Safari extensions add features to your browser: ad and tracker blockers, password managers, grammar checkers, tab managers, and more. On a Mac you install them from the App Store, then turn them on and fine-tune their permissions in Safari > Settings > Extensions. Here is the whole workflow, plus how to keep extensions from quietly slowing you down or seeing more than they should.
1. Install a Safari extension from the App Store
Unlike Chrome or Firefox, Safari extensions ship through the Mac App Store, so every one is reviewed and sandboxed by Apple.
- Open Safari, then choose Safari > Settings (or press Cmd-Comma).
- Click the Extensions tab, then click More Extensions at the bottom. This opens the App Store to a curated Safari Extensions page.
- Find one you want, click Get (or the price), and confirm with Touch ID or your Apple Account password. It installs like any other app.
You can also search the App Store directly for a specific extension name. After it downloads, return to Safari > Settings > Extensions to switch it on.
2. Enable and configure an extension
Installing an extension does not turn it on. In Safari > Settings > Extensions, each installed extension has a checkbox in the left column.
- Tick the checkbox to enable it. Many extensions add a button to the Safari toolbar the moment they are on.
- Click the extension in the list to read exactly what data it can access and to open its own settings, if it has any.
- If a toolbar button does not appear, right-click the toolbar, choose Customize Toolbar, and drag the extension icon into place.
3. Control per-site permissions
This is the part most people skip, and it is the most important one. When you enable an extension, Safari asks how much access it should have. Click the extension's toolbar button (or select it in Settings > Extensions) to set access per website:
- Ask for a day or Ask every time — the safest options; the extension only runs when you allow it.
- Always Allow on This Website — convenient for a blocker or password manager you trust on a site you visit constantly.
- Always Allow on Every Website — grants the broadest access. Reserve this for extensions you fully trust, because it can read the pages you visit.
A good rule: give ad blockers and content filters broad access if you want them everywhere, but keep anything that touches logins or forms on a tighter, per-site leash.
4. Disable or remove an extension
Extensions run in the background and can slow page loads or drain battery, so prune the ones you do not use.
- Disable temporarily: untick its checkbox in Safari > Settings > Extensions. It stays installed but does nothing.
- Uninstall completely: select the extension in that list and click Uninstall. Because extensions are delivered inside a container app, Safari opens Finder to the app so you can drag it to the Trash. Deleting that app removes the extension.
5. Troubleshooting
- An installed extension is not listed: quit and reopen Safari, or restart the Mac. Also confirm the container app actually finished downloading in Launchpad.
- An extension stopped working after a macOS or Safari update: check the App Store for an update to that extension; developers often need to re-certify after major releases.
- Safari feels slow: disable extensions one at a time to find the culprit. Blockers with huge filter lists are common offenders.
- Pop-ups are the real problem: you may not need an extension at all — see how to block pop-ups in Safari.
Frequently asked questions
Are Safari extensions safe?
Extensions from the Mac App Store are reviewed and sandboxed by Apple, which makes them far safer than sideloaded browser add-ons. Still, read the permissions each one requests and only grant all-site access to developers you trust.
Why do Safari extensions come as apps?
Apple delivers each extension inside a small container app so it can be reviewed, updated, and removed through the normal App Store and Finder flow. To uninstall an extension, you delete its container app.
Can I use Chrome extensions in Safari?
Not directly. Chrome and Firefox add-ons will not install in Safari. Many popular extensions, however, publish a separate Safari version in the App Store, so search for the name there.
Do extensions sync across my Apple devices?
If an extension supports iCloud and you are signed in, Safari can offer to turn the same extension on across your Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Each device still asks for its own per-site permissions.
My older Mac cannot run the latest Safari — should I upgrade?
Extension compatibility follows your Safari and macOS version, and a Mac stuck on an old release will slowly lose support. A refurbished Apple Silicon Mac runs the current Safari and every modern extension for years to come — browse the Apple clearance deals to upgrade for less.
Want to get more out of Safari? See how to use Safari profiles to separate work and personal browsing, private browsing for one-off sessions, and clearing the cache when a site misbehaves. Browse all guides for more Mac tips.