Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 84 With New Favorites Design, Weak Password Warnings and More - GeekWebGuides
Skip to Content

Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 84 With New Favorites Design, Weak Password Warnings and More

by

safaripreviewiconApple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced three years ago in March 2016. Apple designed the ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.

‌Safari Technology Preview‌ release 84 includes new Safari 13 features that will be available in macOS Catalina. These features include a new Favorites page and prompts to change a password when a weak password is detected.

Refreshed Favorites Design. The Favorites page has been visually refreshed, and now includes Show More and Show Less actions.

Switch to Tab from Smart Search Field. The Smart Search Field now offers switching to an already-open tab when a search query matches the title or URL of an open tab.

Warnings for Weak Passwords. When signing into a website with a weak password, Safari will prompt you to visit the website in a new tab to upgrade the password to an Automatic Strong Password. Safari uses the well-known URL for changing passwords (/.well-known/change-password), allowing websites to take users directly to their change password pages. The password list in Safari Preferences has also been updated to flag weak passwords.

The new ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available for both macOS High Sierra and macOS Mojave, the newest publicly available version of the Mac operating system that was in September 2018.

The ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple’s aim with ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.

Top Rated Comments

96 months ago
Without extensions, especially uBlock Origin, I can't use Safari much anymore. Safari has been my main browser since it was first released, but now I've switched to Firefox. RIP Safari.
There are tons of non-legacy extensions, including ad blockers. I use AdGuard.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Idgit Avatar
96 months ago
From the Safari 13 release notes:
Without extensions, especially uBlock Origin, I can't use Safari much anymore. Safari has been my main browser since it was first released, but now I've switched to Firefox. RIP Safari.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
McStang Avatar
96 months ago
Version 83 was the last for High Sierra, there will be no new versions for High Sierra.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adrianlondon Avatar
96 months ago
No uBlock Origin, no Bitwarden, no SIMBL to hack cookie management (ok, simbl hasn't worked for ages). I moved to Firefox Nightly and it doesn't seem to be a battery hog. I read that it used to be but that they've spent some effort in sorting out Firefox's performance on MacOS.

It's working well for me here in Catalina too.

its probably because ublock hasn't been supported for awhile, last update for Safari was over a year ago
It's confusing, but uBlock and uBlock Origin aren't the same thing.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
96 months ago
You might want to give Vivaldi a spin. Slightly smaller footprint than Chrome, it's an amazing browser. I have hoped against hope that Safari would become a world-class browser with a smaller footprint but it truly has become the most useless browser in the world instead. I hate saying that but it's true. I can't imagine what Apple is thinking other than locking down users to a hackneyed set of features only available through Safari's tie to MacOS. So much for Apple's "freedom" mantra. Vivaldi has a compatible dark mode and the Dark Reader Chrome extension is truly amazing.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Idgit Avatar
96 months ago
Is Firefox still a battery killer? I tried it when Mojave first came out due to Safari extension depreciation and it would drain my Macbook's battery in less than 3 hours and caused the fan to constantly run at 100%.

AdGuard is too limited. I currently use Wipr which uses multiple extensions to get around Apple's rule limit, but there is no extension that offers the control over webpages that uBlock Origin did. Safari needs something that can selectively block scripts which new extensions seem to be unable to do.
Yeah, for battery life I think Safari is still your best bet but I might try out Brave on my laptop. And yes, a script blocker is desperately needed on Safari. Apple bangs on and on about privacy but they don't allow for any of the privacy-oriented extensions like DecentralEyes, CookieAutoDelete, uBlock Origin, Privacy Possum, and others.
[doublepost=1559767689][/doublepost]
There are tons of non-legacy extensions, including ad blockers. I use AdGuard.
Legacy extensions are dead in Catalina and a lot of them, including uBlock Origin, don't work right any more in Safari. AdGuard is a fine ad-blocker but it can't do half of what uBlock Origin can do.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

M5 MacBook Pro

RIP, MacBook Ultra

Monday October 19, 2026 9:37 am PDT by
Apple today sent out invites for an experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 28, and the "Pro and tell" tagline on the invitation likely means that the rumored MacBook models with touch-enabled OLED displays will stick with MacBook Pro branding instead of the once-rumored "MacBook Ultra" name. The long-rumored "iPhone Ultra" ended up being named iPhone Duo, so speculation that Apple...
iPhone Duo Trio

Here's What Apple's Apps Look Like on the iPhone Duo

Tuesday October 20, 2026 11:12 am PDT by
With just three days to go until the iPhone Duo is released, Apple is getting ready for the launch. Behind the scenes, the App Store now has screenshots of Apple's built-in apps running on the Duo. We've seen some apps in marketing materials, but images of the ones we haven't seen give us an idea of what it will be like using the iPhone Duo day to day. Many apps are shown in landscape...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Announcing New Products Next Week: 'Pro and Tell'

Monday October 19, 2026 9:05 am PDT by
Apple's Greg Joswiak today hinted at new product announcements coming next week, sharing a social media post that says "Can't wait to pro and tell next week." Rumors suggest Apple is planning to debut the new MacBook Pro with an OLED touchscreen display, an M6 entry-level MacBook Pro, an M6 iMac, an iPad mini with an OLED display. Can't wait to pro and tell next week....
Latest Stories
Apple Will Label Apps 'Made for iPhone Duo' in App Store
Apple Will Label Apps 'Made for iPhone Duo' in App Store
3 hours ago
Amazon Takes $49 Off iPad With Prices Starting at $399.99
Amazon Takes $49 Off iPad With Prices Starting at $399.99
3 hours ago
F1 on Apple TV Now Available in Dolby Atmos
F1 on Apple TV Now Available in Dolby Atmos
4 hours ago
Apple Reveals More Than 50 Apps That Will Be Updated for iPhone Duo
Apple Reveals More Than 50 Apps That Will Be Updated for iPhone Duo
4 hours ago
Apple Blocks Certificates That Could Help Attackers Fake Websites
Apple Blocks Certificates That Could Help Attackers Fake Websites
6 hours ago
Giant iPhone Duo Installations Spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue
Giant iPhone Duo Installations Spotted at Apple Fifth Avenue
6 hours ago
iPhone Duo 2 Prototypes Include Under-Display Face ID
iPhone Duo 2 Prototypes Include Under-Display Face ID
7 hours ago
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
Tesla App Gains iPad and iPhone Duo Support
11 hours ago
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%
11 hours ago
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
Fortnite Returning to Australian App Store After Court Ruling
11 hours ago
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
Apple Ordered to Open iPhone to Rival App Stores in Australia
12 hours ago
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
Apple Suppliers Face Hurdles Cutting Circuit Board Emissions
12 hours ago
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
Things Updated for iPhone Duo With Adaptive Layout
13 hours ago
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
Simplicity and Siri AI Are HomeView's Killer Features, Apple Says
13 hours ago
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
iPhone Duo Reviewers Really Miss Face ID
18 hours ago
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
Does the iPhone Duo Run Hot? Here's What Reviews Found
19 hours ago
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
Apple Music's New Look is Now Live on Apple's Website
20 hours ago
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Proactive AI Agent
20 hours ago
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
What 32,000 Folds Did to the iPhone Duo's Hinge
21 hours ago
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
iPhone Duo's Hidden FaceTime Camera Takes 'Trash' Photos
23 hours ago
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
iPhone Duo Has 'Edge Light' Feature That Debuted on Macs Last Year
23 hours ago
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
Apple Support App Updated for iPhone Duo's Larger Display
23 hours ago
Amazon Sweetens the Deal on Entry-Level 16-Inch MacBook Pro With $570 Off
Amazon Sweetens the Deal on Entry-Level 16-Inch MacBook Pro With $570 Off
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Tips Over on MagSafe Stands When Unfolded
iPhone Duo Tips Over on MagSafe Stands When Unfolded
1 day ago
Apple Music's New Look Officially Announced
Apple Music's New Look Officially Announced
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Supports Apple Pencil Starting With iOS 27.2
iPhone Duo Supports Apple Pencil Starting With iOS 27.2
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Accessories Roundup: Cases and Screen Protectors From OtterBox, ZAGG, and More
iPhone Duo Accessories Roundup: Cases and Screen Protectors From OtterBox, ZAGG, and More
1 day ago
Apple Stores Will Have 'Limited' Availability of iPhone Duo for Walk-In Customers
Apple Stores Will Have 'Limited' Availability of iPhone Duo for Walk-In Customers
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Reviews Explain Why Device is Both 'Fun' and 'Frustrating'
iPhone Duo Reviews Explain Why Device is Both 'Fun' and 'Frustrating'
1 day ago
Apple Says 'Reachability' Feature Coming to iPhone Duo Later This Year
Apple Says 'Reachability' Feature Coming to iPhone Duo Later This Year
1 day ago