emulate iphone in safari

Simulate Device On Safari

• Safari and Web
• Safari Developer Tools

Accepted Reply

You can emulate many iOS devices and runtimes using the Simulator included with Xcode, and remotely debug/inspect those webviews using Safari's Develop menu.

You can test out responsive layouts using Safari's Responsive Design Mode tool, under the Develop menu. This is also compatible with Web Inspector.

You can emulate many iOS devices and runtimes using the Simulator included with Xcode, and remotely debug/inspect those webviews using Safari's Develop menu

Can you kindly provide a step-by-step way to do this? I have opened my simulator and have a web page running, however when I go to Safari's Develop menu, there is no such menu item as "debug/inspect webview from Simulator", it does not exist.

@alberto567 there was shown devices, but now they are gone and you can just set px size of screen, but this is even not function as mobile for sites... :/

Freelance iOS, macOS, Apple Watch, and Apple TV Developer

Web inspector on ios devices and simulators.

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Over the past few weeks I’ve worked on a number of projects that have necessitated me working with HTML and JavaScript be that via Safari on iOS, an SFSafariViewController, or in an embedded WKWebView. In all of these cases, I’ve needed to dive into the DOM to see what styles are being applied to certain elements or dig into a JavaScript Console to work out why some code isn’t working. On desktop, this is trivial as Safari has a Web Inspector panel built in similar to other browsers. It turns out it is also trivial on mobile as the exact same tool can be used with both iOS simulators and physical devices.

If you select the ‘Develop’ tab from the menu bar of Safari on macOS, you’ll see a list of all of your connected devices and actively running simulators 1 . Drilling into this will then show all of the active web instances you can interact with; notice how the content within Safari has highlighted blue within the Simulator as I’ve moused over the twitter.com web instance above. When you click, a web inspector panel is then produced which allows you to make all the usual interrogations and changes you can within desktop Safari such as interacting with the console or changing CSS values of elements to see how they would look in realtime.

Here’s an example using a WKWebView within one of my client projects, Yabla Spanish :

Discovering that simulators and devices could be interacted with in this way has been a huge timesaver for me. Whilst developing Browser Note , I was constantly needing to tweak CSS values and investigate the current state of the DOM as websites have various tricks to try and make ads or cookie notices appear on top of all content (and the note needed to be on top at all times - you should totally take a look at Browser Note whilst you’re here). In doing this, I was then able to put this knowledge to use on no less than 3 client projects in the past month; this validates my theory that by working on your own side projects you can improve your efficiency when it comes to work projects.

There are a few caveats to be aware of when using the Web Inspector with an iOS device or simulator:

• If you want to use this on an actual device you’ll first need to enable the Web Inspector on iOS. To do this, go to the Settings app and then Safari > Advanced and toggle the Web Inspector on.
• Whilst the Web Inspector can interrogate WKWebView, it can only do this for apps you are running via Xcode. You cannot look at the WKWebView of apps you did not create nor of your own apps from TestFlight / the App Store. However, you can inspect debug builds installed via Xcode even if the debugger is not active (i.e. you build to the device then quit Xcode).
• Conversely, you can use the Web Inspector with any SFSafariViewController even if it is not in your own app.
• Whilst it is still possible to submit apps that use UIWebView, the web inspector will not work with them; it needs to be WKWebView .
• This also works for AppKit, SwiftUI, and Catalyst apps on macOS.

I use an “iDod” naming prefix for all of my devices; a throwback pun to my first Apple product, the iPod.  ↩︎

Emulate iPhone & iPad in Safari

To emulate an iPhone or iPad in Safari, you first need to have the developer tools enabled .

Then when visiting a page that you want to test, select “Develop” in the application toolbar then “Enter Responsive Design Mode”.

This will open a special window where you can emulate your website on an array of Apple devices and user agents.

Keyboard shortcut

To enter Responsive Design Mode without going through the toolbar, you can use the shortcut control command r .

Happy emulating!

Demo Appetize.io's online web based iOS Simulators and Android Emulators directly in your browser.

How to Emulate the Latest Safari Browser Online

Browser emulators are ideal for testing how responsive a site is. The term ‘browser emulator’ refers to software that imitates the functionality of various web browsers. For instance, a Safari emulator aims to emulate Safari.nbsp Emulators help attain the exact look and feel of an actual Safari browser when a website is launched on it. hellip

Start automating your tests 5X Faster in Simple English with Testsigma

Browser emulators are ideal for testing how responsive a site is. The term ‘browser emulator’ refers to software that imitates the functionality of various web browsers. For instance, a Safari emulator aims to emulate Safari. 

Emulators help attain the exact look and feel of an actual Safari browser when a website is launched on it. Safari is a popular browser exclusive to Apple devices. Although Apple has discontinued its usage in other operating systems, users can download older versions if they want to test its features.

You need to use a cross-browser testing tool, a virtual machine, or an emulator to emulate Safari browser online. This helps evaluate if a website is working as per expectations.

Table Of Contents

• 1 Can You Run the Safari Browser on Windows 10 & 11?
• 2.1 Use a Virtual Machine
• 2.2 Use Cross-Browser Testing Tools
• 3 How to Test Safari Browser on Windows?
• 4.1 How to Emulate Safari on Linux?
• 5.1 How to Emulate Safari on Chrome
• 5.2 How to Emulate Safari in Firefox
• 5.3 How to Emulate Safari on Internet Explorer?
• 5.4 How to Emulate Safari on Edge?
• 6 Emulate Safari Browser Online 
• 8.1 Can you emulate Safari on PC?
• 8.2 How do I emulate a device in Safari?
• 8.3 How do I test Safari online?

Can You Run the Safari Browser on Windows 10 & 11?

A segment of users wishes to use Safari as a default browser on Windows 10 and 11. This is because of its user-friendly design and speed. Safari runs parallel with popular browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Firefox when it comes to its outstanding performance. However, there is a catch. 

Even if you can download Safari on Windows, you risk your system because you can face potential security issues. The overall performance of your PC might even get compromised if you download expired or old versions of the software. Apple, therefore, has discontinued offering Safari as a standalone browser for any other operating system, including Windows. 

However, you can install the browser as a substitute browser on any PC that runs the operating system of Microsoft from unofficial online platforms. Concludingly, we can say that there is currently no Safari emulator for Windows. 

No Safari emulator is dedicated to running on any version of Windows, be it Windows 10 or 11. However, many websites offer users the option of testing Safari on Windows.

How Can I Test Websites on Safari Without Mac? 

Safari has been deemed the second most popular browser in 2022 and is the native default browser of Apple devices. It is an ideal browser for testing any online product or site because of its fast responsiveness.

However, one of the biggest challenges most software testers and website developers face is the lack of a Mac (iMac or Macbook). You are primarily required to have a Mac for both automated and manual testing in the Safari browser because this browser is platform-specific.

To address this problem, you can use the following hacks to test your product on the Safari browser:-

Use a Virtual Machine

You don’t need to worry about not having a Mac to run your tests on the Safari browser. To do so, you can easily conduct them on a Windows local host with the help of a virtual machine by using your PC or system as the server. 

Numerous virtual machines are available for you to choose from, and they will run any browser inside Linux or Windows. 

All you need to do is configure a handful of settings at the hardware and the software level (choosing the amount of disk space and RAM to allocate to each OS). Your computer, however, needs to have enough power to sustain this configuration. 

Use Cross-Browser Testing Tools

It is imperative to run any website on multiple browsers to ensure a smooth-sailing experience for visitors. To overcome the challenge of testing websites on Safari without a Mac, you opt for cross-browser testing tools. These tools will allow you to see how the website functions and looks on multiple browsers in one go. It does not require additional costs and is ideal for testing various websites on Safari. 

What Tools Do You Use for Cross-Browser Testing? 

You can easily use special tools to test cross-browser compatibility. This will allow you to check the overall outlook of a website in numerous browsers as well as mobile devices.

Advantages of Cross-Browser Testing

The advantages of using a cross-browser testing platform are listed below:-

• It saves time: With cross-browser testing, you can check your website for any hidden bugs or glitches before launching it. This helps save money and time because it detects issues before publishing the website. 
• Test on local and on-premise machines: With cross-browser testing, you can run test cases and websites on any OS environment on any local system behind firewalls.
• Numerous test reporting procedures: You can choose any preferred reporting from videos, images, and the like for better understanding.
• Real test environments: You can seamlessly check your cross-browser compatibility on actual browsers to identify every kink and bug in your website or application.
• Secure customer privacy: These platforms take stringent measures to help maintain the privacy of every customer.
• Broad test coverage: Most platforms for browser testing are codeless because they are AI or NLP-powered. This helps in reaching a broader test coverage.
• Debugging is easy: The debugging features in cross-browser testing platforms are top-notch to help deliver bug-free websites seamlessly.
• Easy CI/CD integration: Most cross-browser platforms have convenient CI/CD pipelines for managing faster and continuous delivery.
• 24*7 test runs: Cloud-based cross-browser testing platforms help run test suites 24*7 to conduct faster and more efficient testing with the least effort.
• Requires no additional coding: You need not have prior knowledge of CSS or HTML coding for cross-browser testing. They are user-friendly and can even be used by beginners.

Common Cross-Browser Testing Tools

If you cannot use emulators or have access to actual devices, you can opt for cloud-based emulators. One of the biggest advantages of using cloud-based emulators rather than local emulators or real devices is automating unit tests for your site across various platforms. 

To make things easy for you, we have consolidated a list of top-tier testing sites and cloud-based emulators:-

Testsigma is a reliable and comprehensive test automation platform. With Testsigma, you can run automated tests for your applications and software seamlessly. It helps ensure the compatibility of your website or application across various browsers.

It is highly scalable as a cloud-based test automation platform where you can run parallel tests and even write automated tests in simple English. Besides, the platform is ideal for both visual and functional testing. We have listed some of the best advantages of using Testsigma as a cross-browser testing platform:-

• Covers over 2000+ native browser or device combinations
• Helps track issues with test logs
• Enables local testing functionality
• Runs automated tests in parallel and gets results fast 
• Performs automated screenshot testing and Video Responsive testing 
• Tools like Jira, Slack, and others are available for integration 
• Offers geo-location testing 

BrowserStack

BrowserStack is an online testing platform for seamless manual and automated testing. You need to choose an appropriate operating system, a device type, a browser version, and a URL for browsing. BrowserStack offers a reliable hosted virtual machine for user interaction.

You can easily run many emulators all at the same time without having to change screens. You can even test out the look and feel of your website or app across numerous browsers and devices. Some advantages you can reap out of using Browserstack as a cross-browser testing platform are as follows:-

• Ability to reproduce, debug and solve issues to launch bug-free websites and apps. 
• Built for all kinds of teams, starting from Engineering, Marketing, Product, Support, and Growth for testing, collaborating, and delivering quality.
• Highly scalable and can accommodate large teams for successfully shipping out applications and websites.

LambdaTest is another widely used online testing platform where users can perform manual cross-browser testing. You can run a combination of multiple operating systems and browsers at once. You can even record videos of complicated bugs and share them via Slack, Microsoft Teams, and more.

Besides, the platform allows you to speed up your testing by running parallel testing. Some of the best features are:-

• You can test multiple browsers on any OS environment or browser of your choice. 
• It has a highly scalable cloud infrastructure. 
• It is highly secure and reliable for performing automated cross-browser testing .
• It offers high execution speeds as well as fast, automated screenshots.
• With its handy reporting feature and detailed integration, you can easily analyze your test runs and immediately send reports.

BrowserShots 

Browsershots is an open-source online platform that offers developers an easy and user-friendly way to run tests for checking a website’s compatibility with a browser. It also allows screenshotting your web design in numerous operating systems and browsers. BrowserShots is completely free of cost, which is convenient for checking how your website looks across multiple browsers.

• How to Test Safari Browser on Windows?

Testing Safari Browser on Windows can be challenging because Safari is primarily designed for macOS and iOS platforms. However, there are a few approaches you can consider to test Safari on a Windows machine:

• Remote testing services: Utilize remote testing services such as BrowserStack or Sauce Labs, which offer virtual machines with different operating systems and browsers, including Safari on macOS. These services allow you to access and test Safari on real macOS environments directly from your Windows machine through a web browser.
• macOS virtual machines: Set up a macOS virtual machine (VM) on your Windows computer using virtualization software like VMware or VirtualBox. You can install Safari on the macOS VM and perform testing as you would on a native macOS environment.
• Remote access to macOS device: If you have access to a physical macOS device, you can remotely connect to it from your Windows machine using remote desktop software like TeamViewer, AnyDesk, or Chrome Remote Desktop. This allows you to control and test Safari on the macOS device without needing to physically access it.
• Cross-browser testing tools: Some cross-browser testing tools like BrowserStack or Sauce Labs offer a feature called “Interactive Testing” where you can remotely access and interact with Safari browsers running on real macOS devices from your Windows machine.

Cloud-based test automation platforms: Consider using a cloud-based test automation platform like Testsigma, which provides access to real macOS environments with Safari installed. Testsigma allows you to run automated tests on Safari Browsers without needing physical access to macOS devices.

Emulate Safari Across Other Different OS

There are separate pathways for different operating systems when it comes to emulating Safari. We have consolidated the best ways to emulate Safari on the following OS:-

How to Emulate Safari on Linux?

To emulate Safari on Linux, you can follow two methods.

• Installing Safari using WINE.
• Using WINE and PlayOnLinux provides a graphical user interface (UI) for WINE. 
• Using a virtual visualization application for cross-browser testing

Emulate Safari Using Various Browsers

There are several browsers available that users use at their convenience. This is why you must test it on every possible platform before launching your website or application. Down below, we have listed the various ways you can emulate Safari on numerous browsers:-

How to Emulate Safari on Chrome

To emulate Safari on Chrome, you can use websites such as TestingBot or Chrome extensions such as BrowserStack. BrowserStack is a very reliable solution that allows you to initiate testing sessions with a large number of device and browser combinations. You can immediately set up a Safari testing environment by clicking on the BrowserStack extension icon in your Chrome browser.

Alternatively, you can use these steps to emulate Safari using the Developer tools:

• Hit the Control + Shift + I keys to open the Developer tools environment
• Go to the Network tab and click on Network conditions
• Go to the User Agent section and unselect the ‘Use browser default’ radio button and click on the dropdown with the ‘custom’ label
• Scroll down till you can see the devices under Safari, and then select the device (Mac, iPad etc.) you want to emulate Safari with

How to Emulate Safari in Firefox

Firefox is notably one of the most popular browsers used by millions worldwide. If you want to emulate Safari in Firefox, you have to use visualization software which you can download as a browser extension or turn to a cross-browser testing website. The latter option is completely free of cost, hassle-free, and requires no technological prowess.

How to Emulate Safari on Internet Explorer?

Internet Explorer is one of the oldest browsers known to mankind. Although quite rarely used, it is still surprisingly used to this day. If you still use Internet Explorer to this day, you can emulate Safari on Internet Explorer with a cross-browser testing platform or an additionally installed extension. 

How to Emulate Safari on Edge?

Edge is a popular browser developed by Microsoft. You can emulate other browsers by changing the user string. If you want to emulate Safari on Edge, you need to follow the steps listed below:-

• Open Microsoft Edge and visit the link you wish to test
• Hit the F12 key to open the Developer tools environment
• Go to the User Agent section and unselect the ‘Select automatically’ radio button and click on the dropdown
• Scroll down till you can see the devices under Safari and then select the device (Mac, iPad etc.) you want to emulate Safari with
• Emulate Safari Browser Online 

Although the ideal way to emulate Safari is by using an open-source testing platform, some other ways to do the same have been listed below:-

• Using browser widgets
• Downloading older versions of Safari, like Safari 5.1.7 or previous versions 

Every application or website is built using codes using HTML, JavaScript, or CSS elements. Since they are launched online, it is impossible to ascertain which user will use which browser. Safari has its own technology, comes with its own set of challenges, and interprets every application in its own way. 

Therefore, to ensure that your website or application runs smoothly on Safari, you need to conduct cross-browser testing to maintain consistency in its display and functionality. Running automation tests is also integral to software testing. Testsigma is a great platform for seamlessly running automation tests. 

Frequently asked questions

Can you emulate safari on pc.

The Safari Browser has now been limited only to macOS and iOS. However, you can easily emulate this browser on Windows or any other OS by using a virtual machine with your computer as the server. 

How do I emulate a device in Safari?

To emulate a device in Safari, you can use the Simulator added with Xcode and debug/inspect those reviews remotely by using the Develop menu in Safari.

How do I test Safari online?

To run a website on a Safari browser without a Mac, you can use a cross-browser testing tool or an online testing platform. 

Suggested Reading

Android Emulator Online

• Can You Run the Safari Browser on Windows 10 & 11?

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Backward Compatibility Testing | What It is & How to do?

How to Test On Browser Emulator?

How to Emulate Chrome Browser Online?

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How to Emulate iPhone (Change User Agent) in Safari and Firefox Web Browser

W hen web browser accessing the web server to download web page’s contents, it send an user agent to the web server to identify what kind or type of browser, platform and application is used to view the website. Useragent allows web server to respond separately to different system or apply different behavior and features to different browser.

With the popularity of iPhone soaring high, which sales will surely climb higher with the release of iPhone 3G at ridiculously low price, and advanced sophisticated futuristic iPhone, a lot of content providers have create unique, interesting, and sometimes free contents specifically just for iPhone users. Some websites even prepare an individual special user interface for iPhone user, normally just nicely fit into the screen orientation and size of iPhone LCD.

To access these contents from the desktop or laptop and notebook computer, which has a bigger LCD screen, instead of having to view the web pages on the comparably small screen, user can change the user agent string on the PC web browser. Changing web browser’s user agent to emulate and imitate as iPhone usually work because this is the check most web servers depends on.

To use Firefox web browser as if it’s the Safari browser inside the iPhone, follow this guide to change the user agent of Firefox . The user agent string to use is as follow:

For general.useragent.override in about:config preference:

Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/1A543 Safari/419.3

For User Agent Switcher add-on:

Description: iPhone User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) App Name: AppleWebKit/420+ (KHTML, like Gecko) App Version: Version/3.0 Platform: Mobile/1A543 Safari/419.3

To fake iPhone’s Safari using Safari in Windows or Mac OS X , run Safari , click on Edit -> Preference , then go to Advanced tab. Check the checkbox for Show Develop menu in menu bar option.

Exit from the Preference dialog window, a new “Develop” menu will show in the menu bar. Click on Develop , and then select User Agent in the pull down menu. Click to select Mobile Safari 1.1.3 – iPhone .

Now the both Firefox and Safari browsers is surfing the web by telling everybody that you’re indeed using an iPhone to connect to Internet.

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About the author: lk.

• Set Up Simulator and Test iOS Mobile Safari on Mac

Henry Bley-Vroman , Former Senior UI Developer

Article Categories: #Process , #Front-end Engineering , #Project Management

Posted on November 16, 2018

Full interactive iOS Mobile Safari browser testing is possible right on your Mac, no additional services necessary. We'll set up Apple's Simulator and configure it for testing Safari on a wide range of iOS versions and devices.

F u l l i n t e r a c t i v e i O S M o b i l e S a f a r i b r o w s e r t e s t i n g i s p o s s i b l e r i g h t o n y o u r M a c , n o a d d i t i o n a l s e r v i c e s n e c e s s a r y . W e ' l l s e t u p A p p l e ' s S i m u l a t o r a n d c o n f i g u r e i t f o r t e s t i n g S a f a r i o n a w i d e r a n g e o f i O S v e r s i o n s a n d d e v i c e s .

This article is part of a series on running cross-browser tests directly on your primary computer. The next in the series is  Set Up a Windows 10 Virtual Machine and Run Internet Explorer 11 and Edge on Mac or Linux .

Part of preparing most websites and web apps for shipment is testing across devices. Several popular web-based browser testing services make it possible to test iOS's Mobile Safari, but the best of these tools require an additional fee, have limited free features, or restrict the number of users who can use an account at the same time.  Apple makes iOS testing available for free to all macOS users, with their Simulator app. The app is hidden away and you need to go through some hoops to support older versions of iOS, but you don't need special technical know-how. Here's how to get it up and running with just a few clicks (and some longish download waits). It works for watchOS and tvOS as well!

Getting Ready

First install XCode , Apple's developer suit. Be prepared for a long download.

Simulator is a standalone app but it's buried deep within the hidden contents of XCode , where you can't get at it, and where Spotlight doesn't see it. So make a symbolic link  of it in the Applications folder. Here's how, in case you don't know:

Open Terminal (in the Applications folder) or your favorite terminal app

Copy and paste this line:

If you're comfortable with that, hit Enter . Otherwise, skip down to the Addendum for an explanation.

Open up your Applications folder. You should see Simulator ! And Spotlight should find it now too! (Note: Spotlight should find it. This stopped working for me the same day I updated from Xcode 9 to Xcode 10. Hopefully Apple fixes this.)

Using Simulator

Open Simulator (double click it from the Applications folder, or open it from Spotlight, or if you're psyched about flexing new-found command line powers run —type and follow with the Enter ⏎ key— the command open /Applications/Simulator.app ).

Look at that! An iOS device!

Now you can click on the Safari icon and start browsing! But read on to get the most out of Simulator…

Configuring Simulator

With the devices you need all installed, let's get to know Simulator a little. We'll change the window size, add support for your computer keyboard, and add support for trackpad scrolling.

Turn on the ability to type in Simulator with your keyboard

By default, you have to use the on-screen keyboard to type in Simulator's iOS devices, just like you use the on-screen keyboard on a real iOS device. But you can turn on support for your physical keyboard:

In Simulator's "Hardware" menu, under "Keyboard," check "Connect Hardware Keyboard."

Share the clipboard across macOS and your Simulator devices

By default, the standard command v keyboard shortcut will not work to paste to Simulator from any other app. To turn on the shared clipboard (known in Apple devices as the pasteboard), select "Automatically Sync Pasteboard" from the "Edit" menu.

Note for users running older versions of Xcode:  This worked differently prior to Simulator 10. You'll have to use shift command v to paste the macOS clipboard into the Simulator pasteboard, and then you can use command v to paste from the pasteboard.

Switching Devices

With Simulator you can test any Apple device. Select the device you want to use from the "Device" submenu in the "Hardware" menu. By default you'll have only the latest version of iOS, tvOS, and watchOS, but you can easily install "runtimes" for older versions.

Add support for older versions of iOS, tvOS, and watchOS

To add support for other versions of iOS, tvOS, or watchOS, first select "Manage Devices" from the the "Hardwear" menu's "Device" submenu. (For iOS marketshare by version, refer to iOS Distribution and iOS Market Share or Mobile & Tablet iOS Version Market Share Worldwide . Historically, the most recent and second most recent versions of iOS account for between 80–90% of iOS usage, with adoption of the most recent version taking several months to surpass the second most recent version.)

That will open the Xcode app's "Devices" window. Select the "Simulators" tab. Then click the + in the bottom left corner. (Note that your window may look different — as of this writing, it has been redesigned in every recent version of XCode. In XCode 9 you'll have to select "Add Device" from the + 's contextual menu).

Under "OS Version," select "Download more simulator runtimes."

Another new window opens, Xcode's "Components" preferences' list of simulators. Click the downward arrow button next to the OS you want to install support for.

When the download is complete, close the window. Back in the "Create a new simulator" dialog:

• Leave the "Simulator Name" field blank.
• Select the device you want a simulator for.
• And the OS version you just downloaded should be an option now! (Note that "OS Version" is limited by "Device Type," so you must select the device type first. )

Click "Create," and quit Xcode. Back in Simulator, the device you just added should show up in the "Devices" list!

There you have it! If you aren't familiar with the command line and want to understand what the symbolic link command was doing, continue down to the addendum. Otherwise, you're set up to test things on iOS without going through some extra service!

Limited-audience bonus 1: Turn on three-finger trackpad scrolling in Simulator

By default, you can scroll in a Simulator device by clicking and dragging. With the hardware keyboard connected, you can also use the keyboard arrow keys. If you're used to using trackpad scrolling (e.g. two-finger scrolling) in macOS, you may want to turn it on for Simulator too. While two-finger dragging isn't supported, three-finger dragging is. As of this writing, the experience really isn't good: there can be a initial delay, and then another delay before inertial scrolling kicks in. Here's how to turn it on:

From the System menu () open the "System Preferences," and from there, open the "Accessibility" preferences. Under "Mouse & Trackpad," open the "Trackpad Options" and turn on "three finger drag."

Limited-audience Bonus 2: Opening multiple Simulator devices on older versions of Xcode

Sometimes it's useful to have two devices up on the screen at the same time. Before, Xcode 8 (or was it 9?) Simulator could only run one device at a time. If you're on an older version of Simulator that doesn't support multiple devices, you can open two instances of the Simulator app with open -n :

The second instance of the app opens with an error "Unable to boot device in current state: booted." That's saying "the device you're asking to simulate is already being simulated," which is true — by default it's trying to open the same device as it's running in the first instance of the app. Say OK , then go to the Hardware menu > Device and choose a different device. (h/t i40west for the technique)

Addendum: what's that terminal command doing??

If you aren't familiar with the "command line," don't just run a command because someone on the internet says to. I don't know if it's ever really happened (it probably has), but there are plenty of urban legends of command line novices getting tricked into doing serious damage to their computers.

I've said that to make Simulator appear you run

In a nutshell, the Simulator app is installed as part of Xcode, but it's hidden. So we create an alias (aka "shortcut" to people who learned the term on Windows) to the hidden app, and put the alias in the Applications folder.

Here's how it works:

The "command line" lets you run programs that don't have an interface — you tell the app what to do with text commands rather than by clicking on things. The first thing you write is the name of the command. Here, we're running ln , a command that creates links, the technical name for aliases ( ln is short for "link").

Next, write the command-specific options. Option are set with "flags" prefixed with - . ln 's -s flag turns on ln 's "symbolic link" option. There are important differences between symbolic links and plain old links, but in this context what matters is that apps cannot be aliased with a link; apps must be aliased with a symbolic link.

The next thing  ln needs to be told is the thing you want to create an alias to (the "source file"). All files on your computer have an address, written in the form folder/subfolder/file where in a/b/c "c" is inside "b" which is inside "a". This should look familiar from website URLs, and it's actually exactly the same: a website's URL reflects an actual folder structure on a computer somewhere. [More or less… That used to be a given; now it's only sometimes mostly true.] In our case, Xcode is in the "Applications" folder, and inside Xcode there's a Contents folder, and in that is a Developer folder, and in that is an Applications folder, and the Simulator app is in that .

Next you specify the place ln should put that alias (the "target directory"). It makes sense to put your alias to Simulator in the "Applications" folder: add a space after the source file's path, and then write /Applications . (See that / in front of /Applications , in both the source file and the target directory? That's saying "this is at the top level " - Xcode is a child of "Applications" but "Applications" is not the child of anything. One last bit of vocab: "Applications" is the parent of Xcode .)

Okay, hit Enter!

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8 Best iOS Emulators For PC (Windows And Mac) To Run iOS Apps

Using an Android or iOS emulator to run a mobile app on your desktop has many advantages. While there are tons of worthy Android emulators out there, such solutions for running iOS apps on Windows and Mac aren’t common. To help you out, I’ve curated a list of the best iOS emulators for PC and Mac.

Using these emulators, you can duplicate an iOS device’s behavior without any added hardware cost. You can run games like PUBG and Pokemon Go on your computer by using an emulator. It also helps app developers find unexpected behavior during the testing phase of the apps.

How To Use Delta iOS Emulator & Install Game ROMs On iPhone?

Most of the emulators in this article are free, and others are available for a certain trial period. So, let’s get started:

Top iOS Emulators for PC and Mac | 2022 Edition

1. appetize.io, 2. corellium, 3. ios simulator in xcode, 4. testflight, 5. iphone 11 on qemu, 6. electric mobile studio, 7. remoted ios simulator for windows pc, 8. ipadian- ios emulator for pc.

Platform: Web (browser-based)

Pricing plans:  Free, Premium

I’ve included Appetize.io and listed it in the first place due to the ease of use offered by this freemium service. Given the scarcity of iOS emulators for PC and Mac in the first place, it’s great to find a solution that asks you just to upload your app on its website, and you’re good to go.

Developers can use Appetize.ion to stream iOS simulators in the browser. It’s used for embedding apps in websites, testing, or other phases of development.

As for the price, the free trial period of this iPhone simulator gives you 100 minutes of streaming time for apps. You can monitor your usage from the dashboard and set up alerts when you reach your limit.

Pricing plans:  $99/ month for a 2-core CPU plan; $295/ month for a 6-core CPU plan

Corellium is another iOS emulator for PCs, mostly used by security researchers to run a simulated iOS device within the browser. The people behind Corellium are one of the earliest members of the iPhone jailbreak scene, so you are in safe hands.

Earlier, Corellium was only available to enterprise users but now individuals can also use the iOS virtualization software. However, getting your hands on the tool is difficult since Corellium doesn’t want it to be used by the wrong people.

Platform: Mac

Pricing plans:  Free

Apple’s homegrown Xcode software development environment for Mac comes with its own app simulator for iOS, tvOS, watchOS, and iMessage. So, if one is using Xcode as the primary app development suite, then it’s sufficient to emulate different types of interactions like taps, device rotation, scrolling, and other actions performed by the user.

Mac users can directly launch their apps from the Xcode project. What gives Safari an edge over other free iPhone emulators is the ability to test web apps by accessing Safari within Xcode.

TestFlight, which is now owned by Apple, is often used by developers to beta test their iOS apps coded using Xamarin. You can also consider it as Apple’s officially recommended method for testing the apps.

TestFlight’s extensive documentation is a plus point for this iOS emulator for PCs. This free app supports apps for iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and iMessage. It also includes an option for external beta testing of the apps before the final review. The downside of this emulation service is a comparatively technical setup, and one also needs to create an App Store distribution profile.

Pricing: Open source, free

QEMU is a popular open-source emulator which now lets you emulate iOS. While it is still far from a finished product , its open-source nature means you can download it for free. QEMU iPhone emulator’s code is available for free download and you can access it from the page linked below.

At the time of writing this, QEMU packs a couple of features like S8000 secureROM emulation, USB, SPRR, and GFX emulation. So if you wish to run an iOS emulator for free, this is one of the best options. But remember you need a Mac to run this.

Platform: Windows

Pricing plans:  Trial, Paid

Electric Mobile Studio is a paid way to test and run iOS apps on Windows computers, but it offers a full product trial for 7 days, which makes it an eligible choice for this list. Its highlighted features include full-fledged emulation of iPhones, iPads, and responsive apps, and the ability to use the same product on two machines for common work setups at the office and home.

Developers also prefer this iPhone emulator for Windows 10 due to the integrated WebKit and Chrome debugging tools that make their jobs easier. One can add hot-key navigation keys for mapping their favorite shortcuts. Windows users can also easily integrate this tool for iOS app with Visual Studio.

Pricing plans:  Free, Paid

Another popular option to test iOS applications on your Windows PC is Remoted iOS Simulator for Windows. It’s a developer-focused tool that comes pre-loaded as a part of Xamarin in Visual Studio. Microsoft has detailed documentation available on its website that users can follow and test their apps with the iOS simulator.

The tool’s window shows a useful toolbar at the top that has useful options like Home, Lock, Settings, and Screenshot. From Settings, you can enable Touch ID-like functionality, simulate static and moving conditions, shake gestures, rotation, etc. The tool also provides iPhone-like touch gestures and stylus input.

It is important to note that it’s a remote iOS emulator for windows. To put it simply, it requires a Mac to run the iOS simulator, which then sends the feed to a Windows computer.

Platform: Windows, Mac

Pricing plans:  Paid

There are many tools like iPadian that are pretty popular for providing an iPad or iPhone like experience on PC and Mac. However, those solutions don’t let you upload your app/code and test it — instead, they work like a custom layer on the top of your OS, and one can install certain iOS-like apps from their app store. If you simply wish to use an iOS simulator that imitates the design and appearance of iOS hardware, you can go for iPadian.

How to test iOS apps on Windows?

It’s technically impossible as you can only simulate iOS on Mac hardware using macOS. As you can’t run a macOS virtual machine on Windows you need to run macOS natively to test iOS apps. In the future, Apple might release a developer tool for this but for now, we can only rely on emulators to test iOS apps. Meanwhile, you can read our article on Nintendo switch emulators for pc and android devices right here!

iOS Emulator For PC FAQ

You can run iOS apps on your PC with the help of the iOS emulators mentioned above.

No, BlueStacks cannot emulate iOS. It is an Android emulator which can run Android apps and games on your Windows or Mac PC.

Yes, you can run an iOS emulator on Windows with the help of many browser-based iOS simulation software.

iOS is a closed source operating system which means its source code is not published by Apple. This makes it impossible to make a third-party emulator for iOS. Unless Apple decides to make an official iOS emulator for Windows themselves we can only make do with the ones listed here.

I hope that just like our list of Android emulators for PCs, you’ll also find this iOS-focused listing helpful. We also plan to prepare a list of retro game emulators soon like RetroArch and PCSX2 as well, so stay tuned. Keep reading Fossbytes!

Fossbytes co-founder and an aspiring entrepreneur who keeps a close eye on open source, tech giants, and security. Get in touch with him by sending an email — [email protected]

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iPhone User Guide

• iPhone models compatible with iOS 17
• R ' class='toc-item' data-ss-analytics-link-url='https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iphone-xr-iph017302841/ios' data-ajax-endpoint='https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iphone-xr-iph017302841/ios' data-ss-analytics-event="acs.link_click" href='https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iphone-xr-iph017302841/ios' id='toc-item-IPH017302841' data-tocid='IPH017302841' > iPhone X R
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• S Max' class='toc-item' data-ss-analytics-link-url='https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iphone-xs-max-iphcd2066870/ios' data-ajax-endpoint='https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iphone-xs-max-iphcd2066870/ios' data-ss-analytics-event="acs.link_click" href='https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iphone-xs-max-iphcd2066870/ios' id='toc-item-IPHCD2066870' data-tocid='IPHCD2066870' > iPhone X S Max
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (2nd generation)
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (3rd generation)
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• Setup basics
• Make your iPhone your own
• Take great photos and videos
• Keep in touch with friends and family
• Share features with your family
• Use iPhone for your daily routines
• Expert advice from Apple Support
• What’s new in iOS 17
• Turn on and set up iPhone
• Wake and unlock
• Set up cellular service
• Use Dual SIM
• Connect to the internet
• Sign in with Apple ID
• Subscribe to iCloud+
• Find settings
• Set up mail, contacts, and calendar accounts
• Learn the meaning of the status icons
• Charge the battery
• Charge with cleaner energy sources
• Show the battery percentage
• Check battery health and usage
• Use Low Power Mode
• Read and bookmark the user guide
• Learn basic gestures
• Learn gestures for iPhone models with Face ID
• Adjust the volume
• Find your apps in App Library
• Switch between open apps
• Quit and reopen an app
• Multitask with Picture in Picture
• Access features from the Lock Screen
• View Live Activities in the Dynamic Island
• Perform quick actions
• Search on iPhone
• Get information about your iPhone
• View or change cellular data settings
• Travel with iPhone
• Change sounds and vibrations
• Use the Action button on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max
• Create a custom Lock Screen
• Change the wallpaper
• Adjust the screen brightness and color balance
• Keep the iPhone display on longer
• Use StandBy
• Customize the text size and zoom setting
• Change the name of your iPhone
• Change the date and time
• Change the language and region
• Organize your apps in folders
• Add, edit, and remove widgets
• Move apps and widgets on the Home Screen
• Remove apps
• Use and customize Control Center
• Change or lock the screen orientation
• View and respond to notifications
• Change notification settings
• Set up a Focus
• Allow or silence notifications for a Focus
• Turn a Focus on or off
• Stay focused while driving
• Customize sharing options
• Type with the onscreen keyboard
• Dictate text
• Select and edit text
• Use predictive text
• Use text replacements
• Add or change keyboards
• Add emoji and stickers
• Take a screenshot
• Take a screen recording
• Draw in documents
• Add text, shapes, signatures, and more
• Fill out forms and sign documents
• Use Live Text to interact with content in a photo or video
• Use Visual Look Up to identify objects in your photos and videos
• Lift a subject from the photo background
• Subscribe to Apple Arcade
• Play with friends in Game Center
• Connect a game controller
• Use App Clips
• Update apps
• View or cancel subscriptions
• Manage purchases, settings, and restrictions
• Install and manage fonts
• Buy books and audiobooks
• Annotate books
• Access books on other Apple devices
• Listen to audiobooks
• Set reading goals
• Organize books
• Create and edit events in Calendar
• Send invitations
• Reply to invitations
• Change how you view events
• Search for events
• Change calendar and event settings
• Schedule or display events in a different time zone
• Keep track of events
• Use multiple calendars
• Use the Holidays calendar
• Share iCloud calendars
• Camera basics
• Set up your shot
• Apply Photographic Styles
• Take Live Photos
• Take Burst mode shots
• Take a selfie
• Take panoramic photos
• Take macro photos and videos
• Take portraits
• Take Night mode photos
• Take Apple ProRAW photos
• Adjust the shutter volume
• Adjust HDR camera settings
• Record videos
• Record spatial videos for Apple Vision Pro
• Record ProRes videos
• Record videos in Cinematic mode
• Change video recording settings
• Save camera settings
• Customize the Main camera lens
• Change advanced camera settings
• View, share, and print photos
• Use Live Text
• Scan a QR code
• See the world clock
• Set an alarm
• Change the next wake up alarm
• Use the stopwatch
• Use multiple timers
• Add and use contact information
• Edit contacts
• Add your contact info
• Use NameDrop on iPhone to share your contact info
• Use other contact accounts
• Use Contacts from the Phone app
• Merge or hide duplicate contacts
• Export contacts
• Get started with FaceTime
• Make FaceTime calls
• Receive FaceTime calls
• Create a FaceTime link
• Take a Live Photo
• Turn on Live Captions in a FaceTime call
• Use other apps during a call
• Make a Group FaceTime call
• View participants in a grid
• Use SharePlay to watch, listen, and play together
• Share your screen in a FaceTime call
• Collaborate on a document in FaceTime
• Use video conferencing features
• Hand off a FaceTime call to another Apple device
• Change the FaceTime video settings
• Change the FaceTime audio settings
• Change your appearance
• Leave a call or switch to Messages
• Block unwanted callers
• Report a call as spam
• Connect external devices or servers
• Modify files, folders, and downloads
• Search for files and folders
• Organize files and folders
• Set up iCloud Drive
• Share files and folders in iCloud Drive
• Share your location
• Meet up with a friend
• Send your location via satellite
• Add or remove a friend
• Locate a friend
• Get notified when friends change their location
• Notify a friend when your location changes
• Add your iPhone
• Add your iPhone Wallet with MagSafe
• Get notified if you leave a device behind
• Locate a device
• Mark a device as lost
• Erase a device
• Remove a device
• Add an AirTag
• Share an AirTag or other item in Find My on iPhone
• Add a third-party item
• Get notified if you leave an item behind
• Locate an item
• Mark an item as lost
• Remove an item
• Adjust map settings
• Get started with Fitness
• Track daily activity and change your move goal
• See your activity summary
• Sync a third-party workout app
• Change fitness notifications
• Share your activity
• Subscribe to Apple Fitness+
• Find Apple Fitness+ workouts and meditations
• Start an Apple Fitness+ workout or meditation
• Create a Custom Plan in Apple Fitness+
• Work out together using SharePlay
• Change what’s on the screen during an Apple Fitness+ workout or meditation
• Download an Apple Fitness+ workout or meditation
• Get started with Freeform
• Create a Freeform board
• Draw or handwrite
• Apply consistent styles
• Position items on a board
• Search Freeform boards
• Share and collaborate
• Delete and recover boards
• Get started with Health
• Fill out your Health Details
• Intro to Health data
• View your health data
• Share your health data
• View health data shared by others
• Download health records
• View health records
• Monitor your walking steadiness
• Log menstrual cycle information
• View menstrual cycle predictions and history
• Track your medications
• Learn more about your medications
• Log your state of mind
• Take a mental health assessment
• Set up a schedule for a Sleep Focus
• Turn off alarms and delete sleep schedules
• Add or change sleep schedules
• Turn Sleep Focus on or off
• Change your wind down period, sleep goal, and more
• View your sleep history
• Check your headphone levels
• Use audiogram data
• Register as an organ donor
• Back up your Health data
• Intro to Home
• Upgrade to the new Home architecture
• Set up accessories
• Control accessories
• Control your home using Siri
• Use Grid Forecast to plan your energy usage
• Set up HomePod
• Control your home remotely
• Create and use scenes
• Use automations
• Set up security cameras
• Use Face Recognition
• Unlock your door with a home key
• Configure a router
• Invite others to control accessories
• Add more homes
• Get music, movies, and TV shows
• Get ringtones
• Manage purchases and settings
• Get started with Journal
• Write in your journal
• Review your past journal entries
• Change Journal settings
• Magnify nearby objects
• Change settings
• Detect people around you
• Detect doors around you
• Receive image descriptions of your surroundings
• Read aloud text and labels around you
• Set up shortcuts for Detection Mode
• Add and remove email accounts
• Set up a custom email domain
• Check your email
• Unsend email with Undo Send
• Reply to and forward emails
• Save an email draft
• Add email attachments
• Download email attachments
• Annotate email attachments
• Set email notifications
• Search for email
• Organize email in mailboxes
• Flag or block emails
• Filter emails
• Use Hide My Email
• Use Mail Privacy Protection
• Change email settings
• Delete and recover emails
• Add a Mail widget to your Home Screen
• Print emails
• Get travel directions
• Select other route options
• Find stops along your route
• View a route overview or a list of turns
• Change settings for spoken directions
• Get driving directions
• Get directions to your parked car
• Set up electric vehicle routing
• Report traffic incidents
• Get cycling directions
• Get walking directions
• Get transit directions
• Delete recent directions
• Get traffic and weather info
• Estimate travel time and ETA
• Download offline maps
• Search for places
• Find nearby attractions, restaurants, and services
• Get information about places
• Mark places
• Share places
• Rate places
• Save favorite places
• Explore new places with Guides
• Organize places in My Guides
• Delete significant locations
• Look around places
• Take Flyover tours
• Find your Maps settings
• Measure dimensions
• View and save measurements
• Measure a person’s height
• Use the level
• Set up Messages
• About iMessage
• Send and reply to messages
• Unsend and edit messages
• Keep track of messages
• Forward and share messages
• Group conversations
• Watch, listen, or play together using SharePlay
• Collaborate on projects
• Use iMessage apps
• Take and edit photos or videos
• Share photos, links, and more
• Send stickers
• Request, send, and receive payments
• Send and receive audio messages
• Animate messages
• Change notifications
• Block, filter, and report messages
• Delete messages and attachments
• Recover deleted messages
• View albums, playlists, and more
• Show song credits and lyrics
• Queue up your music
• Listen to broadcast radio
• Subscribe to Apple Music
• Play music together in the car with iPhone
• Listen to lossless music
• Listen to Dolby Atmos music
• Apple Music Sing
• Find new music
• Add music and listen offline
• Get personalized recommendations
• Listen to radio
• Search for music
• Create playlists
• See what your friends are listening to
• Use Siri to play music
• Change the way music sounds
• Get started with News
• Use News widgets
• See news stories chosen just for you
• Read stories
• Follow your favorite teams with My Sports
• Listen to Apple News Today
• Subscribe to Apple News+
• Browse and read Apple News+ stories and issues
• Download Apple News+ issues
• Listen to audio stories
• Solve crossword puzzles
• Search for news stories
• Save stories in News for later
• Subscribe to individual news channels
• Get started with Notes
• Add or remove accounts
• Create and format notes
• Draw or write
• Add photos, videos, and more
• Scan text and documents
• Work with PDFs
• Create Quick Notes
• Search notes
• Organize in folders
• Organize with tags
• Use Smart Folders
• Export or print notes
• Change Notes settings
• Make a call
• Answer or decline incoming calls
• While on a call
• Set up voicemail
• Check voicemail
• Change voicemail greeting and settings
• Select ringtones and vibrations
• Make calls using Wi-Fi
• Set up call forwarding and call waiting
• Avoid unwanted calls
• View photos and videos
• Play videos and slideshows
• Delete or hide photos and videos
• Edit photos and videos
• Trim video length and adjust slow motion
• Edit Cinematic mode videos
• Edit Live Photos
• Edit portraits
• Use photo albums
• Edit, share, and organize albums
• Filter and sort photos and videos in albums
• Make stickers from your photos
• Duplicate and copy photos and videos
• Merge duplicate photos and videos
• Search for photos
• Identify people and pets
• Browse photos by location
• Share photos and videos
• Share long videos
• View photos and videos shared with you
• Watch memories
• Personalize your memories
• Manage memories and featured photos
• Use iCloud Photos
• Create shared albums
• Add and remove people in a shared album
• Add and delete photos and videos in a shared album
• Set up or join an iCloud Shared Photo Library
• Add content to an iCloud Shared Photo Library
• Use iCloud Shared Photo Library
• Import and export photos and videos
• Print photos
• Find podcasts
• Listen to podcasts
• Follow your favorite podcasts
• Use the Podcasts widget
• Organize your podcast library
• Download, save, or share podcasts
• Subscribe to podcasts
• Listen to subscriber-only content
• Change download settings
• Make a grocery list
• Add items to a list
• Edit and manage a list
• Search and organize lists
• Work with templates
• Use Smart Lists
• Print reminders
• Use the Reminders widget
• Change Reminders settings
• Browse the web
• Search for websites
• Customize your Safari settings
• Change the layout
• Use Safari profiles
• Open and close tabs
• Organize your tabs
• View your Safari tabs from another Apple device
• Share Tab Groups
• Use Siri to listen to a webpage
• Bookmark favorite webpages
• Save pages to a Reading List
• Find links shared with you
• Annotate and save a webpage as a PDF
• Automatically fill in forms
• Get extensions
• Hide ads and distractions
• Clear your cache
• Browse the web privately
• Use passkeys in Safari
• Check stocks
• Manage multiple watchlists
• Read business news
• Add earnings reports to your calendar
• Use a Stocks widget
• Translate text, voice, and conversations
• Translate text in apps
• Translate with the camera view
• Subscribe to Apple TV+, MLS Season Pass, or an Apple TV channel
• Add your TV provider
• Get shows, movies, and more
• Watch sports
• Watch Major League Soccer with MLS Season Pass
• Control playback
• Manage your library
• Change the settings
• Make a recording
• Play it back
• Edit or delete a recording
• Keep recordings up to date
• Organize recordings
• Search for or rename a recording
• Share a recording
• Duplicate a recording
• Keep cards and passes in Wallet
• Set up Apple Pay
• Use Apple Pay for contactless payments
• Use Apple Pay in apps and on the web
• Track your orders
• Use Apple Cash
• Use Apple Card
• Use Savings
• Pay for transit
• Access your home, hotel room, and vehicle
• Add identity cards
• Use COVID-19 vaccination cards
• Check your Apple Account balance
• Use Express Mode
• Organize your Wallet
• Remove cards or passes
• Check the weather
• Check the weather in other locations
• View weather maps
• Manage weather notifications
• Use Weather widgets
• Learn the weather icons
• Find out what Siri can do
• Tell Siri about yourself
• Have Siri announce calls and notifications
• Add Siri Shortcuts
• About Siri Suggestions
• Use Siri in your car
• Change Siri settings
• Contact emergency services
• Use Emergency SOS via satellite
• Request Roadside Assistance via satellite
• Set up and view your Medical ID
• Use Check In
• Manage Crash Detection
• Reset privacy and security settings in an emergency
• Set up Family Sharing
• Add Family Sharing members
• Remove Family Sharing members
• Share subscriptions
• Share purchases
• Share locations with family and locate lost devices
• Set up Apple Cash Family and Apple Card Family
• Set up parental controls
• Set up a child’s device
• Get started with Screen Time
• Protect your vision health with Screen Distance
• Set up Screen Time
• Set communication and safety limits and block inappropriate content
• Charging cable
• Power adapters
• MagSafe chargers and battery packs
• MagSafe cases and sleeves
• Qi-certified wireless chargers
• Use AirPods
• Use EarPods
• Apple Watch
• Wirelessly stream videos and photos to Apple TV or a smart TV
• Connect to a display with a cable
• HomePod and other wireless speakers
• Pair Magic Keyboard
• Enter characters with diacritical marks
• Switch between keyboards
• Use shortcuts
• Choose an alternative keyboard layout
• Change typing assistance options
• External storage devices
• Bluetooth accessories
• Share your internet connection
• Allow phone calls on your iPad and Mac
• Use iPhone as a webcam
• Hand off tasks between devices
• Cut, copy, and paste between iPhone and other devices
• Stream video or mirror the screen of your iPhone
• Start SharePlay instantly
• Use AirDrop to send items
• Connect iPhone and your computer with a cable
• Transfer files between devices
• Transfer files with email, messages, or AirDrop
• Transfer files or sync content with the Finder or iTunes
• Automatically keep files up to date with iCloud
• Use an external storage device, a file server, or a cloud storage service
• Intro to CarPlay
• Connect to CarPlay
• Use your vehicle’s built-in controls
• Get turn-by-turn directions
• Change the map view
• Make phone calls
• View your calendar
• Send and receive text messages
• Announce incoming text messages
• Play podcasts
• Play audiobooks
• Listen to news stories
• Control your home
• Use other apps with CarPlay
• Rearrange icons on CarPlay Home
• Change settings in CarPlay
• Get started with accessibility features
• Turn on accessibility features for setup
• Change Siri accessibility settings
• Open features with Accessibility Shortcut
• Change color and brightness
• Make text easier to read
• Reduce onscreen motion
• Customize per-app visual settings
• Hear what’s on the screen or typed
• Hear audio descriptions
• Turn on and practice VoiceOver
• Change your VoiceOver settings
• Use VoiceOver gestures
• Operate iPhone when VoiceOver is on
• Control VoiceOver using the rotor
• Use the onscreen keyboard
• Write with your finger
• Use VoiceOver with an Apple external keyboard
• Use a braille display
• Type braille on the screen
• Customize gestures and keyboard shortcuts
• Use VoiceOver with a pointer device
• Use VoiceOver for images and videos
• Use VoiceOver in apps
• Use AssistiveTouch
• Adjust how iPhone responds to your touch
• Use Reachability
• Auto-answer calls
• Turn off vibration
• Change Face ID and attention settings
• Use Voice Control
• Adjust the side or Home button
• Use Apple TV Remote buttons
• Adjust pointer settings
• Adjust keyboard settings
• Adjust AirPods settings
• Turn on Apple Watch Mirroring
• Control a nearby Apple device
• Intro to Switch Control
• Set up and turn on Switch Control
• Select items, perform actions, and more
• Control several devices with one switch
• Use hearing devices
• Use Live Listen
• Use sound recognition
• Set up and use RTT and TTY
• Flash the LED for alerts
• Adjust audio settings
• Play background sounds
• Display subtitles and captions
• Show transcriptions for Intercom messages
• Get Live Captions (beta)
• Type to speak
• Record a Personal Voice
• Use Guided Access
• Use built-in privacy and security protections
• Set a passcode
• Set up Face ID
• Set up Touch ID
• Control access to information on the Lock Screen
• Keep your Apple ID secure
• Use passkeys to sign in to apps and websites
• Sign in with Apple
• Share passwords
• Automatically fill in strong passwords
• Change weak or compromised passwords
• View your passwords and related information
• Share passkeys and passwords securely with AirDrop
• Make your passkeys and passwords available on all your devices
• Automatically fill in verification codes
• Automatically fill in SMS passcodes
• Sign in with fewer CAPTCHA challenges
• Use two-factor authentication
• Use security keys
• Manage information sharing with Safety Check
• Control app tracking permissions
• Control the location information you share
• Control access to information in apps
• Control how Apple delivers advertising to you
• Control access to hardware features
• Create and manage Hide My Email addresses
• Protect your web browsing with iCloud Private Relay
• Use a private network address
• Use Advanced Data Protection
• Use Lockdown Mode
• Use Stolen Device Protection
• Receive warnings about sensitive content
• Use Contact Key Verification
• Turn iPhone on or off
• Force restart iPhone
• Back up iPhone
• Return iPhone settings to their defaults
• Restore all content from a backup
• Restore purchased and deleted items
• Sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone
• Erase iPhone
• Install or remove configuration profiles
• Important safety information
• Important handling information
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Browse the web using Safari on iPhone

View websites with Safari

You can easily navigate a webpage with a few taps.

Get back to the top: Double-tap the top edge of the screen to quickly return to the top of a long page.

See more of the page: Turn iPhone to landscape orientation.

Refresh the page: Pull down from the top of the page.

Preview website links

Touch and hold a link in Safari to see a preview of the link without opening the page. To open the link, tap the preview, or choose Open.

To close the preview and stay on the current page, tap anywhere outside the preview.

Translate a webpage or image

When you view a webpage or image that’s in another language, you can use Safari to translate the text (not available in all languages or regions).

Add Safari back to your Home Screen

If you don’t see Safari on your Home Screen, you can find it in App Library and add it back.

On the Home Screen, swipe left until you see the App Library.

Enter “Safari” in the search field.

Test any website on Safari browser Emulator online

Having a cross-browser compatible site is a vital thing for any web developer. They use different methods in order to obtain perfectly displayed sites in all browsers. In our article we will talk about the testing site while using Safari emulator online and the reasons for testing sites via emulators.

Try testing for free right now.

• Safari – ​the second most popular browser among users

Installing Safari on a Windows machine

Advantages of using safari emulator for web testing, frequently asked questions.

Thanks to emulators, testers get a real possibility to test the functionality of sites, web systems, using a significant number of devices and operating systems that are used on a daily basis by end users of the web site. Their importance cannot be overemphasized when running tests on a wide variety of devices and systems, because it is impossible to have access to all the mobile devices and web components existing in the world. So how to view website in Safari using different operating systems? And why is it important to test websites on Safari?

Safari – the second most popular browser among users

StatCounter , a web traffic analysis tool, has released a report on the global browser market. Thanks to it, the most popular programs became known. Analysts took into account data for both mobile browsers and desktop programs. As it turned out, the most popular browser in the world is still Google Chrome (64.19%) and the second most popular browser is Safari (19.03%).

From this statistic it makes clear why performing Safari browser test for compatibility is important and why testers should not neglect this browser. It is worth mentioning that Safari browser is available for Mac computers and laptops, as well as iPhone and iPad mobile devices. Designed specifically for Apple devices, Safari runs faster than other browsers and uses less battery power, besides that it is a default browser for Apple devices. Apple's Safari Internet browser provides ample opportunities for surfing the Internet and working on the Internet.

That is why it is highly recommended to test site in Safari as the share of users with Apple devices is increasing day by day and as we know, having a cross-browser compatible site is a first step towards success. Knowing that Safari is one of the most demanded browsers, how to perform Safari check while not having macOS? Let’s try to figure it out.

The popularity of Safari on Mac led developers to adapt their software for other platforms, and in 2007 a starter version for Windows was released. Unfortunately, support for the Windows version ended back in 2012 - Safari 5.1.7 (5.34.57.2) for Windows was the last one, and it is already outdated and not updated. However, it is still used by some users today, so testers can perform Safari test on Windows , unfortunately it will not be the latest version.

It is a known fact that Safari for Windows stands out for its decent speed and characteristic interface. All this is overshadowed by the lack of support for many modern technologies. The browser is not able to display the content of many sites, including YouTube and even, so to speak, the native Apple.com. One of the reasons why Apple has stopped supporting Safari for Windows is that the latest could not become the main browser on Microsoft systems.

So, what is left for web developers and QA testers when they need to test website on Safari? Yes, you are right, they can emulate Safari on Windows or any other operating system and enjoy seamless testing. In such a way we came to one more burning topic like Safari emulator.

We all know that while QA testers may encounter a problem when the required device is not available. Definitely, the first option is to buy a device.However, if you require lots of devices or need to perform testing immediately? Deploying virtual machines demands lots of system resources as well as money and can cause system conflicts. That is why turning to Safari browser emulator tools is an excellent idea. Of course, it cannot overshadow testing on real devices but also has significant advantages:

• quick test site in Safari when Mac device is unavailable;
• testing complex or dangerous scenarios that are impossible or not recommended to be tested in real browsers;
• when it is necessary to work with an older version of the browser within a modern technical architecture;
• when there is no version of the browser for your OS (Safari emulator for Windows);
• doesn’t require maintenance of the device;
• no difficulties to get devices that are only available in foreign countries;
• is not time consuming solution;
• safari browser emulator online doesn’t require installation of your computer.

Perform Safari browser test without having any Mac device is sometimes quite challenging. As Apple Safari is the first browser that blocks third party cookies by default.

That is why Testers choose Mac browser emulator solutions like Comparium - a free cross browser testing tool that facilitates Safari browser testing no matter the OS you have installed on your computer.

Can I use Safari not on Mac? I mean, I have Linux and I need to perform tests in Safari but do not want to install Safari or use a virtual machine. Some kind of online emulator or service maybe?

There are lots of testing services on the Internet. Can recommend Comparium. It is a free solution and allows you to test Safari without installing it on your computer or any additional software.

Safari Browser Testing

Browserling offers free online cross-browser testing in the Safari browser. At the moment, we offer Safari versions that run on Windows but very soon we'll also be adding Safari on macOS. The Windows Safari versions are installed on Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, and XP. The installed Safari versions are from the official Apple installation packages and they are not fake browser emulators or simulators. To access Safari from Browserling, you don't have to install any additional software as Browserling is powered by HTML5 and JavaScript.

Try Safari in Browserling now!

Use the browser testing widget (below) to load an online Safari browser. Simply enter the address of a website that you want to open and press the "Test now!" button.

The free Browserling version offers 3 minutes of Safari testing on Windows 10 but to get unlimited minutes and access to all other operating systems, you'll have to get the developer plan .

Safari Testing FAQ

What is the latest safari version for windows.

The latest Windows Safari version is 5.1.5. You can access it via our quick browsing URL: browserling.com/browse/safari/5.1.5 .

What is the earliest Safari for Windows?

The earliest Windows Safari version is 4.0 and you can also access it via our quick browsing URL: browserling.com/browse/safari/4.0 .

Does Apple still maintain the Windows port of Safari?

No, Apple stopped maintaining Windows Safari after version 5.1.5

Do you offer Safari testing on macOS?

We're working on it! We don't have Safari on macOS yet but it's one of our top priority tasks to add it. Stay tuned!

Do you offer Safari testing on iPhones?

Offering Safari browser testing on iPhones is also one of our top tasks and we're working on it!

What browser engine does Safari use?

Safari is based on the WebKit browser engine. WebKit is also used by Chrome , Edge , and Opera browsers.

Do you run a Safari emulator?

No, we installed Safari from the official Apple installation package and it runs on a real computer. It's not an emulator nor a simulator but a real browser.

Can you help us with an issue on our website in Safari?

We'd love to help. We have been solving cross-browser testing problems for over 10 years and know everything there is about the Safari browser. Please email us at [email protected] and we'll help you with your website issue in Safari.

What is the Live Safari API?

It's a technology that we created. It lets you embed a Safari in your own project (a website or a webapp). Take a look at the Live API page that shows how it works.

For any other questions about cross-browser testing in Safari please contact us at [email protected] or use our contact form .

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How to Activate the iPhone Debug Console or Web Inspector

Use Safari's web developer tools to study problematic websites

• Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
• Switching from Android

What to Know

• Activate Web Inspector on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced and move the Web Inspector toggle switch to the On position.
• Use Web Inspector on macOS: Connect your iOS device to a Mac and choose the URL to inspect from the Develop menu.

If you run into a bug or another issue with a website on Safari mobile, use the Web Inspector tool to investigate. This article explains how to use the Safari console for iPhone to debug errors with the help of your Mac computer. Instructions apply to iPhones with iOS 14, iOS 12, or iOS 11, and well as Macs with macOS Big Sur (11.0), macOS Catalina (10.15), or macOS Mojave (10.14).

Activate Web Inspector on Your iPhone or Other iOS Device

The Web Inspector is disabled by default since most iPhone users have no use for it. However, if you're a developer or you're curious, you can activate it in a few short steps. Here's how:

Open the iPhone  Settings  menu.

On an iPhone with an early version of iOS, access the Debug Console through Settings > Safari > Developer > Debug Console . When Safari on the iPhone detects CSS, HTML, and JavaScript errors, details of each display in the debugger.

Scroll down and tap  Safari  to open the screen that contains everything related to the Safari web browser on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Advanced .

Move the Web Inspector toggle switch to the On position.

Connect Your iOS Device to Safari on a Mac

To use the Web Inspector, connect your iPhone or another iOS device to a Mac that has the Safari web browser and enable the Develop menu .

With Safari open, select Safari from the menu bar and choose  Preferences .

Select the  Advanced  tab.

Select the Show Develop menu in menu bar check box and close the settings window.

From the Safari menu bar, select Develop and choose the name of your attached iOS device, then select the URL that appears under Safari to open the debug console for that site.

After you connect your device, use your Mac to inspect the website you want to debug and have it open in the Safari mobile browser.

What Is Web Inspector?

Web developers use Web Inspector to modify, debug, and optimize websites on Macs and iOS devices. With Web Inspector open, developers can inspect the resources on a web page. The Web Inspector window contains editable HTML and notes regarding the styles and layers of the web page in a separate panel.

Before iOS 6, the iPhone Safari web browser had a built-in Debug Console that developers used to find web page defects. Recent versions of iOS use Web Inspector instead.

With Safari 9 and OS X Mavericks (10.9), Apple introduced Responsive Design Mode in Web Inspector. Developers use this built-in simulator to preview how web pages scale to different screen sizes, resolutions, and orientations.

To set up Web Inspector on your iPad, open your iPad's Settings and select Safari > Advanced , then turn Web Inspector On . Connect the iPad to a Mac computer, then open Safari on the Mac and select Safari > Preferences > Advanced , then turn on Show Develop menu in menu bar .

You cannot just connect your iPhone to a Windows PC and start using Web Inspector through Chrome like you can with a Mac. Installing package manager software can provide you a sort of workaround, but it's not recommended unless you're familiar with the package management app you intend to use.

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How To Use Delta Emulator and Play Nintendo Games on iOS

• While emulators are legal in the U.S., ROMs are a bit more complicated.
• The Delta app requires iOS 14 or later.
• The app is also available for iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro.

Gamers, your time is here: the Delta emulator app is now available for iOS, and with it arrives a wealth of emulation and features. This expansive app hosts an impressive selection of classic video game consoles, providing the ability to play thousands of retro games on your iPhone. Below, I’ll show you everything you need to know to start gaming.

What to Know About the Delta Emulator

Apple finally eased restrictions on emulators, and Delta is the second Apple-approved option to be officially listed on the App Store. What I love about it is that it’s 100% free. You can play a wide variety of retro Nintendo games without having to sit through ads—note that very few free emulators offer an ad-free experience. You can learn more about the Delta emulator here .

What Emulators Are Available on the Delta App?

The following emulators (game systems) are available through the Delta app:

• Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
• Super Nintendo Entertain System (SNES)
• Nintendo 64
• Game Boy and Game Boy Color
• Game Boy Advance
• Nintendo DS

How To Get Nintendo DS Games on Delta Game Emulator?

While every emulator available within the app works as is, there are specific BIOS files that you’ll need for the Nintendo DS emulator. I can’t link to them for copyright reasons, but you can easily find them on any search engine. After you download the necessary files, remember to select Save to Files from the Share menu.

The BIOS files needed for the Nintendo DS emulator are as follows:

• firmware.bin

Time needed:  2 minutes

Once you’ve downloaded these files, adding them to the Delta emulator is easy—here’s how:

From here, the Nintendo DS emulator will be fully operational. However, note that you may need to use iTunes File Transfer to add games—DS ROMs are typically several gigabytes large. Downloading them through your iPhone may be a hassle, so I’ll cover this more below.

How to Download ROMs for the Delta Emulator

Again, pirating officially licensed games breaks copyright laws, so I won’t be linking to them. However, homebrew games, and even some ROM hacks, are typically okay to share. Places like Homebrew Hub can have a library of legal, independently created games to play.

ROMs will either be in a compressed file (such as .ZIP) or a rather obvious file extension (.GBA for a Game Boy Advanced game, for example). I’ve had no problems importing both, but mileage may vary on compressed files. Should one give you issues, try extracting the file.

With that in mind, there are two primary ways to add ROMs to the Delta app: either through iTunes/Folder or the iOS Files app. Let’s take a look at both, as one can be easier than the other.

1. Adding ROMs Via the iOS Files App

Personally, this is the easiest way to add ROMs since it doesn’t require a computer. However, guiding your ROM downloads to the right place can be tricky.

For this how-to guide, I’ll download the game Sips from Homebrew Hub.

• First, navigate to the Homebrew Hub page for Sips .
• Scroll down and click Download Rom .

This method can be spotty depending on the browser you use, so make sure the ROM file makes its way to your Files app.

2. Adding ROMs Using iTunes

This method may be easier for those who have a hard time downloading ROMs directly on their iPhone, although you’ll have to use a Mac or PC. Let’s take a look.

• First, download the ROM.
• Next open iTunes .
• Navigate to the iPhone icon.
• Select File Sharing from the left-hand column.
• Click the Delta app and then Drag and Drop the ROMs you want into this section.

3. Adding ROMs Using Finder

If your Mac is running macOS Catalina or later, you’ll need to use Finder.

• Connect your iPhone to your Mac, then select your iPhone from a Finder window.

As you can probably tell, it’s pretty easy to add ROMs to the Delta app once you have the files in the correct location. The hardest part is probably getting them there.

How to Add Emulator Skins

One of the cooler features of Delta is it lets you change emulator skins. This is really easy to do, plus you can find tons of skins on sites like Delta GitHub . Adding skins is similar to adding ROMs, so again, ensure the skins are in your Files folder.

• You can now select the imported skin/s on Delta.

How to Remap Controllers in Delta

If you need to remap a controller, simply follow these steps:

• Select NES to open the drop-down menu and choose the controller you want to edit.
• Now, tap the button you want to change and press a button on the physical controller to remap it.

Controllers Supported By Delta App

The Delta app will support any third-party controller that works with iOS. However, here are some popular examples:

• Nintendo Switch Online Controller
• Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons
• Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
• Xbox Wireless Controller (Series X and S)
• Xbox Adapter Controller
• Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2
• Xbox Wireless Controller with Bluetooth Model 1708
• Playstation 4 and 5 Wireless Controllers

Adding a controller is usually as simple as navigating to Settings > Bluetooth on your iPhone, checking if the controller is discoverable, and then selecting it from the Other Devices list.

Additional Controls and Options

Once a game is running, you can open an additional menu that lets you fast-forward through scenes, hold down buttons, and even enable cheats. You’ll see this menu on the main screen while playing. It’s also where you’ll find your options to save and load games. You can save games within emulators, although I suggest using the Delta app’s Save function—it’s more reliable and accurate. Take a look around this section to see what you find.

While Android users may laugh over Apple slowly entering the world of emulation, the fact is it’s never too late to start. You may also want to know about the best Playstation 2 emulators for iOS .

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Why Apple’s iPhone Browser-Choice Option Sucks

You just bought a new iPhone in Europe and finished setting it up. You’re excited to start planning a much-needed vacation, so you tap on the Safari browser to search for upcoming flights. Oh, you suddenly see a pop-up asking you to choose a default browser. You quickly scan the list of options, only recognizing one or two, then decide to keep Safari and move on with your hunt for travel deals.

With the iOS 17.4 update , Apple now includes a default browser selection pop-up screen for European iPhone users. It’s part of the company’s response to the Digital Markets Act , which EU lawmakers enacted earlier this year to encourage competition on the internet. (The browser choice screen is not currently rolling out to iPhones in the United States.) While browser choice screens are, in theory, meant to level the playing field in markets dominated by a handful of gatekeepers , their effectiveness is determined by the quality of the user experience.

Many of the competitors appearing on Apple’s browser choice screen are dissatisfied with how it’s been implemented in European markets. Brendan Eich, CEO and cofounder of Brave , compared powerful companies that control the defaults on smartphones to street magicians who fan out cards to pick from but hustle you by forcing a specific card to the top of the deck.

An Apple spokesperson requested to speak off the record about browser choice screens. When WIRED declined and asked for an on-the-record comment, all further requests for an interview went unanswered.

Whenever someone updates their software to iOS 17.4 in Europe, they may see the browser choice pop-up the first time they tap on the Safari browser. After a short introductory screen about the default browser choice, a list of 12 browser options are displayed in a random order. The browsers that appear on the list vary slightly by country. Safari is automatically included, and the 11 other picks are browsers with the most iPhone downloads in a particular country that also adhere to Apple’s configuration requirements for defaults.

“It starts from you clicking Safari,” says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO and cofounder of Vivaldi . “Which, I think all of us agree, that’s the wrong spot.” Tetzchner said he prefers Google’s implementation of its new browser choice screen that guides Android users to select a default while setting up their phone.

Google actually has some experience implementing a choice screen to appease European regulators. When it was forced to add a search engine default selector to Android in 2019, many of the developers behind alternative options initially criticized the design and denounced Google’s practice of selling slots on the screen through auctions. The company responded by rolling out an updated pop-up without slot auctions in 2021. Google did not respond to multiple requests for comment on this story.

The slow speed of enforcement from European regulation means any changes mandated by lawmakers only arrive after a drawn-out process. “Google had implicit permission to implement a bad version of it and run out the clock. In the process, it makes the entire remedy of a choice screen look bad,” says Kamyl Bazbaz, a vice president of public affairs for DuckDuckGo . “If you can only judge the effectiveness of a thing based on a bad version of it, you're gonna think it sucks.”

Charlie Wood

Juliane Bergmann

Kathy Gilsinan

Julian Chokkattu

A few representatives from smaller browser companies also expressed that they wanted more information included with Apple’s choice process, like definitions of what a browser is for less tech-savvy users and descriptions of the different browsers’ specialties. “Giving people information about the choice, and also information about what they're choosing is really, really important,” says Kush Amlani, a global competition and regulatory counsel at Mozilla , which makes the Firefox browser.

Sophie Dembinski, a head of public policy and climate action at Ecosia , mentioned how Apple’s pop-up appears for all iPhone users even if they’ve already gone into their phone’s settings and set an alternative browser as their default. In comparison, Google’s browser choice screen for Android users won’t show up if you’ve already gone through the steps of setting a preference for a third-party option.

While many developers are unhappy with Apple’s implementation, not every company with a browser on the choice screen expressed frustration. “We believe that Apple's approach to presenting the browser choice screen is fair and acceptable,” says Andrew Moroz Frost, the Aloha Browser founder. He pointed out the randomized order of the browsers shown on the pop-up as one example of Apple designing it in a fair manner.

Richard Socher, the founder and CEO of You.com , seemed more encouraged by there being a browser choice screen that includes the search-focused startup rather than frustrated by Apple’s implementation. “I think it’s great that there’s not the default already preselected,” he says. Socher highlighted the randomized order as a positive sign as well.

Is this choice screen a true turning point for alternative browsers to grow their user base? “We’re expecting to have a clear picture on user uplift within months, not weeks,” says Dembinski. While some browsers reported initial upticks in downloads , it still seems too soon to make sweeping generalizations about the long-term efficacy of Apple’s choice screen.

“We would like to encourage platform providers to also level out the playing field for app developers around the world, not just in the EU,” says Jan Standal, a vice president of product marketing at Opera . Some of the companies WIRED spoke with remain hopeful that the precedent of browser choice screens set by the DMA will inspire international software changes.

Shortly after Apple’s choice screen launched, the European Commision announced that the screen would be part of its wider investigation into how Apple, Google, and Meta might be breaking these updated regulations: “The Commission is concerned that Apple's measures, including the design of the web browser choice screen, may be preventing users from truly exercising their choice of services within the Apple ecosystem, in contravention of Article 6(3) of the DMA.” In keeping with its slow-moving tradition, this investigation may take up to a year to complete.

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Your Guide to Private Browsing in Safari

Private browsing is often misunderstood, but it can be a helpful feature if you know what’s what.

Quick Links

What private browsing does in safari, how to use safari private browsing on iphone and ipad, how to use safari private browsing on a mac, how to disable safari private browsing on iphone and ipad, how to disable safari private browsing on a mac, key takeaways.

• Private Browsing in Safari hides browsing history, autofill details, downloads, and locks tabs after inactivity.
• Safari on Mac groups private and non-private tabs, while on iPhone it shows all tabs regardless of mode.
• To use Private Browsing in Safari, identify it by a dark address bar, "Private" indicator, or "Private" next to the site URL.

Most browsers offer a private browsing mode that aims to keep the websites you view off the record. But what exactly does it do in Safari and how do you get the best out of it?

First and foremost, Private Browsing keeps the website pages you visit out of your History . The aim is to prevent someone else from seeing which pages you have visited if they have access to your phone or computer.

In Safari, Private Browsing does a lot more than just hide URLs. It also:

• Prevents recent searches from showing up in your history.
• Stops remembering details you enter in forms for autofill.
• Keeps downloaded items from appearing in your Downloads list.
• Locks private tabs after a period of inactivity.
• Adds tracking and fingerprinting protection.

However, it’s important to note that Private Browsing does not stop you from being tracked altogether. Websites you visit will still be able to use various methods to track you, and will still have access to all data that you send them.

On macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, Safari groups private tabs together, and separates them from non-private tabs. On Mac, each Safari window is either private or non-private, and can have as many tabs as you want.

On iPhone, you can switch between private and non-private modes, each of which shows all tabs belonging to that mode.

You can spot when you’re viewing a private tab with these signs:

• The address bar has a dark background. This may be less noticeable if you’re using Dark Mode .
• On Mac, you’ll see a prominent Private indicator in the title bar.
• On iPhone, you’ll see Private alongside the site URL at the bottom of your screen.

The steps to enter Private Browsing mode are nearly identical on an iPhone and iPad. The only difference is that the tab icon is at the bottom of the screen on iOS and the top on iPadOS.

• Long-press the tab icon (two overlapping pages) on the bottom-right (iPhone) or top-right (iPad) of your screen.
• Tap the New Private Tab menu item.
• If locked, enter your passcode to unlock Private Browsing.

You can enter Private Browsing mode on macOS using either a menu item or a keyboard shortcut:

• Open the File menu and choose New Private Window .
• Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Shift + Cmd + n .
• Use the browser as you normally would. Any tabs you open from this window will open in the same window, in private mode.

You may want to prevent users of an iPhone or iPad from using Private Browsing mode at all. To do so:

• Open the Settings app.
• Tap on Screen Time .
• Under RESTRICTIONS , click on Content & Privacy Restrictions .
• If not already enabled, press the toggle next to Content & Privacy Restrictions to enable.
• Tap Content Restrictions .
• Change the Web Content setting to Limit Adult Websites .

The option to enter private mode will now be gone.

On macOS, the wording of certain options differs slightly, but the overall process is near-identical to iOS:

• Open System Settings via the Apple menu.
• Click on Screen Time in the left panel.
• Under the Restrictions section, click on Content & Privacy .
• Click Content Restrictions .
• Change the Access to Web Content setting to Limit Adult Websites .

Private Browsing will now be unavailable in Safari, although any existing private windows will stay open.

Of course, anyone can re-enable Private Browsing using the same process, in reverse. However, you can use Screen Time’s Lock Screen Time Settings option to set a passcode and enforce the setting permanently.

You can use Delta emulator for iPhone to play retro games on your TV — here's how

M odern video games are amazing. They have beautiful 3D graphics and silky smooth frame rates. But retro games are also great. There's something magical about the nostalgia of going back to the games we loved from our childhoods. 

One of the easiest ways to go back to retro games with through emulators. There's a definite legal gray area, but if you're willing to take the risk, you can now play retro games thanks to the Delta emulator on your iPhone.

Not only can you experience the games on the small screen, but thanks to the power of AirPlay, you can actually jump in and play them on your TV or computer. With an iPhone, an AirPlay-compatible TV, an Apple TV, or a computer and a Bluetooth controller , you can create the ultimate retro gaming setup in just a few minutes. 

How to use Delta on your TV

Thankfully, the process of getting Delta up and running on your TV is quick and easy. The process is no different than setting up AirPlay screen mirroring to use any other device. If you're not sure how that's done, here's a quick step-by-step guide that'll break it all down.

This guide assumes you have yet to set up AirPlay . If you've previously linked your television or Apple TV to your phone for AirPlay streaming, you can skip step 5. 

1. Connect your phone and TV, Apple TV, or computer to the same Wi-Fi network

They must be on the same network for any of this to work.

2. Open Control Center on your iPhone

If you have an iPhone X or later, swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen. For iPhone 8 or earlier (or devices with iOS 11 or earlier), swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen.

3. Tap the screen mirroring icon

It looks like two rectangles overlapping.

4. Choose the device you want to mirror your screen to

You should see your TV, Apple TV, or computer available in the list of devices.

5. Enter the AirPlay passcode that appears on the screen on your iPhone

It should be s short string of numbers that lets AirPlay know you want to connect. This will only be required the first time you connect.

That's all you have to do. Once connected, the games will automatically play on your larger screen, and you can use the iPhone as a controller or connect one of the supported controllers to it. If you're unsure how to connect a Bluetooth controller to your iPhone, our controller connection guide breaks down the process for you.

If you're using a Lightning controller like the Razer Kishi , you can just plug it into your phone and play.

More from Tom's Guide

• A retro game emulator actually stuck around on iOS today, and I tried it
• The Delta Game emulator has skyrocketed to No. 1 in the App Store — here’s what it can do
• First iPhone console emulators arrive on App Store

How to load game ROMs in the Delta emulator app for iPhone

Apple’s recent App Store policy change means that emulator apps like Riley Testut’s popular Delta platform for iPhone and iPad can finally be hosted in the App Store — sans ROM, of course.

These apps have long been available to users, but they could only be sideloaded via AltStore , Sideloadly , or Xcode . For many people, this was simply too much of a challenge, either because sideloading requires certain knowledge or because of the burdensome 7-day signing period. But now that these apps can be had from the App Store, that’s not a problem anymore.

In today’s tutorial, we’ll be walking you through the process of loading a ROM in your newly downloaded Delta emulator app.

What you need to know about emulators

Before getting started, we should note that there are a few caveats to using emulators on your iPhone or iPad. Perhaps the biggest elephant in the room would be the legality of it.

Using emulators legally

Emulator apps are 100% legal and can be downloaded from the App Store — even passing the muster of Apple’s App Store review process. But you can’t play any games with an emulator app until you load a game cartridge’s Read Only Memory (ROM) into it, and this is where things can get hairy (but not if you do it correctly).

Much like decrypting apps that you download from the App Store, the only legal way to get game ROMs for your emulator app is to dump them from the game cartridges that you already own and to use the data you dump only for personal purposes. This effectively means you can’t share those files with anyone else.

A ROM dumper is typically a piece of hardware you buy, such as the one pictured below, that can read and extract said read only memory from a classic game system cartridge and write that data to your computer.

These ROM dumper tools have input(s) where you can place your game cartridge(s) and usually have a USB output that connects to your computer. Many of these dumpers, which can be purchased online , also require the use of software you can download from the internet that is required to make them work with your computer.

While you can find ROM files online to download, which is unquestionably what most people do , going this route is considered engaging in piracy. That’s because you would be downloading ROM files from an unauthorized distributor without the game author’s permission, which infringes on their copyright rights.

For these reasons, iDB will not share where to download game ROMs from since we do not condone or wish to perpetuate piracy, and we instead recommend taking the kosher route and dumping your own game cartridges for use with emulator apps like the highly esteemed Delta.

It’s a fully-functional game system

Not only can you play games using the Delta emulator app, but you can save them and you can play local multiplayer just like you could with the original game consoles too. You can even AirPlay your screen to a bigger screen, such as a television or a projector.

Upon saving a game, you can load that save over and over again, as well as overwrite your progress over and over again. It’s just like playing on the real thing.

Additionally, you can connect and use game console controllers or third-party controllers that connect via Bluetooth to control those games. You aren’t forced to play using the touch-based controls that Delta provides out of the box, however they are nice touch controls complete with haptic feedback and the whole nine yards.

Why ROMs exist

Emulating game consoles in the primary reason why the game ROM community exists, however there are other perks to this hobby as well.

For example, much of the community will point to how game cartridges wear out over time. When this happens, the game can be lost forever. Dumping the ROM onto a computer for use later not only makes emulation possible, but it preserves that game perhaps even longer than the cartridge itself can.

Since many retro game consoles and their games are no longer produced by the manufacturer, it’s particularly important to hobbyist gamers to have access to these games even today, despite only being available in the second-hand market. Preserving those games well into the future ensures that even future generations will have access to those games, even after the last retro game cartridge in existence breaks.

What Delta can play

Right out of the box, Delta is compatible with game ROM files from the following game systems:

• Nintendo Entertainment System
• Super Nintendo Entertainment System
• Nintendo 64
• Game Boy (Color)
• Game Boy Advance
• Nintendo DS*

Notice the asterisk next to the Nintendo DS. That’s because you need to load some BIOS files to make it work properly. Unfortunately, we can’t share those either and you’ll have to extract them yourself to do this legally. Attempting to play a Nintendo DS game ROM without doing this will result in errors.

More console support is expected to be added to Delta in the future, but you’ll notice that most of the available game consoles are of the Nintendo variety at this time.

In this tutorial, we will focus on what to do with the game ROM file so that you can load it in the Delta emulator app.

How to load a ROM in the Delta Emulator app

To load a game ROM that you already have in the Delta Emulator app, follow the steps outlined below:

1) Download and install the free Delta emulator app from the App Store if you haven’t already.

2) Drag your game ROM file into the AirDrop window and drop it over the device you want to transfer it to:

3) On that device, launch the Files app :

4) Navigate to the Downloads folder and tap the game ROM that you previously AirDropped:

Note: The game will automatically load into the Delta app.

5) Tap the game in Delta to launch it:

Enjoy playing the game!

You are now playing a fully emulated game on your Delta game emulator for iPhone and iPad. Wasn’t that nice and easy?

Wrapping up

We’re just absolutely ecstatic that Apple is finally allowing the Delta emulator app into the App Store and allowing fans to play retro game console games on their iPhone and iPad platforms.

While this has always been possible with sideloading, it feels entirely more legitimate now that the app can be had from the App Store and used by a wider variety of people without burdensome prerequisites.

Are you going to be playing retro games on your iPhone or iPad with the Delta emulator app? Tell us why or why not in the comments section down below.