in the background.

Of all the start page alternatives I’ve used, Momentum is by far the best. The focus mode feature alone is worth using this extension. Once enabled, you can set goals and timers.

However, some of the focus sounds can be a bit distracting. The sounds of the ocean include not only the sound of waves lapping, but also the creaking of ships and the cries of seagulls. However, you can customize the sounds. For example, ocean sounds can be used to disable birds and boats for a more calming effect.

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Momentum is free, but the paid version adds detailed work sessions, to-do integration, habit tracking, work/fitness app integration, and custom to-do lists. The premium version costs $3.33 per month.

5. Bitwarden

I’m not saying you have to use the Bitwarden password manager extension, but using some form of a dedicated password manager (not an option built into your browser) such as Bitwarden, 1Password, or other options There is a need. . A password manager allows you to use strong, unique passwords and protects them in an encrypted vault. But why browser extensions?

For some password managers, such as Bitwarden, browser extensions not only add features like autofill when using a web browser, but also allow you to open the password manager, find your password, and copy and paste it into the login screen. There will be no need. Field of the site in question.

This approach is more efficient and secure because you don’t have to worry about someone stealing your vault’s unlock password or viewing the entries within it.

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The Bitwarden browser extension is one of the best on the market and can be used with a valid Bitwarden account.