Safari, Apple’s web browser, has significantly influenced the web browsing experience. It was initially only accessible for macOS but was later made available for Windows. Although not for long, Safari for Windows was later discontinued by Apple. Despite its discontinuation, testers need to test if Safari is working as intended for Windows because many users might still be using it.
Testing Safari on Windows can be difficult due to Apple’s decision to discontinue it. However, there are various strategies and best practices you can follow to ensure that your website functions well in Safari for Windows.
In this article, we will discuss the ways you can access Safari for Windows and perform your testing smoothly.
Importance of Testing Safari for Windows
Testing Safari on Windows is important for many reasons, despite the fact that Safari is primarily linked with Apple’s macOS and iOS systems. Ensuring compatibility with Safari for Windows ensures that web applications work well in all user environments, including those where this browser is still in use.
Some of its importance is:
- Cross browser consistency: Different browsers interpret HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in a different form. Testing Safari for Windows ensures that your website displays and performs properly on all major browsers and fixes bugs specific to this browser. This ensures that there is a consistent experience across all browser users, preventing errors that could impact the user.
- Reaching a wider audience: While Safari for Windows is not as popular as other browsers, neglecting it could result in missing out on a segment of users. Some users still prefer or are required to use it. By ensuring your web application works smoothly on this browser, you make it accessible to a larger audience. This inclusivity is important for retaining users who would otherwise be excluded.
- Rendering differences: Rendering engines are different for each browser. Safari uses the WebKit engine, which can render web pages in a different form from other browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Testing on Safari helps in finding and fixing such issues, ensuring that your web application displays and functions as intended on all browsers.
- Security testing: Different browsers have unique security features and vulnerabilities. Legacy browsers like Safari can be prone to greater security risks. Testing can help ensure that your application is following the security standards, therefore identifying and reducing potential security risks for users.
- Competitive advantage: Ensuring that your website or application functions well on all browsers, particularly less common ones such as Safari for Windows, will help you stand out from competitors that do not emphasize this. This emphasis on comprehensive testing and user experience helps attract and maintain consumers who desire a consistent experience across multiple platforms.
How Do I Access Safari for Windows?
Although you can install different browsers and test them, you cannot install something that is incompatible with or unavailable for your platform. This is where the need to use some special tools and techniques arises.
Here are the top ways to test the Safari browser on Windows:
LambdaTest
LambdaTest, a cloud-based testing platform that lets you test your web applications on 3000+ browsers and operating systems, including Safari for Windows. It lets you rest your websites on different versions of a real Safari browser online, running on real machines without using a Mac.
Key Features of LambdaTest for running Safari for Windows:
- Real Safari browsers: You can access the current and legacy versions for accurate testing.
- Automated testing: You can use Selenium scripts to automate your testing in Safari.
- Parallel testing: You can speed up your testing execution by running multiple tests simultaneously.
- Local testing: You can test your locally hosted websites or web applications on Safari.
- Bug reporting: You can report bugs directly from LambdaTest to project management tools such as JIRA, Asana, and others.
Oracle VM VirtualBox
VirtualBox, developed by Oracle, is a free tool that lets you run operating systems and tools that are otherwise incompatible with your device. To run Safari on Windows using Oracle VM VirtualBox, you will have to create a virtual machine (VM) that runs macOS, as Apple no longer has Safari for Windows. It creates a virtual environment, which overcomes software compatibility issues.
Key Features of Oracle VM VirtualBox for running Safari for Windows:
- VM cloning: You can create clones of your virtual machine to easily set up different testing environments. This is excellent for parallel testing on Safari for Windows.
- Resource allocation: You can efficiently allocate a computer’s resources to the virtual machine, ensuring that Safari for Windows operates smoothly even while working with resource-intensive web apps.
Challenges With Testing Safari for Windows
There are several challenges that testers might face while testing Safari for Windows. We have mentioned some of the potential challenges:
Unsupported officially
- Lack of Updates: Safari for Windows is stuck at version 5.1.7, which makes it incompatible with new web standards and technologies.
- Performance and security: Outdated software doesn’t have the latest security patches and thus has performance issues.
Limited tooling
- Lack of developer tools: Safari for Windows lacks the extensive tool ecosystem available for other browsers, such as Chrome and Firefox.
- Test Automation Difficulties: Limited support for automation tools such as Selenium WebDriver on Safari for Windows.
Compatibility issues
- Rendering problems: Safari for Windows faces struggles with modern web applications, resulting in unexpected failures.
- Functionality failures: Some functionalities may not function properly due to outdated browser capabilities.
Stability and performance
- Unstable environment: Safari for Windows can have frequent crashes and unpredictable performance during test execution.
- Extended testing time: There are longer loading times, and instability hinders efficient test cycles.
Browser extensions interference
- Unexpected behavior: Some browser extensions can interfere with Safari for Windows, leading it to behave unexpectedly or malfunction.
- Compatibility issues: Extensions may interfere with website functionality, leading to rendering issues and broken features.
Best Practices for Testing Safari for Windows
To address the challenges and ensure that your web application performs well on Safari for Windows, here are some best practices you can follow:
Diversify Test Scenarios
- Test on multiple versions: Users may still have different versions of Safari for Windows installed, despite it being outdated. Test your web application on multiple versions of Safari for Windows to verify it is compatible with different user environments.
- Test on different resolutions: Make sure your web application works properly on different screen resolutions and sizes. This involves testing on a standard desktop resolution and considering responsiveness for various device sizes.
Regular Updates and Adherence to Latest Web Standards
- Regular updates: Keep your testing environment up to date, and test your web application focusing on the most recent versions of Safari. This approach helps in finding and resolving any compatibility issues, ensuring that your web application remains functional and user-friendly on all browser versions.
- Web Standards: Follow the latest web standards. Ensure that your web application meets these standards, even when testing browsers like Safari for Windows. This ensures that your applications remain compatible with current web technologies while providing a consistent browsing experience for users.
Use Safari Developer Tools
- Performance analysis: Safari Developer Tools offer performance analysis features to help developers improve website speed and responsiveness. Integrating Safari Developer Tools into the Windows website testing process enables developers and testers to gain insight and diagnostic capabilities, showing how one can change websites for peak performance and compatibility with Apple’s Safari browser.
- Debugging capabilities: Safari Developer Tools provide debugging features that allow developers to find and fix JavaScript errors, CSS issues, and layout inconsistencies.
Prioritize Security testing
- Vulnerability scanning: Conduct regular vulnerability scans to discover and fix potential security risks connected with Safari for Windows.
- Penetration testing: Conduct penetration testing to detect potential security risks. This helps to ensure that your web application is resistant to cyber attacks and provides a secure experience for users.
Monitor Analytics and User behavior
- Usage analytics: Analyze usage data to determine how many users are accessing your web application through Safari for Windows. This information can help you prioritize testing efforts and concentrate on areas with higher user interaction.
- Heatmaps and session recordings: Heatmaps and session recordings can help you understand user behavior on Safari for Windows. This assists in identifying usability concerns and areas where users might face challenges.
Collaboration and Documentation
- Document issues and solutions: Maintain detailed documentation of any issues discovered during testing and the solutions used to resolve them. This documentation can be a useful resource for future testing and development efforts.
- Collaboration: Involve multiple team members in the testing process to get different perspectives and different potential solutions for an issue. Encouraging collaboration among developers and testers helps to achieve a thorough testing strategy.
Wrapping it Up
Despite Apple’s decision to discontinue Safari on Windows, testing it remains critical. Ensuring compatibility with all browsers, including legacy ones, is critical for providing a consistent and accessible user experience. Although there are difficulties while testing legacy browsers, the insights collected are crucial for improving the performance, security, and satisfaction of users of your web application. You may test and improve your web applications for Safari on Windows using modern tools and best practices, as mentioned earlier.
Committing to extensive testing allows you to identify and resolve any issues, maintain cross-browser consistency, and reach a larger audience. This not only benefits your users, but it also improves your application’s reliability and success in a diversified browsing environment.
