How to use Safari extensions on your iPhone and iPad

One of the handiest types of software in anyone’s quiver is the browser extension: those cool little applets that let your browser do what you want it to do. And one of the nicest things about iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 is that you can now add extensions to the Safari browser. Even though this is a new feature that launched with the latest iOS version, there are already a number of useful extensions available for you to add.

What follows is a rundown on how to add extensions to your Safari app — while we’ve illustrated the process using an iPhone, you can follow the same basic directions with an iPad. We’ve also included a sampling of some extensions you can try.

How to add extensions

• Tap on the Settings app.
• Scroll down to and select Safari > Extensions.
• Any extensions that you’ve already installed will be listed here. Tap on “More Extensions” if you’d like to see what’s available in the App Store. (You can also simply go to the App Store and search on “Safari Extensions.”)

• Once you’ve installed your first extension, you’ll see a little “puzzle piece” icon on the left side of Safari’s address bar. Tap that, and the menu that pops up will include your current extensions plus a “Manage Extensions” selection, which lets you toggle your extensions on and off.

Some extensions to try

This is a small sampling of some of the extensions that you can now access via the App Store. While there are not many extensions yet available (compared to the number of extensions for, say, Chrome), it’s a pretty safe bet that there will be lots more to come over the next few months.

Amplosion ($2.99)

AMP, which is short for “Accelerated Mobile Pages,” is a web format created by Google to optimize search results for mobile browsers. However, if you’d rather not have Google tweaking the webpages you upload, you can use Amplosion to redirect the AMP links that show up in search results into normal mobile links.

Noir ($2.99)

When you’re browsing at night and you’ve set your iPhone or iPad to dark mode, you will often hit a website that is bright enough to make your eyes water. Noir allows you to set a dark mode for all the websites you visit.

1Password (subscription needed)

1Password is a well-known and respected password manager. If you’re a 1Password user, there’s no question that you’re going to want to add this one to your mobile Safari app.

Super Agent for Safari (free)

This handy extension automatically fills out a website’s cookie consent forms based on your preferences, which can save you a lot of time and irritation.

Web Inspector (free)

Something for developers: an app that lets you inspect the HTML coding of a website, modify it, debug it, and perform other essential tasks.