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Apple Safari Policy

Updated yesterday

Overview

The Apple Safari Policy lets you centrally configure Safari behavior on managed macOS devices. You can control:

  • Downloads and insecure form submission

  • Autofill for passwords, forms, and payment data

  • Cookies and website storage

  • Bookmarks and menu behavior

  • Notifications and prompts

  • Tabs, windows, and homepage behavior

  • Fonts, encoding, plugins, JavaScript, and private browsing

  • Supported platform: macOS/iOS/iPadOS

1. Downloads & Form Submission

Open Safe Downloads Automatically

When enabled, Safari automatically opens files it considers “safe” after downloading. Turning this off prevents downloaded files from autorunning.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

Ask Before Submitting Insecure Forms

Prompts users before submitting forms over insecure (e.g., non-HTTPS) connections.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

Downloads Clearing Policy

Controls when items are removed from Safari’s Downloads list.

  • Options:

    • Manually

    • When Safari quits

    • Upon successful download

  • Default: Manually

Downloads Location

File system path where downloaded files are saved (can start with ~, e.g. ~/Downloads).

  • Values: any valid path string

  • Default: Not configured

2. Autofill & Sensitive Data

AutoFill Credit Card

Allows Safari to store and autofill credit card information.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: false

AutoFill web forms from contacts

Uses contact data (from Contacts) to autofill web forms.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

AutoFill Miscellaneous Forms

Enables autofill for general web forms that aren’t contacts or passwords.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

AutoFill Passwords

Controls Safari’s built-in password manager and autofill.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: false

Force Authentication Before AutoFill (iOS/iPadOS only)

Requires biometric authentication (Face ID / Touch ID) before autofilling passwords or credit cards in Safari and apps. (Listed here for completeness; applies to supervised iOS/iPadOS 11+ devices.)

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: Not configured

3. Cookies & Storage

Block cookies and other website data

Controls how Safari handles cookies and site data.

  • Options:

    • None – do not change system default

    • Always – always block

    • Never – never block

    • Third Parties except sites you visited

    • Third Parties – block all third-party cookies

  • Default: None

Default Space for Database Storage

Limits the storage available for site databases (e.g., IndexedDB, WebSQL).

  • Options:

    • None

    • 0 MB

    • 1 MB

    • 5 MB

    • 10 MB

    • 50 MB

    • 100 MB

    • 500 MB

  • Default: None

History Age Limit

Automatically removes browsing history older than a specified time.

  • Options:

    • None

    • 1 day

    • 1 week

    • 2 weeks

    • 1 month

    • 1 year

  • Default: None

4. Bookmarks & Safari UI Integration

Bookmarks colletions include contacts

Includes Contacts in bookmark collections.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

Bookmarks collections include Bonjour

Includes Bonjour/Rendezvous items in bookmark collections.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

Bookmarks menu includes contacts

Shows contacts in the Bookmarks menu.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: false

Bookmarks menu includes bookmarks bar

Displays items from the bookmarks bar in the Bookmarks menu.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

Bookmarks Menu Includes Rendezvous

Adds Rendezvous/Bonjour items to the Bookmarks menu.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: false

Home Page

Sets the Safari homepage URL.

  • Values: any valid URL

  • Default: Not configured

5. Notifications & Prompts

Allow notifications

Allows websites to request Safari notification permissions.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

Suppress Default Web Browser Prompt

Suppresses the first-run prompt asking to make Safari the default browser when quitting.

  • Options:

    • No – show the prompt

    • Yes – suppress the prompt

  • Default: No

Suppress Default Web Browser Banner

Suppresses the banner “Make Safari your default browser?” shown on launch.

  • Options:

    • No – show the banner

    • Yes – suppress the banner

  • Default: No

Hide What's New in Safari Prompt

Disables the “What’s New in Safari” informational prompt.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: false

6. Tabs, Windows & Navigation

Command-Click opens a link in a new tab

Allows Command+click to open links in a new tab.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

Confirm Closing Multiple Pages

Shows a confirmation dialog when closing multiple tabs/windows.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

Contents of New Tabs

Controls what is shown when a new tab is opened.

  • Options:

    • Show Homepage

    • Show Empty Page

    • Show Same Page as current window

    • Show Bookmarks

  • Default: Show Homepage

Contents of New Windows

Controls default content in new Safari windows.

  • Options:

    • Homepage

    • Empty Page

    • Same Page as current window

    • Bookmarks

  • Default: Homepage

When a new tab or window opens, make it active

Automatically switches focus to new tabs or windows.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: false

Open pages in tabs instead of windows

Configures when Safari should prefer tabs over new windows.

  • Options:

    • Never

    • Automatically

    • Always

  • Default: Never

7. Printing & Privacy Headers

Print Headers And Footers

Adds headers and footers when printing web pages.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

Print Backgrounds

Prints background colors and images.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: false

Do Not Track

Sends the “Do Not Track” HTTP header with Safari requests (honor is site-dependent).

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

8. Extensions & Develop Menu

Enable Extensions

Enables or disables Safari extensions globally.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

Disable Extensions Immediately

Immediately disables individual extensions when the master switch is removed, if needed.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: false

Show Develop menu in menu bar

Shows the Develop menu for developer tools.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: false

9. Fonts, Encoding & Layout

Default Fixed-width Font Size

Sets the font size used for fixed-width fonts (e.g., code blocks).

  • Values: integer (points)

  • Default: Not configured

Default Font Size

Sets the default font size when pages do not specify one.

  • Values: integer (points)

  • Default: Not configured

Minimum Font Size

Defines the smallest font size Safari will use for page text.

  • Values: integer (points)

  • Default: Not configured

Default Text Encoding

Sets the default text encoding for pages without a specified encoding.

  • Values: string (IANA character set name, e.g. UTF-8)

  • Default: Not configured

Default Fixed-width Font

Specifies the fixed-width font family.

  • Values: string (font family name)

  • Default: Not configured

Default Font

Specifies the default proportional font family.

  • Values: string (font family name)

  • Default: Not configured

Press Tab to highlight each item on a webpage

Allows the Tab key to move focus to all controls on a web page (links, fields, etc.).

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: false

10. Java, JavaScript, Images, Plug-ins & Private Browsing

Enable Java

Enables Java content in Safari (if Java is installed).

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

Allow JavaScript to Open Windows Automatically

Allows JavaScript to open new windows (pop-ups).

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: false

Enable JavaScript

Enables JavaScript execution.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

Display Images

Automatically loads images on web pages.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

Enable Plug-ins

Enables WebKit plug-ins.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: true

Private Browsing

Controls whether Safari uses Private Browsing mode.

  • Values: true / false

  • Default: false

11. Summary & Recommendations

The Apple Safari Policy gives you fine-grained control over how Safari behaves, including:

  • Security: Disable autorun, limit cookies, restrict JavaScript windows, control private browsing.

  • Privacy: Do Not Track, cookie policies, storage quotas, limited history retention.

  • UX: Standardized homepage, new tab/window behavior, fonts, and printing.

  • Compliance: Disable sensitive autofill, manage extensions, and hide “What’s New” or default browser prompts.

Common recommendations for secure environments:

  • Turn Open Safe Downloads Automatically off.

  • Disable AutoFill Credit Card and AutoFill Passwords.

  • Use a stricter Block cookies and other website data mode (e.g., third-party only).

  • Keep Do Not Track enabled.

  • Consider disabling Allow JavaScript to Open Windows Automatically and tightly controlling Enable Plug-ins.

Related Articles
Apple Security Access Control Policy
Apple Login Window Policy
Apple Printing Policy
Apple Touch ID Policy
Apple iCloud Policy
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