How to Enable or Disable Extensions on Apple Safari

The Safari is a default built-in browser only available for Apple devices. If you need to enhance or add a feature, you must rely on browser extensions.

A significant number of extensions are available for the Safari browser on Mac and iPhone or iPad devices. You can install them from the App Store on respective devices.

If you are new to extensions, we already have a list of the best extensions for Safari that you can start with.

Note: The Safari extensions are not cross-compatible, which means the extension that works in Safari on Mac might not work for iPhone or iPad devices and vice versa.

While the extensions are great, they sometimes unwantedly create browser issues. You might encounter errors like Safari unable to load the website, the page is using significant memory, the browser not working, etc. In such cases, we might need to turn off the extension one after the other to identify the one creating the problem.

The following guide will help you to enable or disable the Safari extensions on Mac and iPhone or iPad devices. It also guides you through the uninstallation process.

Manage Extensions in Safari on Mac

You can install the Safari extensions from the App Store, which will be available for customization in the Settings window under the Extensions tab.

Here are the steps to enable or disable the extension in Safari on macOS:

1. Open the Safari app on your Mac computer.
2. Click on Safari from the menubar and select the Settings menu.
   It will open the Safari settings window. 
3. Switch to the Extensions tab in the Settings window.
4. In the left pane, click the checkbox to Turn On or Off the corresponding extension.
   
5. If required, click on the Uninstall command to remove the extension.

Safari will immediately activate the extensions to use on the browser after enabling the checkbox. You can use the same checkbox to uncheck and disable the extensions you no longer use.

Note: Installing extensions on the Safari browser does not activate it. You need to manually activate it from the Extensions settings tab by enabling the checkbox.

By the way, the Uninstall command will take you to the Applications folder in Finder, where you need to Trash the corresponding extension app for uninstallation from the Safari browser.

If you want to add extensions, click the More Extensions… on the Extensions tab will take you to the App Store with the list of compatible Safari extensions for macOS only.

Manage Safari Extensions on iPhone or iPad

The Safari extensions installed on hand-held devices will be available under the device settings menu. You can even customize the extension usage for individual sites.

Here are the steps to activate or deactivate the extensions in Safari on iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the device Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
2.  Scroll down and select the Safari app for settings.
   
3. Tap on the Extensions under the GENERAL section.
   It will display the list of Safari extensions installed on your device.
4. Under the ALLOW THESE EXTENSIONS section, tap on Extension Name to access the setup screen.
   
5. Toggle the switch to Turn On or Off the extension for Safari browser.
   

After enabling the toggle switch, the extensions will be activated on Safari for iPhone or iPad. You can further Customize on the same settings page to allow or disallow which sites to use the extensions and whether to ask permission for usage.

To remove or uninstall the Safari extension on iPhone or iPad, you need to check the App Library and delete it like a regular app (tap and hold the Extension app for the 3D menu and select the Delete App command).

The extension app will be deleted and removed from the Extensions menu in the Safari Settings menu.

If you need to add extensions, tap on the More Extensions menu to launch the App Store on iPhone or iPad, displaying the list of compatible Safari extensions for the device.

Bottom Line

The Safari browser has the built-in option to manage the installed extensions under the Settings menu. You can customize the setup for both Mac and iPhone or iPad devices.

You can install the browser extensions from the App Store on respective Apple devices. After installation, you need to Turn On the extensions manually to activate them in the Safari browser. Unless you activate, the add-ons will be in disabled mode.

Overall, browser extensions are a great way to enhance overall user experience and integrate less readily available features. However, these plugins might cause issues conflicting with the browser’s functionality. In such cases, you need to disable and enable the extensions to troubleshoot and identify the culprit causing the issue.

Perhaps, you should consider trying the basic browser troubleshooting before heading over to the advanced troubleshooting with Safari browser extensions.

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