How To Use Safari On Windows For Cross-Browser Testing

By Patrick, Correspondent  |  Wednesday, 12 March 2025, 09:41 Hrs


How To Use Safari On Windows For Cross-Browser Testing

Are you struggling to test your application on multiple browsers? Yes? Then you must have also faced various compatibility issues like the hassle of running Safari for Windows. Since Apple cut the official support for Safari long back, testers have been relying on various unreliable workarounds to perform this testing process.

Still unsure about how to run Safari on Windows? Don't worry! We are here for you. Our article will help you understand various methods to use Safari on Windows for cross-browser testing. During our discussion, we'll also go through the major benefits and limitations of each approach that we are going to list in this article.

Why Test On Safari

Before diving straight into the workarounds for running Safari on Windows, it is very important to have a clear idea about why should you even bother about testing your applications on Safari. To shed more light over this segment, we have mentioned some of the major factors that you must consider for this process:

  • Currently, Safari is the second most popular browser in the entire world. This is mainly because it is the default browser for every Apple device. This also makes it one of the most important players if you're considering expanded web compatibility.
  • Out-of-the-box, Safari runs on the WebKit engine, different from the Blink engine in Chrome and Gecko in Firefox. So, you have to properly test the change in your app when exposed to this rendering engine. Or else? You will face issues like layout errors or functionality faults.
  • To improve its performance, Safari has various unique inclusions like input battery efficiency and smooth animations. Therefore, it is very important to consider the effect of all these parameters on the functioning of your application.
     
  • Finally, Safari, being a part of the Apple ecosystem, has implemented strict security policies and privacy measures. Therefore, these will have a direct impact on cookie-handling mechanisms and cross-site tracking. You need to consider all of these factors during the testing process for your application.

Challenges of Using Safari on Windows

Let us now understand some of the major challenges that you will face while using Safari for Windows. Our main idea in this segment will be to understand all the challenges and choose the correct methods accordingly:

  • Since Apple does not officially release any new version of Safari on Windows, you will not have any official support and updates. This will leave the security of your application vulnerable to various third-party intrusions.
  • Since the latest version of Safari on Windows is 5.1.7, which was released over a decade ago, you will not have any official support for modern web technologies on this version of Safari. Therefore, you cannot verify the proper functioning of modern applications with this version.
     
  • Finally, the rendering behavior and performance optimizations of this Safari version is completely different from that of the latest versions. Therefore, this will not give a proper idea about real-world use cases that your users will be currently implementing.

Methods to Use Safari on Windows for Cross-Browser Testing

In spite of all the challenges that we have mentioned above, there are multiple workarounds that can help you provide the best end-user experience by testing the performance of your application on Safari while being on Windows OS:

1. Installing Safari 5.1.7 on Windows

Although this is the simplest way of achieving Safari testing on Windows, we will not recommend this method as it is outdated and also lacks modern web standard optimizations.

However, if you still want to implement this, you simply need to follow the steps given below:

  1. The first step is to download the last official version of Safari from Windows from any trusted archive. However, we would like to warn the testers that you will never find it on Apple's official website.
  1. Finished downloading? Run the installer and continue to follow the on-screen instructions. Done! You have completed the setup and installation process.
     
  2. The final step is to launch the Safari browser on your Windows system and start the testing process for your web application.

2. Using Online Cloud Testing Platforms

We recommend the testers use cloud platforms like LambdaTest to verify the performance of modern web applications on the Safari system. Cloud platforms will allow you to access any of your chosen operating systems, devices, or browsers using remote device farms.

To further improve our understanding of the influence of cloud testing, let us use the example of LambdaTest for our reference point:

LambdaTest is an AI-native test execution platform that lets you perform manual and automation testing at scale with over 5000+ real devices, browsers, and OS combinations. You can also use this platform to perform QA testing, as it will natively track the bugs, track the test cases in real time, and also generate comprehensive test reports after the execution process.

3. Running macOS on a Virtual Machine

You can also consider using a virtual machine that will allow you to run macOS on Windows. This approach will make it very easy to access the latest version of Safari even while your native system runs on Windows.

Want to implement a virtual machine for Safari testing? Simply follow the steps that you've given below in the correct order:

  1. Start with the installation process. For this, you can use virtualization software like VirtualBox or VMware Workstation.
  1. Finished installing? Download a macOS image to create the Mac environment. You must be very cautious about using a legal copy of Mac to avoid any complications in terms of licensing.
  1. The next step? Set up a Mac OS virtual machine and install Safari on it. This is a pretty straightforward case. Why? Apple will natively allow you to install Safari while on a Mac system.
     
  2. The final step is to use Safari within the virtual machine to test your web application and generate the required test reports.

However, while implementing this process, you must be careful about some of the major limitations that you will face in it:

  • It will require high system resources like RAM, CPU, and storage. This is because you will be creating a virtual environment of a completely different operating system while being on a separate device.
  • The setup and installation process for a virtual machine can be comparatively challenging for new developers and testers. Therefore, you can expect a slight learning curve with it.
  • Finally, if you do not use official licenses of Mac or Safari, you can face potential licensing and legal issues from Apple.

4. Using Browser Emulators and Simulation Tools

Browser emulators and simulators can help you test the functioning of your web application on the Safari browser. However, you must remember that this software will never be as accurate as a real browser. To use a browser emulator or a simulation tool, you simply have to follow the steps you have given below:

  1. To begin the installation process, you can use any of the popular browser emulation tools or Chrome DevTools that are natively available with Google Chrome.
  1. The next step in this process is to simulate Safari's viewport and rendering engine so that you can create a native environment of Safari within a separate browser.
     
  2. The final step in this process is to check for user interface and layout inconsistencies to ensure that you are properly mimicking Safari's native environment for the test execution process.

While using any browser emulation or simulation tool, you must be careful of the following limitations that you will face during the testing process:

  • Although these tools can be quick and easy to set up, they will never replicate Safari’s WebKit behavior accurately. Therefore you can expect certain changes in the application's behavior when you're running it on an actual physical device.
  • There are also high possibilities of these emulation softwares completely missing browser-specific bugs and rendering issues. This means your application will be always vulnerable to functionality issues or a complete crash in a worst-case scenario.

Now, based on all the information that we have mentioned above regarding all the methods, you must make an informed decision to ensure that you are getting the best experience depending on your development or testing needs.

Best Practices for Safari Cross-Browser Testing

Finally, let us go through some of the best practices that we recommend the testers to incorporate in Safari cross-browser testing. We have carefully chosen these practices to ensure that we're not only improving the productivity of the testing infrastructure but also the quality of the application that you're currently testing:

  • It is very important to test your application across multiple Safari versions, as various surveys show that people who do not update their Safari versions frequently are as high as 70% of the total user base.
  • You can also consider using Safari's built-in developer tools as they will provide various valuable data about the rendering performance and security of the application.
  • We also suggest that testers to ensure compatibility with multiple WebKit-specific features. This will be a very important parameter to ensure that your application is functioning as expected on Safari.
  • We will caution the testers that Safari's way of handling viewports will differ from other websites and browsers. Therefore, it is very important to verify the functioning of your responsive web design on this browser.
     
  • Finally, you must remember that Safari’s intelligent tracking prevention will affect cookies and third-party scripts that you are using on your web application. Therefore, it is very important to account for all these variations during the testing process.

The Bottom Line

Based on all the factors that we have put forward in this article, we can easily say that testing your website on Safari is very important to ensure a smooth user experience across all browsers. Although you cannot natively run Safari for Windows, we have mentioned some of the major workarounds that can help you achieve near-native performance.

Considering the advantages and limitations of each of these methods, you must take the right call so that you are meeting your specific requirements and resources.

Moreover you should also consider all the best practices that we have listed in this article to ensure that your website performs flawlessly across Safari and other browsers as well. Factors like these will be very important to provide a smooth and high-quality experience to your customers.

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