Why I Switched Back to Safari (But Still Use Brave)

An Apple advertisement made me reconsider the browser I'd been ignoring for years.

TL;DR: Just give Safari another try. You might be surprised.

Hey folks! I'm an Apple user, and you know how it goes. Once you start using Apple products, you somehow end up using more and more of them. But hold on, there's one exception for me — Safari. You feel me?

When I first got my iPhone 6s, Safari was naturally the first browser I used. It came pre-installed, so why not? But after a while, I started exploring other browsers, like Chrome and Firefox. Eventually, I settled on Brave, which I've been using for quite some time.

So, what made me give Safari another look?

An Apple Advertisement Caught My Attention

Recently, I came across one of Apple's Safari advertisements on YouTube. Although some of the privacy features Apple promotes have already been around for years, the advertisement caught my attention and made me curious about Safari again.

What stood out to me was the way it highlighted those annoying pop-ups and intrusive advertisements we sometimes encounter while browsing, especially the sort I've experienced with Chrome.

You know those moments when you're just trying to read something on a website, but random pop-ups keep getting in your way? That's exactly the kind of experience that caught my attention.

Of course, Safari doesn't block every advertisement by default. You'll still see regular banner ads and video advertisements on websites. Its built-in privacy protections are mainly designed to limit certain types of tracking, rather than remove all advertising. Chrome also has pop-up blocking features, so this isn't something only Safari can do.

And that's what made me interested. It wasn't necessarily about getting rid of every advertisement, but about having more control over my browsing experience and personal information.

These days, advertisements aren't just about promoting products or services. Behind the scenes, websites and advertising services can collect information about our browsing activities, sometimes without us fully realizing how much data we're sharing.

After all, our browser is one of the main gateways to the internet. Shouldn't we pay more attention to what happens behind the scenes?

Why I Was Using Brave

One of the main reasons I chose Brave over Safari was Brave Shields, its built-in feature that blocks many advertisements and trackers.

For me, one of the biggest advantages is watching YouTube without constantly being interrupted by advertisements.

Don't get me wrong. I understand that advertisements are important for businesses and content creators. But if an advertisement isn't even relevant to me, who wants to watch the same laundry detergent ads several times a day, though?

That's one reason I've stuck with Brave for so long.

However, Apple's advertisement reminded me that blocking advertisements and protecting personal information aren't exactly the same thing.

What About Our Personal Data?

Imagine your friend sends you a link to book a flight ticket. You tap it, browse a few options, and close the website without booking anything.

Later, you start noticing advertisements for flights or travel-related services on other websites.

How did that happen?

Websites and advertising services can use different methods, such as cookies, tracking parameters, and information about your browser, to understand your activities across websites.

Not every long link contains tracking information, and seeing a similar advertisement doesn't necessarily mean a particular website has tracked you. But the amount of information that can be collected through everyday browsing is still worth thinking about.

This is where Safari's built-in privacy protections caught my attention. Features such as Intelligent Tracking Prevention are designed to limit certain forms of cross-site tracking.

Of course, Safari can't prevent every kind of tracking or make us completely anonymous online.

Still, I believe our personal data has value, whether we realize it or not. We should have more control over what we choose to share and what we'd rather keep private.

So, Did I Switch Back to Safari?

Actually, yes!

I've been using Safari again for a while now, mainly for everyday web browsing.

One thing I really appreciate is how seamlessly my saved passwords and passkeys work with Safari. Since I'm already using Apple products, it's convenient to have everything working together without much extra effort.

But does that mean I've completely stopped using Brave?

Not really.

I still use Brave when watching YouTube because I prefer its ad-blocking experience. For everything else, I've been finding myself using Safari more often.

And I think that's perfectly fine. There's no rule saying we have to stick with one browser for everything.

For me, switching back to Safari isn't about brand loyalty or blindly following Apple's ecosystem. The advertisement simply made me reconsider something I'd overlooked for years.

I'm not saying Safari is the best browser for everyone, or that it offers better privacy protection than Brave in every situation. But after giving it another try, I've found that its privacy features, convenience, and integration with my Apple devices make it a good fit for my everyday browsing.

Sometimes, it's worth revisiting a product you've ignored for years. You might discover that it fits your needs better than you expected.

Apple's Safari overview