Safari gets Apple Intelligence upgrade with AI-powered tab sorting and custom extensions

I quit Safari for Chrome, but these new MacOS 27 features could pull me back

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways * Safari is getting four new features with Apple Intelligence. * You'll be able to set notifications for product restocks and the like. * MacOS 27 will also let you create Safari extensions with descriptions. Apple announced a bunch of Siri AI and Apple Intelligence upgrades at WWDC 2026. Your Apple products could get faster, more reliable, and more responsive with the upcoming OS versions. However, I'm excited for a browser update because Safari is promised to get features that could genuinely make things easier for me. I didn't think I'd say this, but I'm excited to use Safari again. Here's why. 1. One-tap security upgrade on compromised passwords I am a lazy man. When I get a notification about compromised passwords on websites (non-finance-related), I shrug and close the pop-up. I don't want to create a new password -- even when it is compromised -- for multiple websites one by one. It would drag me away from the task I opened the website for, and I forget about it by the time my password is updated. That's why Apple's new Apple Intelligence feature in Safari appeals to me. Also: Chrome stops hackers from stealing your browser cookies now - how its new security feature works With the upcoming OS updates, Apple's Passwords will be able to automatically update your compromised passwords to secured versions on multiple websites simultaneously. "Passwords securely navigates through websites to sign in and upgrade their accounts to strong passwords," the company said. I use an iPhone, Mac Mini, and the MacBook Air in my workflow, and if Safari can update and remember my password automatically, I don't mind switching back from Chrome. 2. The potential of Notify Me Apple's new Safari feature, Notify Me, will let you ask the web browser to monitor a web page for changes. For instance, you can set it up for product restocks or price drops. I am a sucker for discounts, whether it be on flights (I have Google Alerts set for certain routes I want to travel) or the Amazon products on my wishlist; I want to get them at the lowest prices possible. If I can create alerts without leaving the web page just by asking my browser, I'm in! The possibilities are exciting -- you can, at least theoretically, monitor stock prices, flight prices, specific product drops, and more, without the need to subscribe to a third-party service. 3. Automatic tab grouping I am a freelance writer, and more often than not, I'm working on multiple stories simultaneously. As a result, I have at least 50 tabs open in the background with research material -- all left ungrouped because I'm bad at grouping them in relevant windows. This new Apple feature aims to help people like me by simplifying multi-tab browsing. Also: Google Chrome's vertical tabs are here: How to opt in and use the new Reading Mode While Safari can group tabs together and create multiple profiles, it is getting more powerful with Apple Intelligence later this year. It will automatically organize your tabs into relevant topics. Apple explained that if you're planning a weekend trip, Safari can bring together all of your travel-planning tabs into one topic. Then, as you browse, Safari will continue to organize new tabs into existing topics or create new ones. 4. Describe an Extension There are times when I need something, and I have to look for an extension to make things easier or automate a task. For instance, I have a JPG image downloader extension on my Chrome browser so I can download media images from newsroom posts with a single tap. But what if you need an extension that hasn't been made, or you don't know about its existence? Apple's new Describe an Extension feature on Safari can help you create custom extensions by describing what you want. Once a description is given, Safari will then generate the custom extension right in the toolbar. I'm looking forward to creating an auto-scroller so I can read long articles on the web without tiring my thumb.

iOS 27: All the New Safari Features

Safari is one of the apps that Apple focused on in iOS 27, and it includes multiple new Apple Intelligence features. From automatically organizing tab groups to custom extensions, Safari is getting useful new capabilities. Automatic Tab Organization Safari uses Apple Intelligence to organize your open tabs into relevant topics, grouping like concepts together to make it easier to browse your open tabs. If you're searching for a new couch while also planning a weekend trip, websites that you open for each topic are grouped together. Automatic sorting can be enabled by tapping on the icon with three lines in the upper right of the display while in tab view and turning on the Automatically Create Topics setting. This same Safari menu also lets you see all of the groups and filter by topic so you can open just the tabs related to a specific topic while avoiding the other tabs. There is a new "Resume Browsing" section of the Start Page that lets you continue browsing topics you recently closed or topics you have open on other devices. You can also group pages you've saved to Bookmarks and Reading List by topic. Custom Extensions You can use AI to create Safari Extensions in iOS 27 with Apple's new Create an Extension option. In the Safari settings accessible from the left of the URL bar, tapping into Create an Extension brings you to an interface where you can type in whatever you want an extension to do. Apple also includes suggestions in categories that include Boost Productivity, Improve Focus, Get Creative, and Develop and Design. Some of Apple's extension suggestions: * Create a citation for the current webpage and copy it to my clipboard * Create a 3-minute focus timer for the page * Set the minimum font size to 14pt * Turn the page into pirate speak * Style websites like 90s websites with bold colors and type * Every time I open a new tab, draw me a different flower * Highlight and show the dimensions of webpage elements when I tap on them * Enter the design mode for a website so that I can edit the contents Notify Me Safari can monitor a website for changes and alert you when new information is detected. Apple says it's useful for monitoring when concert tickets go on sale or watching for a product to be restocked. To use it, navigate to a website, then tap on the settings icon to the left of the URL bar, and choose the Notify Me option. You can type in what you want Safari to watch for and set a frequency and a time. At most, Safari will check websites once per day at a set time, with weekly and monthly checks also available. Passwords The Passwords app can use Safari to automatically change flagged weak and compromised passwords, turning them into strong passwords. The feature uses Apple Intelligence to automatically navigate to eligible websites, sign in, and update your password with a tap. Ask to Browse Apple added new parental controls in iOS 27, including an "Ask to Browse" feature that requires children to get parental approval before visiting a new website. Performance Improvements Apple says Safari's power efficiency has improved, so it will drain less battery. Web apps and start page content load faster, JavaScript handling is faster, and animations and graphics are smoother. Compatibility Safari features like automatic tab grouping, custom extensions, and custom notifications require Apple Intelligence. Apple Intelligence is available on the iPhone 15 Pro and later. Availability iOS 27 is in beta, and it is set to launch in fall 2026 alongside new iPhone models.

My fingers already love this macOS 27 Safari feature

Safari 27 also introduces AI-powered tab sorting, custom extension building, and enhanced Passwords app functionality that automatically changes compromised credentials. At its WWDC26 opening keynote, Apple today previewed macOS 27, focusing on design refinements, Siri AI, and other relatively minor upgrades. Despite the update's somewhat lackluster nature, Safari on the Mac is still getting a few useful AI tools that I can't wait to use. While it expectedly doesn't offer a comprehensive agentic browsing experience, some of the fresh additions subtly rely on agentic AI capabilities to execute specific tasks, including one that will save me from needing to obsessively refresh tabs when I'm ready to buy the iPhone 18. Spread the word, Notify Me is a game-changer Notify Me, as its name suggests, is a new tool that allows you to build custom alerts in Safari on macOS 27. For example, if you're anticipating a certain discount, you could ask Safari to check a specific product's price every morning and notify you when it drops. This will spare me from needing to routinely monitor and refresh webpages with Command-R and eliminate the risk of missing out on timely updates. Essentially, Safari will visit the desired webpage on your behalf depending on the frequency you've set in your instructions. The AI agent will scan the site's components and check if any of the changes match your command. If so, the Safari app will send you a push notification prompting you to check the website and take action if necessary. It's a safe agentic AI approach that does not execute any sensitive actions on your behalf, like completing purchases or filling online forms in the background. It merely simplifies what would otherwise be a very redundant workflow. Other Safari features in macOS 27 Another neat Safari feature coming with macOS 27 is a custom extension builder that can accommodate your specific needs across the different websites you frequent. While the App Store offers a ton of third-party extensions, they don't always fit niche workflows. With the new builder, you should be able to alter webpages as needed and have them react in a way that makes sense to you. Safari 27 is also getting AI-powered tab sorting support. The feature will analyze the topics of your open webpages and group them accordingly. This is particularly helpful when you're researching multiple subjects simultaneously, as it'll keep the relevant tabs in a single spot. You could then optionally save the automatic assortments as permanent tab groups that you can revisit later -- beyond your current browsing session. Agentic AI browsing extends beyond Safari's Notify Me tool on macOS 27. With this release, the Passwords app can automatically visit select websites and change a password if it's weak or compromised. Passwords can already detect weak or compromised passwords. With the latest update, it'll take it one step further by visiting the affected service's password-changing webpage and going through the flow autonomously. It'll basically insert the old password it already has (if prompted), generate a new, stronger one, submit it on the website, and save it in the Passwords app. This ensures that your passwords remain secure at all times -- without you having to take action. macOS 27 is now available as a beta to those enrolled in Apple's Developer program, with general availability to follow this fall.

Apple gives Safari a makeover at WWDC 2026

Apple's longtime flagship web browser got a facelift at WWDC 2026. At its annual software keynote in Cupertino, Apple took some time to showcase what's new in Safari. The first thing to note is that Safari can now use Apple Intelligence to sort your dozens of open tabs into distinct topics and even automatically add new tabs to those topics. It can also automatically monitor pages using a feature called Notify Me; tell Safari what you're looking for using natural language, and you'll get a notification later if something happens. Users can also use natural language to describe browser extensions, with one example being a way to save recipes on-screen. There's also a new security feature that will notify you of compromised account passwords and let you update them all at once using AI. Apple didn't spend a ton of time talking about Safari, but these updates are sure to be useful to someone. For more WWDC 2026 news, follow our live blog to see all of the latest announcements and surprises from the annual Apple event.