As someone who has spent most of their time on one browser or another, I know the workings of both Safari and Google. This makes me able to understand exactly what makes them similar as well as what makes them different from each other.
Where Safari is a web browser, Google is a search engine that has a web browser named Google Chrome. Safari and Google are owned by different companies; Google is operated by a parent company named Alphabet, while Safari is managed by Apple.
If you’re looking for greater insight on the essential workings of Google and Safari, you have come to the right place. Here is a thorough evaluation of both search engines and web browsers to help all those people wondering “Is Safari and Google the same thing?” This would help you decide exactly which one is right for you. Excited? Let’s go and check it out.
Safari and how it Works
It has been established that Safari is a web browser. On the face of things, this information may seem sufficient but there is a lot more to Safari than you might think.
Designed by Apple, Safari is a graphical web browser which is based on WebKit engine. It works on the operating systems of Macintosh and windows, while also being supported by the iPhone, iPad, and the iPod touch devices. Safari’s WebKit engine expertly manages essential functions such as displaying the fonts, the graphics, JavaScript, as well as the overall layout of the page.
There are many perks of using Safari as a web browser as it has a great reputation for speed, particularly on iOS devices. Its exceptional performances on Apple-specific operating systems is due to the fact that it was developed by Apple primarily for itself.
Google and its many Workings
If you ask around there would be very few people who could truthfully claim as to not have heard the word ‘Google’ in their life. The Google LLC is a multi-national company whose internet-specific technology is responsible for providing a large array of services and products such as various advertising technologies, software, hardware, as well as an internet search engine.
The word ‘Google’ typically indicates the internet search engine of the same name, which makes use of a proprietary algorithm to help find the most relevant results to internet searches. Google’s web browser is called ‘Google Chrome’, which was initially released specifically for Windows, but eventually became compatible with Android, MacOS, iOS, and Linux.
Similarities between Google and Safari
As mentioned previously, Google is a search engine which offers a range of services including that of a web browser names ‘Google Chrome’. The Chrome web browser comes to par with Apple’s web browser ‘Safari’.
Here is a quick list of some of the main similarities between Google Chrome and Safari.
- Surfing the Internet: since both Chrome and Safari are web browsers it does not surprise one to know how they both can allow users to access the internet and surf the web.
- Access from Various Devices: both Chrome and Safari give users the ability to make searches from a range of different desktop and mobile devices.
- Synchronized Surfing: it is interesting to note how both offer the chance for users to synchronize their information across all their devices. Safari makes the use of iCloud storage whereas Chrome allows auto-sync through the Google Accounts services.
- Google Safe Browsing database: as elaborated later in this article, it is fascinating to realize that both Google Chrome and Safari make the use of Google’s Safe Browsing database to ensure safe web surfing.
Main Differences between Safari and Google Chrome:
It is not surprising to wonder how different they are if both Safari and Google Chrome are renowned web browsers. Here are some aspects that make them distinct from one another.
Easy to Use
One of the prime things to consider while evaluating a web browser in terms of another is its overall usability. Certain things like tab control, interface design, layout and even visibility features play a large role in making web browsers friendlier for users.
Safari is renowned for being easy to operate on a daily basis as it has great tab management abilities and can control the size of the text so that it isn’t illegible when minimized. It also has a horizontal scrolling option, and is able to assist in distinguishing one tab from another by the use of large icons.
However, Safari has some flashy animations which detract from its practical purpose, and the fact that its settings are located outside the web browser itself makes it harder to manage.
Google Chrome is also considered friendly for users as it has a simple and rather uncluttered user interface. Its go-to nature is also demonstrated by fact that it makes use of third-party extensions that makes it simple to navigate through searches. It is also interesting to note that Google Chrome can search for images as well as texts.
Available Features
As is the case with getting any piece of technology, it is a good idea to evaluate the number and kind of functions that both offer users. Though both Chrome and Safari do not have much in terms of features, Chrome provides users with a vast extension library.
Moreover, Chrome’s minimalist design is incredibly user-friendly, particularly in the way that allows users to choose features from an array of available extensions. The overall browsing experience is dictated by numerous options such as auto-sync across all your connected devices, browser history, open tabs, auto-fill material, and so on.
Google Chrome also has many interesting services such as Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Translate to facilitate users in their daily tasks. These services are well-incorporated in Google Chrome while also being amongst the many ‘built-in’ services that Google has to offer.
On the other hand, it is important to realize that Safari does not offer users much in terms of features, and even the extensions that it provides are very limited. Moreover, Safari reflects Apple’s tendency to reduce user control which means that the web browser itself does not offer users many customization options.
Safari’s ability to auto-sync across all your devices isn’t as good as Chrome, generally asking users to opt for iCloud in order to synchronize information across devices. This particular web browser has some perks in its ability to imitate iOS devices, which is helpful if you want to test a service or a website.
Ability to Perform
It would not come as a surprise that Safari is superior to Chrome when it comes to performance. Its speed on iOS is unrivalled, primarily due to the fact that it was custom-designed by Apple for the iOS operating system.
Additionally, the fact that it uses very little RAM to function is an added boon. This trait is helpful for all those people who like to have many tabs open at one time.
Google Chrome, on the other hand, makes heavy use of RAM for basic functionalities, and though it is faster on desktops, it is Safari which holds the rank of the fastest web browser on mobile devices.
What is Safer: Google or Safari
In this age of rapidly advancing technology, privacy and security are major concerns for most users. One of the things that most people evaluate before choosing a web browser or a search engine is how safe it really is. Safety is primarily judged by the web browser’s ability to block content, have a safe browsing database, and provide frequent updates and warnings about poor internet connectivity.
Safari interestingly makes the use of Google’s Safe Browsing database that helps protect users from suspicious and potentially harmful websites. Though it is largely effective in protecting users from phishing schemes, the use of Google’s Safe Browsing database is a privacy concern as it sends a lot of your browsing data to Google itself.
Safari blocks pop-ups by default, and allows users to enable JavaScript for maximum protection, however for greater content blocking there is a need for users to download various extensions for maximum protection.
A great concern for those browsing the web using Safari is how the web browser’s only warning regarding an unsecure connection is the absence of a green padlock. This can be easy to miss, making Safari safe only for the most vigilant of users.
On the contrary, the Google Chrome web browser is a significantly safer option as it not just has amongst the best ad-blockers in the market but also makes it a point to send updates every few weeks.
It is also interesting to note that Google Chrome caters to those extremely zealous about their online safety as it also offers a range of extensions in its library that can be enabled for added protection against pop-up ads.
However, it can’t be ignored how like Safari, it makes use of the Google Chrome Browsing database, which is a threat for user privacy.
At the end of the day, it is important to remember that both Google and Safari don’t exactly have a flawless reputation when it comes to privacy and online safety. Though Safari seems to have more loops in terms of security, it surpasses Google as it has a generally clean track record as opposed to Google’s privacy scandals.
Should iOS users get Chrome?
One of major concerns of iOS users is whether they can use Chrome and all of its extensions. In our analysis of the major differences between Google Chrome and Safari we came to realize how there are some aspects such as number of features and security where Google Chrome has an edge over Safari. People who value these traits above others may want to switch to Chrome.
It is important to remember that Apple does not give its users the option of making Google Chrome its default browser. However, fans can still use Chrome by downloading the Google Chrome app through the App Store. Here is a quick rundown of the steps to follow in order to use Google Chrome on an iOS device.
- Download via App Store: open the App Store and search for ‘Google Chrome’. After finding the Chrome app, press on the download option to load it onto your phone.
- Adjust Positioning: though this is an optional step, it is helpful as it makes the Google Chrome web browser readily accessible. Once the Google Chrome app has been downloaded simply tap and hold it for a few seconds and then shift it to your home screen where you can see it readily.
Since iOS devices usually refer to iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touch devices, all three of which are classified as mobile devices, it is a cause of concern and question for Apple device users who wonder if they can use Google Chrome on their Mac devices. People using Mac devices can simply download the Google Chrome app from the website itself.
In order to improve accessibility and usability, iOS and Mac users can simply make a Google account for themselves and then use the account to access Google services such as YouTube, Google Maps, along with Google Chrome. Having one Google account can make it easier to synchronize information across various devices to ensure a better experience of the internet itself.
Conclusion
As you have seen, Safari and Google are different as while Google is a search engine, Safari is a web browser that is similar to Google Chrome that is a service offered by Google itself.
There are many similarities that link both Safari and Google Chrome such as how they allow users to access the web and protect them by using Google Safe Browsing databases. Additionally, both web browsers allow users to synchronize their searches across all their devices.
However, there are some essential differences between Safari and Google Chrome such as their performance, the features they offer, the security they provide, etc. It is these differences that dictate the preferences of individuals when they decide which web browser is more suited to their needs. Hope this helps!
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