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How to translate webpages in Safari

Posted in Safari Tips & Tricks

Ever ended up on a webpage in a different language and wished you could translate it instantly? With the latest versions of Safari, you can use a native translation feature to convert a webpage from a foreign language to your native tongue.

Safari's built-in language translation feature is for modern versions of Safari and macOS, so as long as you're running Safari 14 or newer in macOS Big Sur or newer, you’ll be good to go. Here's how you can translate webpages:

• Launch Safari and head over to the website that needs to be translated.

• Once the page loads up, you’ll notice a new Translate icon on the right side of the address bar.

• Click on the Translate icon and choose "Translate to English". Also, keep a note of the Preferred Languages option for now if you're interested in translating to a different language.

• Since you're using the built-in translator for the first time, you'll get a pop-up. Click on "Enable Translation" to continue.

• The page will now be translated into English. If you want to access the original page for any reason, click on the translate icon and choose "View Original".

• If you want to translate the page to a different language, click on "Preferred Languages...". This will take you to the "Language & Region" settings on your Mac. Here, click on the "+" icon under Preferred languages.

• Simply select the language you want to use and click on "Add". Now, this language will also be available in the translation menu along with English.

Current supported languages for translation are English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, French, German, Russian, and Brazilian Portuguese.

 

Change Safari background image

Posted in Safari Tips & Tricks

Beyond customizing the Safari start page for things like Favorites, Reading List, and Frequently Visited, you can also change the background image used by Safari. This allows you to use any picture you want as the default background image in Safari.

To be able to set a custom background image in Safari, you’ll need Safari 14 or newer on a modern macOS release, like macOS Mojave or newer.

• Launch Safari.

• Now, simply right-click (or Ctrl+Click) in the empty area on the start page and click on Choose Background. This will open up a file selection window.

• Find the picture that you want to set as the background from the file selection window and select it. Now, click on Choose.

• From now on your start page will look completely different.

If you feel like removing the custom background at any point, just right-click (or Ctrl+Click) in the empty area and choose Clear Background.

 

Clear browsing history in Safari without losing website data

Posted in Safari Tips & Tricks

Safari has a hidden history clearing option which allows Mac users to clear their browsing history in Safari while keeping other website data from the same time period.

Browsing history is a record of every webpage you visit. Your browser stores the URLs for every page, except when you use private browsing mode. Browsing history can help improve your browsing experience (e.g. as you start typing a URL in the address bar of your browser, previously visited URLs display in a dropdown list that match what you're typing), but it also exposes your browsing habits. If other people use your Mac from time to time, or you get family members looking over your shoulder as you surf the web, you may want to delete your browsing history on a regular basis.

You can manually clear your browsing history in Safari at any time. Two of the ways to clear all your browser history are:

• Choose "Clear History" from the Safari application menu
• Choose "Clear History" from the History menu

but be aware that the name "Clear History" is misleading. Clicking "Clear History" also deletes other website data, like cookies and the entire browser cache. However, there is a way to clear your browsing history without losing website data.

Simply choose the Safari or History menu, but press and hold down the Option key before selecting the "Clear History" option. You'll see the option change to "Clear History and Keep Website Data". Keep the Option key pressed and select that option.

 

Safari downloads pane

Posted in Safari Tips & Tricks

Did you know that Safari downloads pane (which opens when you click on the button in the upper right corner) offers some interesting features?

• Double-click a file's icon open it
• Select a file and press Command+C to copy a file's URL
• Select a downloaded file and drag it to a folder, to your Desktop, or even to a Dock icon to launch it with that application

 

Save your Safari reading list for offline viewing

Posted in Safari Tips & Tricks

Safari for both macOS and iOS have a setting you may never have noticed, since we so often have Internet access. This is an easily overlooked feature that’s actually really cool. Here’s how to save your Safari reading list for offline viewing.

In Safari for macOS, choose Safari > Preferences and then click Advanced. You can then check next to the Reading List label Save Articles for Offline Reading Automatically. If that option isn't checked, you can also view the Reading List in the sidebar, right-click an item, and choose Save Offline.

With iOS Safari, you navigate to Settings > Safari and swipe down to the bottom, and then tap the switch to on for Automatically Save Offline. If you have that option disabled, which it is by default, you’re prompted the first time you choose Add to Reading List from the Sharing sheet whether or not to save items from then for offline reading automatically.