Why I Switched From Safari to Chrome on the Mac — 9 Reasons
Chrome has everything I want from a web browser.
I loved using Safari on the Mac. It ran like a charm, was terrific in terms of battery life, and supported a number of extensions that I simply couldn’t do without. Things were going well until Safari 13 hit the table. And Apple really dropped the ball with that one.
Safari extensions now work differently. Long story short — the newer extensions are more secure, as in they can’t see your browsing activity. The catch — not all extensions are (or will be) available in the newer format. So overnight, pretty much all of my ‘legacy’ extensions became obsolete.
Which is why I finally decided to switch to Chrome. But extensions aside, there are also a number of other reasons that made me ditch Safari. Let’s check them out.
1. Extensions
Chrome literally supports thousands of extensions. I can head into the Chrome Web Store and have an extension for almost anything. Productivity, accessibility, social — you name it.
Safari’s list of supported extensions pales in comparison. And some of them even require payment upfront.
With Chrome, I snagged up almost every extension that I used to have on Safari without paying a dime. Finally, I can use my web browser the way I want.
2. Battery Life
For ages, I’ve been hearing about how terrible Chrome was on the Mac in terms of battery life. And I half expected to see the battery indicator on my MacBook Air drain in record time.
But to my surprise, that really wasn’t the case. Maybe Safari has a marginal edge over Chrome — it’s pretty much negligible that I can hardly tell.
3. User Interface
I liked Safari’s minimalistic user interface a lot. But after using Chrome full-time for the past few months, I actually like it better. Tabs are easily accessible. The address bar is larger and easier to type into. And the browser as a whole feels a lot snappier.
4. Dark Mode
Safari supports a dark theme. But websites still show up in stark white. And if you really want full-fledged dark mode functionality, you must pay for a dark mode extension. Or use Reader View, which doesn’t really work on all webpages.
With Chrome — just enable the ‘#enable-force-dark’ experimental flag or install the excellent Dark Reader extension from the Chrome Web Store (completely free). It can’t get any easier.
5. Web Compatibility
Chrome owns a gigantic share of the browser market — the last time I checked, it was a touch under 70%. This means one thing — most websites out there are developed with Chrome in mind. So everything ‘just works.’
I admit — I hardly came across a site that refused to function properly during my time with Safari. But Chrome simply rules out that ‘what if’ factor completely.
6. Syncing Data
Safari syncs my browsing data and passwords across my Apple devices in seconds. But I’m not missing out on anything with Chrome. Since I have a Google Account, I can get my data synced to other devices just as easily.
In fact, Chrome even syncs more forms of data than Safari — extensions, settings, themes, etc. It definitely makes my life a whole lot easier. And yes — it also supports Handoff.
7. Cross-Platform
Safari is only available on Apple devices. But Chrome is present on all major desktop and mobile platforms. Considering how easy it is to sync my data, I can continue my web browsing on pretty much any device that I own.
Aside from my Mac, iPhone, and iPad, I also use a PC and an Android smartphone, so this is a huge deal as I now have zero issues accessing my bookmarks and passwords.
8. Google Services
Since I’m always signed into Chrome with my Google Account at the browser level, it’s ridiculously easy to access Google services such as Gmail and Google Photos. And they work much better on Chrome — this makes sense since Google will focus on making them function best on their own browser.
That aside, I can also use productivity web apps such as Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides offline as well. Not possible with Safari.
9. Centralized Control
If there was something that seriously bugged me out in Safari, it was the fact that I had to wade through confusing menu items whenever I wanted to perform even a slight configuration to the browser.
Chrome instead has a compact Settings panel that I can just dive in and make the adjustments that I want in record time. Whether it’s managing my sync settings or changing the default search engine, things are much easier on Google’s browser.
But What About Privacy?
Chrome is a seriously good web browser on the Mac. That said, I’m not oblivious to the fact that it isn’t the most private of browsers out there.
Google records my activity in real-time. But they do this to offer better search recommendations and targeted advertisements . After all, ads are their main source of revenue. And to Google’s credit, they do offer the means to delete recorded data — a quick dive into my Google Account is all it takes.